In sura faatiha, the word “Praise” comes before the word “ALLAH” wherein it’s the opposite in sura al-jathiya. What could be the possible reason?
Here are both verses with translation.
Sūrat al-Fātiḥa (1:2)
﴿الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾
All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Sūrat al-Jāthiya (45:36)
﴿فَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ رَبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبِّ الْأَرْضِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾
So to Allah belongs [all] praise — Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds.
Let me first show you the rule, then look at each verse.
The rule (quick recap)
Arabs had two ready-made ways to say this:
- “al-ḥamdu lillāh” — praise is first (used in al-Fātiḥa)
- “lillāhi-l-ḥamd” — Allah is first (used in Sūrat al-Jāthiya 45:36)
Both exist. Both are correct Arabic. So when the Qur’an picks one here, that’s a deliberate decision, not an accident. The speaker chose to lead with praise even though leading with Allah was fully available and vice versa. A choice with options behind it always carries meaning. Lets explore the reasonings:
Whatever comes first gets the emphasis. So the question is really: in each spot, what does the context want to emphasize?
There’s also a second tool at play — when “lillāh” comes first, it creates a flavor of exclusivity / restriction (qaṣr): “praise belongs to Allah — and to no one else.” Fronting the “to Him” part says specifically Him, not anyone else.
Al-Fātiḥa → “al-ḥamdu lillāh” (praise fronted)
Al-Fātiḥa is the very opening of the Qur’an. The mood of this moment is the call to praise itself. You’re just beginning to recite the greatest gift (the Qur’an), and the job of the moment is to wake you up to the act of praising.
So the thing that needs the spotlight is ḥamd (praise) — the response being asked of you. There’s no argument going on here, no one being corrected. It’s a calm, foundational opening, so it simply leads with the theme of the moment: praise.
→ “al-ḥamdu lillāh” = “Praise — [it goes] to Allah.” Emphasis on praise as the opening note.
Al-Jāthiya → “lillāhi-l-ḥamd” (Allah fronted)
Now look at where it sits in Sūrat al-Jāthiya (45:36–37):
﴿فَلِلَّهِ الحَمْدُ رَبِّ السَّماواتِ ورَبِّ الأرْضِ رَبِّ العالَمِينَ ∗ ولَهُ الكِبْرِياءُ فِي السَّماواتِ والأرْضِ﴾ “So to Allah belongs [all] praise — Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds. And to Him belongs all greatness in the heavens and the earth.”
Notice two things about this context:
1. It comes after an argument / a contrast. This is near the end of a sūra that has been describing the disbelievers, the Day of Judgment, and people who mocked God’s signs. The verse begins with “fa‑” (“so / therefore”) — it’s a conclusion after all of that. When you’ve just been talking about people who gave honor and praise to false things, the natural emphasis becomes: praise belongs to ALLAH — not to those things. That’s exclusivity, and exclusivity is shown by fronting the “lillāh.”
2. Look at the very next phrase: “and to Him belongs all greatness” (وَلَهُ الكِبْرِياءُ). See how that one also fronts “to Him” (lahu)? The verse is in a rhythm of “to Him… to Him…” — hammering home that everything (praise, greatness) is His alone. So “lillāhi-l-ḥamd” matches its neighbor: both lead with “to Him” to stress it’s all His, exclusively.
→ “lillāhi-l-ḥamd” = “To Allah — [and to no one else] — belongs all praise.” Emphasis on Him as the sole owner of praise, as a triumphant conclusion.
The one-sentence answer
Both are perfect Arabic and both are true — but al-Fātiḥa is opening a Book, so it leads with the act it’s calling you to (praise); al-Jāthiya is concluding an argument against people who praised false things, so it leads with the One who alone deserves it (Allah). Same words, different word order, because eloquence means fitting the phrasing to what each moment needs.