A Problem That Every Praying Muslim Faces (and how you can overcome it...)

When was the last time you felt something when reciting surah al-Fatihah in prayer?

You see, we recite it so often (at least 17 times a day, in every unit of every prayer) that for many of us, it’s become automatic and robotic...

We tend to recite it in a monotonous, mumbling and rushed manner… without emotion or expression.

We say the memorized verses, but our mind is elsewhere.

Does any of this sound familiar?

So how can you make your engagement with surah al-Fatihah one that is deep, meaningful and impactful?

That’s exactly what you’ll discover in this and the next couple of emails as we take a journey through 'The Opening' (al-Fatihah).

Today, we’ll answer one simple question…

What’s the main purpose of surah al-Fatihah?

As a believer, being aware of intention and objective is critically important. To ask yourself:

What’s the goal or purpose of what I’m doing? What does Allah want me to achieve through this?

It should be central to everything you do in life.

Always begin with the end in mind.

So what’s the main objective of surah al-Fatihah?

Guidance!

اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ

“Guide us on the Straight Path”

That’s why I call this prayer tip:

The Request for Guidance.

Once you internalize this, the way you understand and express surah al-Fatihah will transform forever, God willing.

Here’s how (three ways):

1. It will impact your mindset when you're about to begin reciting the surah.

When you want something from someone and it’s something valuable, and it’s really important to you...

…what do you do before making that big request?

Do you just go into it haphazardly?

Of course not. You prepare yourself, mentally and emotionally...

What will I say? How will I say it?

How will the interaction go? Will I get a positive response? 

You have a certain mindset in the lead-up to the request...

That mindset greatly affects the way you present and express yourself when making the request...

...which in turn impacts the kind of response you'll get.

Mindset  ➜  Request  ➜  Response

There's no request more important than the request for guidance...

If you believe that, then approach the request in surah al-Fatihah with the appropriate mindset.

2. It will impact your decisions and direction.

If your request for guidance is accepted, how will that manifest in your life?

Practically, it means that you'll be able to make better decisions…

Your decision-making, in the context of this life and the next, will become more effective i.e. what you think, say, do, etc.

You see, between each prayer and the next, you’re making all sorts of decisions which will affect the trajectory of your life.

So salah, and the request for guidance in salah, is a means for you to regularly: reorient yourself (towards God), remind yourself (of what's truly important) and regain perspective.

You return to your Lord every few hours, asking yourself:

Am I making the right decisions? Am I on track?

3. It will remind you that you’re on a journey, the path is dangerous and you need help to stay on track.

We shouldn't feel overly confident in our ability to chart our own course, nor should we think that we're actually making all the right decisions to stay on the Straight Path...

Are we in the middle and moving forward as we should be? Or are we veering off to one side or the other? Or have we fallen off altogether?

We don’t entirely know our state.

For example, the companions were fearful that they may be hypocrites...

Then, what about you and me?!

Of course, there are ways for us to evaluate ourselves.

But the point is: Don't take guidance for granted.

Come to the prayer and go into surah al-Fatihah feeling a little lost... acknowledging that you need guidance, continually.

What are the emotions associated with feeling lost?

Imagine you’re going for an important meeting (e.g. a job interview)…

...you're in an unfamiliar place, you don't have a phone or a map, you need to get to your destination by a certain time, and your livelihood depends on getting this job.

In that dire situation, the way you ask for directions (i.e. guidance) is going to be with a high level of urgency and desperation, right?

So when you stand in the presence of your Lord every day and ask for guidance in surah al-Fatihah, ask with that kind of emotion.

—

I hope this transforms the way you approach and experience surah al-Fatihah, for the rest of your life.

May Allah guide us to make the best decisions, so that we stay upon the path that leads most clearly and directly to Him 🤲🏽

At your service,

Farzan Parupia
Founder & CEO