Step 8 of 8
Al-Fatiha Word by Word: Reading Your First Verse
The 7 verses of the first surah, each word with its transliteration, meaning and audio.
Al-Fatiha opens the Quran: 7 verses, 29 words. Here, each word has its transliteration (the word as it is heard in its verse), its meaning and its audio in its verse, and the signs it carries link to their lesson: vowels, sukoon, shaddah, long vowels, hamza. Read a word, listen to it, then read the whole verse.
How to read a verse for the first time
- For each verse, first read each word with the help of the signs, then listen to it in its verse.
- The transliteration helps at the start. The aim is to read the letters themselves: read the word again in Arabic after hearing it.
- Once each word is read, read the verse in one go, then listen to it whole.
The 7 verses, word by word
Tap ▶ to hear a word in its verse. The tags name the lessons for the signs the word carries.
Verse 1
Al-Fatiha 1:1| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | بِسْمِ | bismi | In (the) name | ||
| 2 | ٱللَّهِ | llāhi | (of) Allah | ||
| 3 | ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ | r-raḥmāni | the Most Gracious | ||
| 4 | ٱلرَّحِيمِ | r-raḥīm | the Most Merciful |
Verse 2
Al-Fatiha 1:2| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ٱلْحَمْدُ | al-ḥamdu | All praises and thanks | ||
| 2 | لِلَّهِ | lillāhi | (be) to Allah | ||
| 3 | رَبِّ | rabbi | the Lord | ||
| 4 | ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ | l-ʿālamīn | of the universe |
Verse 3
Al-Fatiha 1:3| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ | ar-raḥmāni | The Most Gracious | ||
| 2 | ٱلرَّحِيمِ | r-raḥīm | the Most Merciful |
Verse 4
Al-Fatiha 1:4| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مَـٰلِكِ | māliki | (The) Master | ||
| 2 | يَوْمِ | yawmi | (of the) Day | ||
| 3 | ٱلدِّينِ | d-dīn | (of the) Judgment |
Verse 5
Al-Fatiha 1:5| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | إِيَّاكَ | iyyāka | You Alone | ||
| 2 | نَعْبُدُ | naʿbudu | we worship | ||
| 3 | وَإِيَّاكَ | wa'iyyāka | and You Alone | ||
| 4 | نَسْتَعِينُ | nastaʿīn | we ask for help |
Verse 6
Al-Fatiha 1:6| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ٱهْدِنَا | ihdina | Guide us | ||
| 2 | ٱلصِّرَٰطَ | ṣ-ṣirāṭa | (to) the path | ||
| 3 | ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ | l-mustaqīm | the straight |
Verse 7
Al-Fatiha 1:7| No. | Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Listen | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | صِرَٰطَ | ṣirāṭa | (The) path | ||
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَ | lladhīna | (of) those | ||
| 3 | أَنْعَمْتَ | 'anʿamta | You have bestowed (Your) Favors | ||
| 4 | عَلَيْهِمْ | ʿalayhim | on them | ||
| 5 | غَيْرِ | ghayri | not (of) | ||
| 6 | ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ | l-maghḍūbi | those who earned (Your) wrath | ||
| 7 | عَلَيْهِمْ | ʿalayhim | on themselves | ||
| 8 | وَلَا | wala | and not | ||
| 9 | ٱلضَّآلِّينَ | ḍ-ḍāllīn | (of) those who go astray |
The signs of Al-Fatiha, counted
| Sign | Name | Al-Fatiha |
|---|---|---|
| بَ | Fatha | 45 |
| بِ | Kasra | 31 |
| بُ | Damma | 6 |
| بْ | Sukoon | 21 |
| بّ | Shaddah | 14 |
| بٰ | Small alif | 6 |
| ـٓ | Madda | 1 |
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How many words are in Al-Fatiha?
29 words in 7 verses, following the word division used on these pages.
Do you need to know tajweed to read Al-Fatiha?
To start, the signs are enough to read. A changed letter or vowel is corrected right away, because it can change the meaning; the other tajweed rules come next.
Is the basmalah part of Al-Fatiha?
In the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading, Kufan verse count), the basmalah is numbered as the first verse of Al-Fatiha.
How can I check my reading when I learn without a teacher?
Read out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your reading word by word and shows you the words to work on. The transliteration under each word helps you until you can read Arabic.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error