—who in fact disliked calling it “the Mother of the Book,” while Ibn Sīrīn objected to labeling it “the Mother of the Qur’an”; yet both positions are refuted by what we have already cited.
The fourth designation is al-Sabʿu al-Mathānī (the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses). The Prophet ﷺ explained that this refers to the Fātiḥah, as will be mentioned below. Wakīʿ, in his Kitāb, reported through Sufyān, from ʿAmr ibn Maymūn, from Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī, that the Prophet ﷺ said regarding the verse, “We have indeed given you the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses and the Magnificent Qur’an” (al-Ḥijr 15:87): “It is the Opening of the Book.”
Those who have stated that the Fātiḥah is the Seven Oft-Repeated include Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿUmar, al-Hasan, Mujāhid, ʿIkrimah, and many others.
As for why it is called Mathānī, scholars have differed. One view—related from Ibn ʿAbbās—maintains that it was singled out for this nation and had never been granted to anyone before them, as will be clarified later. Another, and the most widespread, opinion is that it is repeated in every rakʿah. Others say it is because it is recited in every prayer. Still others hold that it contains praise for Allah. A further explanation is that it is divided into two halves—one for Allah and one for His servant—as stated in the hadith of Abū Hurayrah.