Issue: Reciting Surah al-Fatihah Behind the Imam (Khalf al-Imam)
Question:
According to the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, there is no prayer without Surah al-Fatihah. Should one recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam in every rak’ah, especially in the third and fourth rak’ahs, when the imam recites Surah al-Fatihah silently? Please give a detailed explanation in the light of the Quran and Sunnah so that no doubt remains.
Answer:
There is no prayer without Surah al-Fatihah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ”
Meaning: “The prayer of the person who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah is not valid.”
This hadith is narrated from Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), and he himself held the view and acted upon reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam.
The argument of the commentators on the hadith
The commentators of the hadith also used this hadith to argue for the obligation of reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam. For example:
Allamah Mahmud al-Ayni al-Hanafi says:
“استدل بهذا الحديث عبد الله بن المبارك والأوزاعي ومالك والشافعي وأحمد وإسحاق وأبو ثور وداود على وجوب قراءة الفاتحة خلف الإمام في جميع الصلوات”
Useful books for further detail
◈ Tahqiq al-Kalam by Imam Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him)
◈ Al-Kawakib al-Durriyyah fi Wujub al-Fatihah Khalf al-Imam fi al-Jahriyyah, by the author of this article
Some brief and specific evidences for Fatihah behind the imam
➊ Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Each one of you should recite Surah al-Fatihah in his heart”
➋ Hadith of “a man from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ”:
Its meaning is also similar to the previous hadith
Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) and others have declared it sahih
➌ Hadith of Nafi’ ibn Mahmud from Ubadah:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When I am reciting aloud, none of you should recite anything except Surah al-Fatihah”
In the narration of al-Bayhaqi there is this addition:
“The one who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah, his prayer is not valid”
➍ Hadith of Amr ibn Shu’ayb from his father from his grandfather
The chain is a proof according to the majority of scholars
➎ Hadith of Makhul from Mahmud ibn al-Rabi’ from Ubadah
Evidences from the statements of the Companions
➏ Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
He used to order reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam in both the loud and silent prayers
➐ Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
He used to order reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam in both loud and silent prayers
➑ Sayyidina Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him):
He used to order Fatihah behind the imam
Its chain is hasan
➒ Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
He used to order Fatihah behind the imam
Imam al-Bayhaqi said:
“هذا إسناد صحيح لاغبار عليه”
➓ Sayyidina Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him):
His statement has already been mentioned in detail earlier; he himself also used to recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam
Review of the evidences of the opponents
Some people, against these evidences, present narrations in which Surah al-Fatihah is not mentioned at all, and these narrations are not explicit texts on the matter.
For example:
Ashraf Ali Thanwi Deobandi was asked:
“Sometimes one has to perform Friday prayer in a place where, according to the Hanafis, most of the conditions are missing”
He answered:
“On such an occasion one should recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam, so that the prayer is valid on the basis of the school of Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him)”
This position is an example of combining schools (talfiq bayn al-madhahib) departing from the Hanafi school, and it is in itself an acknowledgment of reciting Surah al-Fatihah in a loud prayer.
The answer to “وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ…” and “وإذا قرأ فأنصتوا“
These verses and hadiths do not relate to the prohibition of Surah al-Fatihah, but rather to speaking during the prayer or to reciting other than al-Fatihah.
ھذا ما عندی، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
(والسلام)
