The Majestic Quran

1. Al-Fatihah The Opening The opening chapter of the Majestic Quran summarises the major themes and topics of the Quran: shaping a world view through the belief system; faith in God, His messengers and the Hereafter; the Angels; Predestination and the Day of Resurrection; challenging idolatry and materialism; practising the five pillars; emphasis on obeying the laws: halal and haram; an invitation to embrace spiritual ideals: mindfulness and alertness, reliance on God; the promotion of moral teachings; the condemnation of moral vices; social obligations; the life and beautiful character of the Messenger r ; the history of human disobedience; Satan the arch enemy, how he misleads and his snares and traps; human diversity and pluralism; the awe-inspiring nature; vivid descriptions of Heaven and Hell. This is the essence of the Quran. It is read dozens of time daily in the prayers and is a plea, a prayer that the devout servant makes to the Caring Lord. The rest of the Quran is a response to this, and the blessed Messenger r praised its virtue: “by Him in whose hand is my life, nothing like this was ever revealed in the Torah, or the Psalms or the Gospel” (Ahmed). A concise prayer that is life transforming, no wonder the Messenger r described it as: al-fatihah , the door to the treasury of wisdom; Umm al-Quran, the Fountain of Quranic wisdom; al-shifa , the healing for moral, spiritual and social diseases. In the name of God, the Kind, the Caring. T Q