The Mother of the Qur'an

Seven verses occupying, in most copies of the muṣḥaf, no more than a single page — and yet the sūrah is held to comprise the fundamentals of the entire Qur'an. Hence its other names: Umm al-Qurʾān, the mother of the Qur'an, because it encompasses the essence of the Book; and Asās al-Qurʾān, its foundation.

Sūrat al-Fātiḥah therefore serves several functions at once. It is a muqaddimah, an introduction — to the Qur'an, and to the themes of the Qur'an. It is also a summary of the Qur'an. It stands, in effect, as a prelude to the Book in summary form.

How can that be maintained? The account of Yūsuf (peace be upon him), for instance, does not appear in it. It does appear — but not in detail; it is alluded to, in ṣirāṭ alladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim.