Al-Fatiha self-check
A free 15-point checklist for the surah you recite in every prayer. Go ayah by ayah, mark what you are sure of, and get a short focus list to fix or take to a teacher.
In short: Recite Al-Fatiha slowly (or record yourself), then go through the 15 points below and mark each one. The most important checks are the doubled yā’ in iyyāka, an’amta (not an’amtu), and letters that must not turn into others, such as ḍād, dhāl, ḥā’ and ʿain. Anything you are not sure about goes on your focus list for a teacher to hear.
1. Recite or record the surah
Recite slowly, the way you would in prayer, or use your phone’s voice recorder and play it back. Follow the Arabic below.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿1﴾ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿2﴾ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿3﴾ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿4﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿5﴾ ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿6﴾ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ﴿7﴾
Surah Al-Fatiha 1:1–7 (Arabic text: quran.com/1).
2. Who are you checking?
For a child, listen to one ayah at a time and mark only what you hear.
3. Mark each point
Her Quran Academy · Al-Fatiha self-check · herquranacademy.com/tools/al-fatiha-self-check/
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1. Throat ḥā’, not a soft “h”
Ayahs 1 & 3ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِٱلرَّحِيمِ
The ḥā’ in ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥīm comes from the middle of the throat with a slight squeeze. If it sounds like the English “h” in “hello”, mark it.
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2. Full, heavy rā’ with a fatḥa
Ayahs 1–2ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِرَبِّ
A rā’ with a fatḥa (as in ar-Raḥmān and Rabbi) is full and heavy. A thin, light “r” is a common habit.
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3. Al-ḥamdu: ḥā’ with a clear sukūn on lām
Ayah 2ٱلْحَمْدُ
Say al-ḥamdu with the throat ḥā’ and a crisp lām before it, not “al-hamdu” with a soft h.
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4. Light lām in lillāh
Ayah 2لِلَّهِ
After a kasra, the lām in the name of Allah is light. Many people make it heavy here by habit.
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5. A real ʿain
Ayahs 2 & 5ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَنَعْبُدُنَسْتَعِينُ
The ʿain should feel pressed in the throat. If it disappears into a plain vowel or sounds like a hamza, mark it.
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6. Two-count long vowels
Ayahs 3–4مَٰلِكِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ
Natural long vowels (like the long “ā” in Māliki) are held for two counts: not rushed, not dragged.
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7. Same length at every ayah end
Every ayah endٱلْعَٰلَمِينَٱلرَّحِيمِٱلدِّينِ
When you stop at the end of an ayah you may hold the long vowel for two, four or six counts. Pick one length and keep it the same through the surah.
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8. The doubled yā’ in iyyāka
Ayah 5إِيَّاكَ
Rest on the doubled yā’ (iyyāka) before releasing it. Said quickly as “iyāka”, the meaning is lost. This is one of the most important checks.
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9. Heavy ṣād, not a thin “s”
Ayahs 6–7ٱلصِّرَٰطَصِرَٰطَ
Raise the back of the tongue so ṣād is full and heavy, and keep the ṭā’ at the end heavy too.
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10. Qāf from the back, not a “k”
Ayah 6ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
The qāf in al-mustaqīm comes from the very back of the tongue. If it sounds like an English “k”, mark it.
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11. Dhāl, not “z”
Ayah 7ٱلَّذِينَ
In alladhīna the tongue tip touches the edge of the upper front teeth, as in English “this”. “Allazeena” is a very common slip.
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12. An’amta, not an’amtu
Ayah 7أَنْعَمْتَ
The last tā’ takes a fatḥa: an’amta (You have favoured). With a ḍamma it means “I have favoured”, which changes the meaning.
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13. Ḍād, not a plain “d” or “z”
Ayah 7ٱلْمَغْضُوبِٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Press the side of the tongue against the upper back teeth and keep the sound heavy. Ḍād takes the most practice, so “not sure” is a normal answer.
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14. A clear ghayn
Ayah 7غَيْرِٱلْمَغْضُوبِ
Ghayn is a soft gargle from the top of the throat, not a “g” and not a “k”.
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15. Six counts in aḍ-ḍāllīn
Ayah 7ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
The long “ā” before the doubled lām in aḍ-ḍāllīn is held for six counts, the longest stretch in the surah.
Your Al-Fatiha result
Mark the points above to build your focus list.
🔒 Everything you enter stays on this device (saved in your browser). Nothing is sent to Her Quran Academy.
How do I check my Al-Fatiha on my own?
- Record one slow recitation on your phone, the way you pray.
- Listen one ayah at a time. Pause after each ayah and go through the points for it.
- Be honest with “not sure”. Close letters are very hard to judge in your own voice. “Not sure” is a useful answer, not a failure.
- Fix one thing a week. Start with the top of your focus list and use it in every prayer that week.
- Check again in two weeks with a new recording, and compare.
For the full explanation of each mistake, with a table of letter swaps and tips for children, read common mistakes in Surah Al-Fatiha (and how to fix them). New to tajweed? Start with what is tajweed and why does it matter?
Why can’t I hear my own mistakes?
When you have recited a sound the same way for years, your ear accepts it as correct. That is why many people are surprised when a teacher points out a ḥā’ that sounds like “h”, or a ḍād that has become “d”. A self-check is a good first step; a trained teacher who listens live and shows you where the tongue and throat should be is the quickest way to be sure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Al-Fatiha self-check?
It is a free, private checklist of the 15 places where learners most often slip in Surah Al-Fatiha. You recite slowly or record yourself, then mark each point as “I’m confident”, “Not sure” or “Needs work”. The page builds a short focus list you can print or take to a teacher.
Can I really check my own Al-Fatiha?
Partly. You can check timing, the doubled yā’ in iyyāka and an’amta yourself by recording and listening carefully. Letters that sound close together, such as ḥā’, ʿain and ḍād, are hard to judge in your own voice, so mark them “not sure” and ask a teacher to listen.
Which Al-Fatiha mistakes change the meaning?
Two well-known ones are dropping the doubled yā’ in iyyāka and saying “an’amtu” instead of “an’amta”. Changing one letter into another, such as ḍād into a plain d or dhāl into z, is also treated seriously. If you are worried about past prayers, ask a trusted scholar.
Can my child use this checklist?
Yes, with a parent. Choose “My child” at the top, listen to your child recite one ayah at a time, and mark only what you hear. Keep it light: praise effort first and fix one sound a week.
Is anything I enter saved or shared?
Your answers are saved only in your browser on this device so you can come back to them. Nothing is sent to Her Quran Academy. No account, no microphone and no recording upload are needed.
Can a female teacher check my Al-Fatiha online?
Yes. Her Quran Academy has taught 1:1 live online classes with 100% female teachers since 2019. Plans start from $35 a month, and you can begin with 2 free trial lessons with no card needed. A mother who enrolls together with her son or daughter gets 15% off.
Recite Al-Fatiha with confidence before Ramadan
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