Abdur Rahman bin Yaqub, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from his father that Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, says that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an (Surah al-Fatihah), then it is incomplete, it is incomplete, it is not complete. I asked: O Abu Hurairah! Sometimes I am behind the Imam? So he pressed my arm and said: O Farsi! Recite it in your heart, because I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: I have divided this Surah (Surah al-Fatihah) between Myself and My servant into two parts, so half of it is for Me and half is for My servant. When the servant says: ﴿الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ (All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds), Allah says: My servant has praised Me. When the servant says: ﴿الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ﴾ (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), Allah says: My servant has extolled Me. When the servant says: ﴿مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ﴾ (Master of the Day of Judgment), Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: My servant has glorified Me. So this part is for Me, and for My servant is what he asks. And when the servant says: ﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾ (You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help), then this is equally divided between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asks. And when the servant says: ﴿اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ * صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ﴾ (Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray).