Download the book Tafseer Surah Fatiha

This book contains a draft translation of Dr Fadhel al Samarrai’s tafseer of the opening chapter of the Qur’an and mother of the book, Surah Al-Fatiha. Dr Fadhel is a well-known Arabic linguist whose works give an insight in to the miraculous nature of Qur’anic Arabic, with the only conclusion being that this Qur’an must have come from an unlimited, all-powerful creator, Allah (Most High).

Allah has placed a challenge in the Qur’an that if anyone doubts this book is from Him, then produce one chapter (surah) like it.

وَإِن كُنتُم في رَيبٍ مِمّا نَزَّلنا عَلىٰ عَبدِنا فَأتوا بِسورَةٍ مِن مِثلِهِ وَادعوا شُهَداءَكُم مِن دونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ

If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our slave, produce another sura equal to it, and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth.

(Al-Baqara, 2:23)

No human being has met this challenge, and none ever will. This is because Qur’anic Arabic breaks the natural law of language in terms of its eloquence, beauty, rhetoric, structure, rhythm, rhyme, grammar, clarity and depth which is beyond the ability of the best poets and linguistics.

I hope this draft translation of the most read chapter of the Qur’an will give readers a glimpse in to the language of this miraculous book.

A. K. Newell