FÂTIHAH. – In Arabic, “the opener,” “the initial one.” It is the first chapter (sûrah) of the Koran, and the only one that constitutes an exception to the general criterion according to which the sûre of the sacred book are arranged, namely, that of length (the longest at the beginning, the shortest at the end).
Indeed, the f. consists of only 7 verses: it takes the form of a short prayer. It is rather ancient (from the Meccan period), if not, as some believe, the oldest sûrah of the Koran. It might be called the Muslim Pater noster, because it is recited very frequently, both as an individual prayer and as part of the canonical prayer. Here is a complete translation: “Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, merciful and clement, master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and from you alone we seek help; guide us along the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, with whom you are not angry and who have not gone astray.” Alessandro Banzani