There is no disagreement over the view that Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat. According to the majority of the reciters of Al-Kufah, a group of the Companions of the prophet, the Tabi`in, and a number of scholars from the successive generations, the Bismillah is a separate Ayah in the beginning of surat alfatihah. The Number of Words and Letters in surat Al-Fatihah The scholars say that  surat Al-Fatihah consists of twenty-five words, and that it contains 113 letters. The Reason it is called Umm Al-Kitab In the beginning of the Book of Tafsir, in the Sahih of albukhari, Al-Bukhari said; "It is called Umm Al-Kitab, because the Qur'an starts with it and because the prayer is started by reciting it.'' It was also said that it is called Umm Al-Kitab, because it contains the meanings of the entire Qur'an. Ibn Jarir said, "The Arabs call every comprehensive matter that contains several specific areas an Umm. For instance, they call the skin that surrounds the brain, Umm Ar-Ra's. They also call the flag that gathers the ranks of the army an Umm.'' He also said, "Makkah was called Umm Al-Qura, (the Mother of the Villages) because it is the grandest and the leader of all villages. It was also said that the earth was made starting from Makkah.'' Further, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah narrated about Umm Al-Qur'an that the Prophet said, It is Umm Al-Qur'an, the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an. Also, Abu Jafar, Muhamad bin Jarir At-Tabari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Messenger of Allah said about AlFatihah, It is Um Al-Qur'an, Al-Fatihah of the Book (the Opener of the Qur'an) and the seven repeated (verses). and allah knows the best!