Al-Fattaah

﷽

The eighteenth name we will be discussing and learning about is ‘Al-Fattaah’ – The Opener, The Revealer, The Granter of Success.

Al-Fattaah is the One who is the judge and revealer; the One who opens what is closed; the One who is the judge of what shall be opened. The One by whose guidance that which was closed is opened and the unclear is made clear; the One who lifts veils and who opens the heart. The One who unties the knots, and softens that which was hardened; the One who continually offers goodness and mercy. The One who gives victory; the One who opens the door to success; the One who holds the keys to victory and success; the One who reveals the solution to all problems.

Allah calls Himself Al-Fattaah on one occasion in the Quran. The word ‘Fattaah’ comes from the root ‘faa-taa-haa’, which points to four main meanings.

The first main meaning is to open, unlock, or reveal and make clear
The second main meaning is to make victorious
The third is to judge or decide
The fourth main meaning is to permit or grant

So, how can we live by this name?

1) Trust in the judge
Who knows the reality of people? It is Al-Fattaah. Make the Quran and the Sunnah the judge of your actions, always. People may speak badly about you and accuse you falsely, but if you are on the right side, do not be afraid, because Allah is Al-Fattaah is the just Judge. People will always find a fault or take your words and actions in the wrong way, as long as you are obeying Al-Fattah’s command and being a just person, do not worry for the opinions of people. But also don’t judge others – Al-Fattaah can open anyone’s heart. If you see someone sinning one day then do not think of them a sinner the next, Al-Fattah may have changed their hearts, they could have repented and been forgiven; advise them in private, with the best of manners and do not judge them. We are taught by Hamdun al-Qassar, one of the great early Muslims, that ‘If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves.’ [Imam Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 7.522] So, make 70 excuses for people when they do wrong, veil their faults and Allah will veil yours.

2) Realize Al-Fattaah can open all doors
Al-Fattaah says ‘Whatsoever mercy Allah opens to mankind, none can withhold; and whatsoever He withholds, none can lose after Him. And He is the All Mighty, the All-Wise.’ [Quran 35:2] This ayah is so beautiful, it makes you realise that everything happening to you is under Al-Fattaah’s divine control. Close doors for His sake – by leaving a bad habit, wrong friends, or a place of sinning – and He will open a door for you to good. Never despair nor give up. Realise that Al-Fattaah can always give you a way out. Know that all the relationships in your life are confined by your relationship with Allah, Al-Fattaah. Know that He is the one who can make anything possible, that He is the one in whose hands are our destinies. He can soften and open any heart, He can make all. Your dreams come true if they are what is best for you. Call upon Him asking to rectify our affairs, ask Him to open your heart to new possibilities and soften the hearts of those who are harsh. Know that with Him is all power, He can make a way.

3) Be sincere
The best opening of all is the opening of the heart. Al-Fattaah opens hearts which were locked, like the heart of Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiyallahu ‘anhu which was before filled with hatred of the Muslims. Some people say: I read the Quran, but I don’t understand a word of it! But after some time, they begin to understand. They begin to seek answers, memorise, interact, enjoy, and preach the words of Allah. Work hard and strive to be sincere so that Al-Fattaah opens to you the gate of knowledge, the gate of closeness to Him and the gate of contentment in this life. Ask Him to open your heart to Him and the deen, ask Him to open your mind to fill it with knowledge and increase you in understanding. Ask sincerely, Allah and then do your part to attain what you have asked for.

4) Ask al-Fattaah
Whenever a gate is closed in your face, remember Al-Fattaah and ask Him to open it for you. This goes under all circumstances, whether serious or insignificant; even if your phone, wallet, or anything else, valuable or not, is lost. If you open a new building, want to achieve a milestone in life, or if you desire to do anything, ask Al-Fattaah, for help and success. Start anything permissible in His name, by saying bismillah. Also when you feel low, or you feel you lack understanding of the religion, ask Him to open your heart and the hearts of your loved ones. A supplication of pious people before us used to be: May Allah open to you gates of good. He will open every door that will bring khayr and blessings into your life, trust His plan and use the tools He has given you to open the doors in your path.

5) Study Surah Al-Fatiha
Learn to recite, memorise, and understand Surah Al-Fatiha, the opening surah of the Book of Al-Fattaah. Ibn Abbas radiyallahu ‘anhu said ‘While the Messenger of Allah was sitting with Jibril he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibril looked up and said, This is [the sound of] a gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously opened. Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet) and said, Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to you such as no prophet before you has been given. [They are] Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain.’ [Muslim] Study the tafseer of this beautiful surah; when you recite it in prayer make sure you pause after each ayah and apply its lessons to your daily life.

6) Benefit others
Open to others the gates of your own good work and become involved in projects beneficial to others. If you have a certain skill, develop it and help others with it so with the guidance of Al-Fattaah all can work together to open doors to all that is good for the community. Be good towards others and help them where you can, spread kindness and love wherever you go.

Call upon Allah, Al-Fattaah, knowing that He opens to us every closed gate according to His wisdom. Ask Him to open our hearts, open for us the doors to all that is good in this life, help us to trust Him as our judge, inspire us to ask Him to open any door for us – physical, spiritual, big, or small – and to open for us the doors to His mercy and Paradise. May Allah shower His peace upon you all, answer your prayers and may He guide our every step. May He protect us and our loved ones and allow us to enter His kingdom of Jannah with them. May He purify our intentions and increase us in imaan. Ameen.

JazakAllah khayr for taking the time to read this, I pray it has benefitted you – please share this with anyone who you think may benefit as well and thank you all for reading this far. May Allah bless you all immensely and please keep the people of Palestine in your duas.

References: information in this post was collated from understandquran.com and the beautiful names of Allah series on wahiduddin.net.