The understanding of the Names of Allah is based on revelation meaning no space for the understanding of the human mind. Thus, the study of the Names of Allah should be derived from the Holy Quran and prophetic Hadiths. Allah said in His Holy Book ”And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them” (وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا), Surah Al-Araf, Ayah 180, and this command from Allah includes the dua as worship, and dua for need. The Muslim needs to choose from the Names of Allah what corresponds with his needs, for example, if Muslim asks for Allah’s Forgivness, he/she can say ”O Allah, I ask Your Forgivness, that You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. One of the Names of Allah is ”Al-Fattah”, the answer to your persistent duas, closed doors, or unsolvable problems.

Al-Fattah
(The Opener / The Judge)
الْفَتَّاح

             The Name of Allah Al-Fattah was mentioned once in the Holy Quran in Surah Saba, Ayah 26 ‘‘Say: “Our Lord will assemble us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the (Most Trustworthy) AllKnowing Judge.” (قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ), and mentioned in plural in Surah Al-Araf, Ayah 89 ”Our Lord, decide between us and our people in truth, and You are the best of those who give decision.” (رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ). He is the One Who opens for His slaves the closed worldly and religious matters. He is the opener, the revealer, and the granter of success. He opens or locks His doors of mercy to whom He pleases. Through His guidance, whatever is unclear becomes clear. There are multiple meanings which can be seen in the Name of Allah, Al-Fattah, the word ”AlFattah” means that His action of opening of what was closed is permanent and continuous. It is applied to the providence, the mercy, the forgiveness, etc. When we feel distressed in life we ask Allah to open the closed doors, to ask him for success, and to open for us rivers of knowledge and science. He controls rain, earth, heavens, mountains, wind, and every creature of this world, He brings dead land to life, and gives victory to whoever He commands. Allah Al-Mighty refers to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah as ”Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest” (إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا), Surah Al-Fath, Ayah 1, this treaty was a great victory to the prophet Muhammed, PBUH, and the Muslims witnessed a great goodness subsequently.

              One of the meanings of Al-Fattah is that Allah has the keys of the unseen, He opens for whoever He wills the doors of providence, fulfilling people’s needs, and relief of distress. He is the Dominion and to Him is the praise, and He is able to do all things. There is none who can withhold what He gives, and none may give what He has withheld. Allah Al-Mighty said in Surah Fatir, Ayah 2 ”Whatever of mercy (i.e. of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ). When we contemplate this Ayah, we believe that Allah has the power of giving and prevention. As a result of this, we feel open up towards Allah, and it requires us to have the most attachment to Allah, feeling poverty to Him, and only praying to Allah, supplicating to Allah, feeling fear and love only to Allah. Also, it is a message for Muslims to only rely on Allah. When you feel lost or stuck, the prophet Muhammed told us to pray Istikharah prayer in order to ask Allah to choose for you, guide you to the best interests of you, and to ask Allah to open your heart and mind. He is the best judge who knows whether a thing will benefit you in your deen, relationship, or livelihood.

             We ask Allah every day to open our hearts to His religion, fear of Allah, recitation of Quran, and many other worships. We are pushed by the belief that Allah is Al-Fattah. Even when someone says something great we say ”فَتَحَ اللّهُ عَلَيْه” (meaning, Allah has blessed him with knowledge). We pray to Allah and say ”O Lord pardon my sins, and open the gates of Your blessings for me.” May Allah open upon us with the opening of gnostics, grant us the success of righteous, and benefit us oh Allah with the Qurʾan and remembrance of wisdom.