If it is said: If it is not part of al-Fātiḥah, then it is well known that al-Fātiḥah consists of seven verses. So how are its seven verses to be divided if the basmalah is excluded from it?

The answer is that they are divided as follows:

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds” is the first.

“The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful” is the second.

“Master of the Day of Recompense” is the third.

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help” is the fourth.

“Guide us to the straight path” is the fifth. “The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor” is the sixth.

“Not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray” is the seventh.

This division accords with both the meaning and the wording.

As for its accordance with the wording: when we divide al-Fātiḥah in this manner, the verses become proportionate and similar in length.

But if we say that “Guide us to the straight path” is the sixth verse, and “The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray” is the seventh, the seventh verse becomes long and is not proportionate to the preceding verse. This, then, is verbal proportion.

As for the meaningful proportion: Allah, Most High, said: “I have divided the prayer between Me and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he asks for. When the servant says, ‘All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds,’ Allah, Most High, says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’ And when ...”