who have incurred wrath and those who are astray, beseeching the One who controls all guidance and is fully able to bestow it.

The sūrah likewise affirms both prophethood and the Resurrection. The Resurrection is alluded to by the mention of “the Day of Recompense,” the day on which deeds are repaid in full; prophethood is indicated by the three-fold division of mankind, a division that exists only because of the prophetic messages, people’s knowledge of them, and their adherence to them.

This concise statement shows that Sūrat al-Fātiḥah gathers together every foundational objective of the divine mission and of all the scriptures sent down from heaven.

Sixth virtue: Sūrat al-Fātiḥah is a cure for every malady. It heals the illnesses of the heart and it heals the ailments of the body. Abū Saʿīd already related that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The Opening of the Book is a cure for every disease except death.” (1) The reason is that the entire Qur’an is a comprehensive healing: it remedies the diseases of the heart—ignorance, doubt, skepticism, and the like. Allah, Exalted is He, says, “O people! There has come to you an admonition from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts” (Yūnus 10:57).

It is also a cure for the afflictions of the body. Allah has described it as an absolute healing in more than one place, saying, “Say: It is, for those who believe…”