THE OPENING CHAPTER (surah) takes the form of a short prayer, and serves as a précis or summary of the Holy Qur'an. It has other names, such as umm al-kitab - the 'mother' or 'essence' of the Book; al-shifa' - 'the healing'; and also al-sab‘ al-mathani - 'the seven oft-repeated [verses]'. Revealed very early on in Makkah,…