Question:
Assalamo Alaikum, I have a question that I would like to know to help me increase my knowledge. After Shaikh Nazim and Shaikh Hisham Kabbani’s speeches many times I hear they say the words “Al Fatiha” so I lift my hands to read the whole Surah Fatiha but before I can finish they are done within only 1-2 seconds. Maybe I am not able to understand and they recite something else shorter after saying the words “Al Fatiha” ? Please help me increase my knowledge. Thanks
Answer:
Alaykum Salam,
The more one recites the Blessed Fatiha over the years, the faster one may get but take all the time you need. If they say to recite then just recite, and leave trying to match or catch up with them. What is important is that for every letter of it you pronounce, even silently, you will have unlimited rewards as mentioned in several hadiths.
Surat Yasin is the heart of the Qur’an and the Fatiha is the heart of the heart of the Qur’an. If there is one Sura that can be described as the Constitution of Awliya even more than Surat Yasin, it is the Fatiha. It alone was revealed both in Mecca and in Medina. It is our supplication, our consolation, our first love, our support, our promised guarantee, our treasure, our fort, our wealth, our admission of poverty and need, our healing, our solution, our respite, our forgiveness and our protection. It carries indescribable blessings and is of indescribable importance. It contains all of the Qur’an, all of the Torah, all of the Gospel, all of the Psalms and all of the Leaves of Sayyidina Ibrahim–upon our Prophet and all Prophets blessings and peace.
They also make Salawat before reading the Fatiha; but they may be starting it mentally before actually uttering its instruction, or they may actually have never stopped reciting it in the first place, even while talking to you and me, joking, pruning the orchard, feeding the cat etc.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
