Surah Al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Qur'an, contains seven verses. This is confirmed by the Qur'an itself in Surah Al-Hijr (15:87), where it is referred to as "Al-Sab' al-Mathani" - meaning "the seven oft-repeated verses" - because Al-Fatihah is recited in every unit (rak'ah) of the five daily prayers.
The seven verses are: (1) Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, (2) Alhamdulillahi Rabb il-Alamin, (3) Ar-Rahman ir-Rahim, (4) Maliki yawm id-din, (5) Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in, (6) Ihdinas-sirat al-mustaqim, and (7) Sirat alladhina an'amta 'alayhim, ghayril-maghdubi 'alayhim wa lad-dallin.
Al-Fatihah is also known as Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book) and Al-Hamd (The Praise), and its recitation is an essential pillar of every unit of prayer in Islam.
