From the triconsonantal root ف-ت-ح (f-t-ḥ), meaning "to open" or "to conquer." This root is remarkably productive in Arabic: الفَتْح (al-fatḥ) means both "the opening" and "the conquest/victory," reflecting the classical idea that military triumph was metaphorically an "opening up" of new lands. The root also gives us فُتُوح (futūḥ, conquests), مِفتَاح (miftāḥ, key — literally "the opener"), and الفَاتِحَة (al-Fātiḥah, "The Opening" — the first chapter of the Quran).

The derived noun الفَاتِحَة (al-Fātiḥah) is the opening chapter of the Quran and one of the most recited passages in Islam — said in every unit of daily prayer. When Arabs say "نقرأ الفاتحة" (we'll read al-Fātiḥah) at the start of a meeting or agreement, it signals a solemn, blessed beginning. The word فَتَحَ thus carries connotations of new beginnings and auspicious starts far beyond its literal meaning.