Al-Fattah — The Opener
الْفَتَّاحُ
Name 18 of the ninety-nine. The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldly and religious matters
Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Al-Fattah (in Arabic: ٱلْفَتَّاحُ), meaning the opener, the revealer, and the granter of success.
The root
From the root fa-ta-ha (ف ت ح), which means to open.
Reflection
By being vulnerable to oneself, by opening up towards Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ you give yourself the opportunity for Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ to open His doors of mercy for you. '" [2] From this name, we further recognize that Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is the only one we need to rely upon. Whatever it is we need access to, Al-Fattah is the one who can open it for us.
If you're feeling stuck or struggling to make a decision, pray salat al-istikhara. Ask Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ to open your heart to make the right choice. He is the best judge who knows whether a thing will benefit you in your deen, relationship, or livelihood. The Prophet ﷺ recommended that when we enter the masjid, we should make this du'a, اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ Allahumma-iftah li abwaba rahmatik which means, "O Allah!
" [3] This beautiful du'a keeps in mind that when we enter a masjid, we seek to experience Allah's mercy. This dhikr is an active remembrance of this fact. It asks Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ directly to open His gates of mercy for us. '" The lesson is, when you enter a masjid, seek His mercy and look towards your afterlife, but when you leave, seek His grace and bounty so you can succeed in this Dunya.
مَّا يَفْتَحِ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍۢ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ Maa yaftahil laahu linnaaasi mir rahmatin falaa mumsika lahaa wa maa yumsik falaa mursila lahoo mimba'dihi; wa Huwal Azeezul Hakeem English Translation:"Whatever Allah grants to people of mercy – none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds – none can release it thereafter.
Where it appears
[1] Sahih Muslim 1079b,[2] Sahih al-Bukhari 7405,[3] Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 772