Al-Fatihah is the first surah most children learn, and the one they will recite most in their lives. The Prophet ﷺ said there is no prayer for one who does not recite it (Sahih al-Bukhari 756).
A 7-day plan
| Day | New verse | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Repeat 10 times |
| 2 | الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ | Join with day 1 |
| 3 | الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Join 1–3 |
| 4 | مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ | Join 1–4 |
| 5 | إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ | Join 1–5 |
| 6 | اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ | Join 1–6 |
| 7 | صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ … | Whole surah |
Younger children (3–5) may need two days per verse; that’s fine.
Each day (10 minutes)
- Listen to the verse 5 times.
- Repeat after you or the recording 10 times.
- Say the meaning in one sentence. See meaning of Al-Fatihah.
- Recite all verses learnt so far.
Watch these words
Six common mistakes, including ح in الْحَمْدُ, the shaddah in إِيَّاكَ, and أَنْعَمْتَ (not “an’amtu”). See Al-Fatihah mistakes.
After memorising
- Recite it together in prayer daily.
- Ask the teacher to check it word by word.
Teacher’s tip: say “Amin” together at the end. Children love that the whole prayer row says it together.
Related: Surahs for salah.
