Surah Al-Faatiha 1:5 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ ٱلْفَاتِحَةِ · Meccan · Verse 5 of 7
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
English: It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help.
Bengali: আমরা একমাত্র তোমারই ইবাদত করি এবং শুধুমাত্র তোমারই সাহায্য প্রার্থনা করি।
Meaning & Reflection
This is the turning point of the Surah, and al-Biqa'i highlights the grammar that carries it: until now we spoke about Allah; now we turn and speak to Him — 'You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.' Praise has become a face-to-face pledge. And the word order — 'You' placed first — means exclusivity (al-Saadi): only You, no one beside You. Ibn Kathir transmits that this verse is 'the secret of the Fatiha': its first half frees us from worshipping other than Allah, its second from depending on anyone other than Him. The early scholars even read here a cure for showing-off and self-reliance. Ask yourself: where in my life am I quietly seeking help from everything except the One who actually holds it?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Biqa'i, Ibn Kathir, al-Saadi.
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Faatiha 1:5:
- Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
- Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
- Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
- Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
- General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?