عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ أَنَّ أَبَا السَّائِبِ مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ) فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ، هِيَ خِدَاجٌ غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ)) قَالَ أَبُو السَّائِبِ لِأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: إِنِّي أَكُونُ أَحْيَانًا وَرَاءَ الْإِمَامِ، قَالَ أَبُو السَّائِبِ: فَغَمَزَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ذِرَاعِي، فَقَالَ: يَا فَارِسِيُّ! اقْرَأْهَا فِي نَفْسِكَ، إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ((قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ)) قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((اقْرَأُوا يَقُولُ فَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ: {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي، وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ: {الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ: أَثْنَى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي، فَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ: {مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ: مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي، وَقَالَ: هَٰذِهِ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي، يَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ: {إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ} قَالَ: أَجَدْتُهَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، قَالَ يَقُولُ عَبْدِي: {اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ} يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: هَٰذَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever performed prayer and did not recite Umm al-Qur’an, that is, Surah al-Fatihah, in it, then his prayer is incomplete, incomplete, incomplete. Abu al-Sa’ib said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): Sometimes I am behind the Imam (so how should I recite al-Fatihah at that time)? Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) replied by pressing my arm and said: O Persian! Recite it in your heart, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Allah Almighty says: I have divided the prayer (that is, Surah al-Fatihah) between Myself and My servant into two halves, half of it is for Me and half is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks for. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Recite al-Fatihah. When the servant recites {اَلَحْمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ}, Allah says: My servant has praised Me. When the servant says {اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرْحِیْمِ}, Allah says: My servant has extolled Me. When the servant recites {مَالِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیِن}, Allah says: My servant has glorified Me. And Allah Almighty says: This (next verse) is between Me and My servant. When the servant says: {إِیَّاکَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ}, Allah says: I grant (the second part of this verse) to My servant, and for My servant is what he has asked for. When the servant says: {اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْہِمْ غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْہِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّیْنَ}, Allah Almighty says: This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he has asked for.