Quran English Translation – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This Surah is named AL-FATIHAH because of its subject-matter. Fatihah is that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing. In other words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of preface.

It is one of the very earliest Revelations to the Holy Prophet. As a matter of fact, we learn from authentic Traditions that it was the first complete Surah which was revealed to Muhammed (Allah's peace be upon him). Before this, only a few miscellaneous verses were revealed which form parts of `ALAQ, MUZ-ZAMMIL, MUD-DATH-THIR, etc.

This Surah is in fact a prayer which Allah has taught to all those who want to make a study of His book. It has been placed at the very beginning of the book to teach this lesson to the reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.

This preface is meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the reader to seek guidance from the Lord of the Universe, Who alone can grant it. Thus AL-FATIHAH indirectly teaches that the best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the straight path, to study the Quran with the mental attitude of a seeker- after-truth and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the Universe is the source of all knowledge. He should, therefore, begin the study of the Quran with a prayer to him for guidance.

From this theme, it becomes clear that the real relation between AL-FATIHAH and the Quran is not that of an introduction to a book but that of a prayer and its answer. AL-FATIHAH is the prayer from the servant and the Quran is the answer from the Master to his prayer. The servant prays to Allah to show him guidance and the Master places the whole of the Quran before him in answer to his prayer, as if to say, "This is the Guidance you begged from Me."

(1:1) In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate (1:2) Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the entire universe. (1:3) The Merciful, the Compassionate (1:4) The Master of the Day of Recompense. (1:5) You alone do we worship, and You alone do we turn for help (1:6) Direct us on to the Straight Way, (1:7) The way of those whom You have favoured, who did not incur Your wrath, who are not astray.

(2:1) Alif, Lam, Mim. (2:2) This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the pious, (2:3) for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception, who establish Prayer and spend out of what We have provided them, (2:4) who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and have firm faith in the Hereafter. (2:5) Such are on true guidance from their Lord; such are the truly successful. (2:6) As for those who have rejected (these truths), it is all the same whether or not you warn them, for they will not believe. (2:7) Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and a covering has fallen over their eyes. They deserve severe chastisement.(2:8) There are some who say: “We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,” while in fact they do not believe. (2:9) They are trying to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not realize that in truth they are only deceiving themselves. (2:10) There is a disease in their hearts and Allah has intensified this disease. A painful chastisement awaits them for their lying. (2:11) Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.” (2:12) They are the mischief makers, but they do not realize it. (2:13) Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,” they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?” Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it. (2:14) When they meet the believers, they say: “We believe,” but when they meet their evil companions (in privacy), they say: “Surely we are with you; we were merely jesting.” (2:15) Allah jests with them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their rebellion. (2:16) These are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance. This bargain has brought them no profit and certainly they are not on the Right Way. (2:17) They are like him who kindled a fire, and when it lit up all around him, Allah took away the light (of their perception) and left them in utter darkness where they can see nothing. (2:18) They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; they will never return (to the Right Way). (2:19) Or they are like those who encounter a violent rainstorm from the sky, accompanied by pitch-dark clouds, thunder-claps and flashes of lightning: on hearing thunder-claps they thrust their fingers into their ears in fear of death. Allah encompasses these deniers of the Truth. (2:20) It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt. If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight. Surely Allah is All-Powerful. (2:21) O mankind, serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved. (2:22) It is He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from above wherewith He brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, set up rivals to Allah when you know (the Truth). (2:23) If you are in any doubt whether it is We Who have revealed this Book to Our servant, then produce just a surah like it, and call all your supporters and seek in it the support of all others save Allah. Accomplish this if you are truthful. (2:24) But if you fail to do this – and you will most certainly fail – then have fear of the Fire whose fuel is men and stones and which has been prepared for those who deny the Truth......

(11:1) Alif. Lam. Ra. This is a Divine Command whose contents have been made firm and set forth in detail from One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware (11:2) that you may worship none but Allah. Verily, I have come to you as a warner and a bearer of good news from Him (11:3) that you may seek forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance whereupon He will grant you a fair enjoyment of life until an appointed term, and will bestow favour on everyone who merits favour. But should you turn away (from the truth), I fear for you the chastisement of an Awesome Day. (11:4) Unto Allah is your return, and He has power to do everything. (11:5) Lo! They fold up their breasts that they may conceal themselves from Him. Surely when they cover themselves up with their garments Allah knows well what they cover and what they reveal. Indeed He even knows the secrets hidden in the breasts. (11:6) There is not a single moving creature on the earth but Allah is responsible for providing its sustenance. He knows where it dwells and where it will permanently rest. All this is recorded in a clear Book. (11:7) And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and [before that] His Throne was upon the water that He may test you, who of you is better in conduct If you were to say (O Muhammad): 'All of you will surely be raised after death', then those who disbelieve will certainly say: 'This is nothing but plain sorcery. (11:8) And were We to put off the chastisement from them for a determined period, they will cry out: 'What withholds Him from chastising?' Surely when the day of the chastisement will come, nothing will avert it and the chastisement which they had ridiculed shall encompass them. (11:9) If We ever favour man with Our Mercy, and then take it away from him, he becomes utterly desperate, totally ungrateful. (11:10) And if We let him taste favour after harm has touched him, he says: 'All my ills are gone', and he suddenly becomes exultant and boastful, (11:11) except those who are patient and act righteously. Such shall have Allah's forgiveness and a great reward. (11:12) (O Messenger!) Let it not happen that you omit (to expound) a portion of what was revealed to you. And do not be distressed that they will say: 'Why was a treasure not bestowed upon him?' or 'Why did no angel accompany him?' For you are merely a warner, whereas Allah has control over everything. (11:13) Do they say: 'He has invented this Book himself?' Say: 'If that is so, bring ten surahs the like of it of your composition, and call upon all (the deities) you can other than Allah to your help. Do so if you are truthful.' (11:14) Then if (your deities) do not respond to your call for help then feel assured that this Book was revealed with the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no true god but Him. Will you, then, surrender (to this truth)? (11:15) Those who seek merely the present world and its adornment. We fully recompense them for their work in this world, and they are made to suffer no diminution in it concerning what is their due. (11:16) They are the ones who shall have nothing in the Hereafter except Fire. (There they shall come to know) that their deeds in the world have come to naught; and that whatever they have done is absolutely useless.....

(101:1) The Calamity! (101:2) What is the Calamity? (101:3) And what do you know what the Calamity is? (101:4) On that Day human beings shall be like scattered moths, (101:5) and the mountains shall be like fluffs of carded wool in varying colours. (101:6) Then he whose scales weigh heavier (101:7) shall have a blissful life; (101:8) but he whose scales weigh lighter, (101:9) his shall be the deep pit for a dwelling. (101:10) And what do you know what that is? (101:11) A Blazing Fire!

(102:1) The craving for ever-greater worldly gains and to excel others in that regard keeps you occupied (102:2) until you reach your graves. (102:3) Nay, you will soon come to know; (102:4) nay, again, you shall soon come to know. (102:5) Nay, would that you knew with certainty of knowledge (what your attitude will lead to, you would never have acted the way you do). (102:6) You will surely end up seeing Hell; (102:7) again, you shall most certainly end up seeing it with absolute certainty. (102:8) Then, on that Day, you will be called to account for all the bounties you enjoyed.

(103:1) By the time! (103:2) Lo! Man is in a state of loss; (103:3) save those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other to hold on to truth and counsel each other to be steadfast.

(104:1) Woe to every fault-finding backbiter; (104:2) who amasses wealth and counts it over and again. (104:3) He thinks that his wealth will immortalise him forever. (104:4) Nay, he shall be thrown into the Crusher. (104:5) And what do you know what the Crusher is? (104:6) It is the Fire kindled by Allah, (104:7) the Fire that shall rise to the hearts (of criminals). (104:8) Verily it will close in upon them, (104:9) in outstretched columns.

(105:1) Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants? (105:2) Did He not bring their plan to naught? (105:3) And He sent against them swarms of birds (105:4) which smote them with stones of baked clay, (105:5) and made them like straw eaten up (by cattle).

(106:1) Since the Quraysh became accustomed, (106:2) accustomed to the journey of winter and summer, (106:3) therefore, let them worship the Lord of this House; (106:4) Who fed them against hunger, and secured them against fear.

(107:1) Did you see him who gives the lie to the Reward and Punishment of the Hereafter? (107:2) Such is the one who repulses the orphans away, (107:3) and urges not the feeding of the needy. (107:4) Woe, then, to those who pray, (107:5) but are heedless in their Prayers, (107:6) those who do good (in order) to be seen, (107:7) and deny people the articles of common necessity.