 Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi ta'ala wa barakatuh. This is Faraz Rabani, Executive Director and Senior Instructor at Seekers' Guidance and a friend of the MCC community. There's many, a few that I've known for many years and love dearly. Ramadan Mubarak to one and all. Over the next four weeks, we'll be looking at some of the Suras that we recite commonly. And we'll touch upon some of their meanings and significance. And I wanted to begin today by looking at Surat Al-Fatiha. And everyone would maybe feel that, well, I know Surat Al-Fatiha, but let's look at some points that the scholars mentioned regarding this Noble Surah. So let's begin. Al-hamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen. Before we begin the recitation of the Qur'an, we recite the Ta'awuth, the Seeking of Refuge. And this Seeking of Refuge is tremendously significant, right? We say, a'awuthu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. And a'awuthu billah. I seek refuge in Allah, right? Literally, I am a refugee who has fled from harm and sought refuge, shelter, with Allah SWT, right? The refugee leaves a place of harm and finds refuge, protection, care, shelter in a place of peace and serenity and goodness. So a'awuthu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. When we recite this, when we open the recitation, this is very significant, right? And one of the things that I have found most beneficial in my personal devotion, in my prayer, in reciting Qur'an, in dhikr, in dua is a very simple concept, but it is profound, which is that meanings come before words. So you should mean what you say, then say it. Mean what you say, then say it. So sometimes we think about reflecting on the Qur'an, that I say something, then I engage in an analysis after it. So I say a'awuthu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. So I say the Arabic, then if I'm feeling up to it, I'll sort of mentally translate it. I might think a little about it, but then I feel insecure that I pause for so long. No. Whether it's Qur'an or dhikr, when we say a'awuthu billahi minash shaitanir rajim, before we start recitation, pause for a moment, right? Mean it, then say it. That's the most important of lessons. Mean it, then say it. Just consider love, right? If you have an old friend named Ahsan, you say, Ahsan, I love you by the way. Then I think about it. So you know what? I meant that, right? It would be very strange because you should mean it first, then say it. So that's, so a'awuthu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. I seek refuge in Allah, right? And Allah tells us, call upon me, I will answer you. And this has a lesson in life that the shaitan is one of our enemies in life. What is the way to deal with one's enemies in life? Harm in life, one's fears in life? It is? By finding refuge in Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. So that's the first lesson. Then we say, Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. Bismillahir rahmanir raheem is an amazing gift that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, has given us. Bismillahir rahmanir raheem and we say, by the name of Allah, merciful and compassionate. Entire treatises have been written on this and I have ones floating around somewhere. This is not actually my, this is my basement, my library sort of dispersed all over, but I have no less than a dozen full-length treatises on the meanings of the Bismillah, right? This is just one of them in 460 pages. There's five different commentaries on the meanings of Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. That's just five of over a dozen treatises that I have. I have not tried to gather them. When we say Bismillahir rahmanir raheem by the name of Allah, merciful and compassionate. One thing is that that's not a full statement. The full statement is something implicit, right? Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. I begin, I recite, I eat, I drink, you know, whatever you're doing. That is the key to Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. So one of the the adab of the, when you say Bismillahir rahmanir raheem, you have in mind what you're about to do in the context of Quran. Bismillahir rahmanir raheem by the name of Allah, merciful and compassionate. I recite. I am reciting the Quran. So keep that in mind. Then by the name of Allah, this by the name meaning relying upon Allah with Allah and seeking Allah. So the Ba here much has been said about it, but practically there are three meanings of the Ba. By the name of Allah, meaning by Allah for Allah, by Allah with Allah and for Allah by Allah, meaning relying upon Allah. Do I begin this action with Allah meaning in consciousness of Allah, seeking consciousness of Allah and for Allah, for the sake of Allah. And we should be people of meaning. So anytime you say Bismillah or Bismillahir rahmanir raheem you, we intend I'm doing this by Allah with Allah for Allah, by Allah, relying upon him with Allah, seeking to be conscious of him for Allah. And then so that's how we open the Fatiha. Then we say Bismillah by the name of Allah and then we say Allah. Who is Allah? The one alone free of need of any other who all are in absolute need of the encompassing the merciful. Ar-Rahman is the encompassing the merciful. One of the Habib Hassan al-Bahar al-Jifri said he is the encompassing merciful in his originating all things. He said a particularly merciful in his sustaining all things. Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. So you say Alhamdulillahi Rabbi, all praise is Allah's, the Lord of the worlds. All praise is Allah's, the Lord of the worlds. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi Al-Alami. All praise and the all it's either praise itself belongs to Allah. It's categorical or it's encompassing every praise is Allah's or Allah's praise for himself. All praise or praise itself is deserved by Allah and belongs to Allah. He is Lord of the worlds. Now Rabb is not just Lord, right? Rabb has at least half a dozen main meanings. When we say Rabb, right? Rabb is from the expressions of mercy. It means the carer, the cherisher, the loving, the merciful, the nourisher, right? Because Rabb is from Thedbia, is the one who takes care of something that is theirs from its beginning to its end. Taking it towards its good, right? And we would do well to translate it as the caring Lord, right? Or something like that. Rabb Al-Alami, the Lord of all worlds. Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem, the encompassing, the merciful, the particularly merciful. And this is repeated for emphasis because we don't sufficiently realize the mercy of Allah, right? And as we recite the Fatiha, Sayyida Aisha was asked, how was the recitation of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? She said, she didn't recite like you people do. His recitation was steady. He would make each word clear and distinct and unrushed. He would pause at the end of each verse, right? Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem, Maliki yawmideen, the master of the day of reckoning. He is the most merciful, but we are accountable, right? We are accountable. We think of the greatness of that day and how we'll attain his mercy on that day, Maliki yawmideen. Iyaka na'put, it is you alone we are devoted to. It is, and Iyaka na'put is recognition, submission, worship, devotion, seeking. It is you alone that we rely upon. And this is the statement of complete commitment, but complete freedom. It is you alone that is our ultimate objective. We have no other world. And if that ultimate objective is in place, then what is the problem? And it's you alone we rely upon, right? Who's on your side? The Lord of the Worlds. It's what is there to stress about. Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem, Maliki yawmideen, Iyaka na'put, it is you alone we are devoted to. But Iyaka na'stein, it is you alone that we rely upon. So that is the opening of the first half of the Fatiha, which is directed towards Allah. Iyaka na'put Iyaka na'put, Iyaka na' trusts, guides us to the path that is straight. It guides us, right? Even the ha comes from deep within, guides us. And what is guidance? Sheikhil Islam, Kamal, or even Kamal Basha, one of the greatest of the Ottoman scholars there. Hidayah is to show another the way gently and with care. Ehdina guide us gently with care to the path that is straight. Why does a believer ask to be guided to the path that is straight? Because we're needy. We want to draw closer to Allah. This expresses the yearning of the soul for Allah SWT. Ehdina as-Sirat al-Mustarqib. The path that is straight, that is upright, that is the path of the Prophet, SAW. Sirat al-Hedina and Anthali, the path of those you have blessed before us, that requires seeking knowledge, that requires having exemplars, both exemplars from the past that we look to the example of the Prophet, SAW. And the past prophets before him as we go through the Qur'an, for example. But also to connect with those who connected with the way of the Prophet, SAW, of the companions and the prophetic household and the righteous to connect ourselves and our families to those past examples. But also to connect to the living examples, both the exemplars and good company. Sirat al-Hedina and Anthali, the path of those you have blessed because we are not alone in our journey to Allah. There are people ahead of us on that journey that have traversed before and we are a faith community. We have exemplars and we have good company. Sirat al-Hedina and Anthali. Ghayr al-Maghdoob, not the path of those that are under your wrath while Allah lead, nor those who are astray. And when we make, recite the Fatiha and we feel need, we feel gratitude. Because this is an encompassing dua. It's an encompassing dua and our Lord who tells us, He is al-Rahman al-Rahim, has told us in the Qur'an, wo du'oon ni astajib lakum, call upon me, I will answer you. Beloved, Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, tells us, wo du'oon laa wa du'oon muklimu nabil ijadah, call upon Allah with complete certitude in His answer. So the Fatiha is not to be rushed, it's not to be rushed. Live its meanings, right? To be spiritually alive is to bring the life, the meanings of the Qur'an we touched upon when you say, I'm a refugee to Allah. Bismillah, with these three meanings in it, by Allah, with Allah, for Allah. And you have those when you recite the Fatiha, but that is a key to goodness in life. And then the meanings of the Fatiha, recite it, unrushed. Mean what you recite, then say it. May our restation of the Qur'an be a declaration of love because Allah's messenger, Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, tells us that Allah has chosen servants amongst His creation. And the people of Qur'an are the people of Allah. And His most chosen, may Allah make us and you, our families and your families, our communities and your communities of the people of Qur'an, and may Allah manifest for us relief through our return to Him, but by His mercy and generosity. You have a blessed month of Ramadan and may we be united with our communities in the best of ways. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.