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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صفة الصلاةChapters on the Description of Prayer
بَابُ وُجُوبِ قِرَاءَةِ الْفَاتِحَةِChapter on the Obligation of Reciting Al-Fatiha
Hadith 1572
اُردوEn
عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاةَ الْغَدَاةِ فَثَقُلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقِرَاءَةُ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ: ((إِنِّي لَأَرَاكُمْ تَقْرَؤُنَ وَرَاءَ إِمَامِكُمْ؟)) قُلْنَا: نَعَمْ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! إِنَّا لَنَفْعَلُ هَٰذَا، قَالَ: ((فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا إِلَّا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِهَا))
Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Fajr prayer, and recitation became difficult for him. So, after finishing, he asked: I think you recite behind your Imam? We said: Yes! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! Without any doubt, we do so. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not do so (i.e., do not recite behind me) except for Surah Al-Fatihah, because whoever does not recite it, his prayer is not valid.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Regarding this verse of Surah al-Muzzammil {فَاقْرَئُ وْا مَا تَیَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ}, Qasim ibn Qutlubgha Hanafi and Mulla Jiwan Hanafi write: "Yujibu bi-'umumihi al-qira'ata 'ala al-muqtadi." That is: This noble verse, in its generality, makes recitation obligatory upon the follower (muqtadi). (Khilasat al-Adhkar by Qasim Hanafi: 197, Nur al-Anwar: 193) In light of various general evidences, those who prevent the follower from reciting Surah al-Fatihah should reflect upon this hadith: the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after the Fajr prayer, stated this hadith that indeed, do not recite behind the imam, except for Surah al-Fatihah. This hadith serves as a decisive proof for all specific and general evidences and for reconciling and harmonizing between them. In many issues, by consensus, the verses of the Qur'an have been specified in light of the ahadith; is it not considered that the Qur'an commands both men and women to perform five prayers during the day and to fast in Ramadan, but the noble ahadith have exempted a menstruating woman for the duration of her menstruation and a woman in postnatal bleeding (nifas) for up to forty days from prayer and fasting, and furthermore, there is no demand for making up the prayers? There are many other examples of this legal principle.
Can the following noble verse not be specified in light of these ahadith at this point? {وَاِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَہٗوَاَنْصِتُوْالَعَلَّکُمْتُرْحَمُوْنَ} That is: "And when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it attentively and remain silent so that mercy may be shown to you." And if the follower recites the verses of Surah al-Fatihah during the pauses (saktat) of the imam, then there is no need for specification at all. In any case, attention should also be paid to our view: that the very person upon whom this verse was revealed, he himself, after the Fajr prayer, announced that recitation of Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam is necessary. Now, why should we use this verse as evidence to prevent the follower from reciting altogether? Do the Hanafis not consider that when they arrive at the mosque during the audible prayers while the imam is reciting, they utter the words of intention (niyyah), then say "Allahu Akbar," and some are even heard reciting "Subhanaka Allahumma …"? So, are they not opposing this verse at that time, even though uttering the words of intention is itself an innovation (bid'ah)? If they reply that saying the takbir and reciting "Subhanaka Allahumma …" are established from hadith, then we say that recitation of Surah al-Fatihah by the follower is also established from several ahadith, so this too should be specified.
Note: … If the follower arrives when the imam is reciting aloud, he should not recite "Subhanaka Allahumma …" or any other opening supplication (du'a al-istiftah), because during the recitation of the Qur'an, only the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah is permitted. Saying the opening takbir (takbir tahrimah) is obligatory.
Can the following noble verse not be specified in light of these ahadith at this point? {وَاِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَہٗوَاَنْصِتُوْالَعَلَّکُمْتُرْحَمُوْنَ} That is: "And when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it attentively and remain silent so that mercy may be shown to you." And if the follower recites the verses of Surah al-Fatihah during the pauses (saktat) of the imam, then there is no need for specification at all. In any case, attention should also be paid to our view: that the very person upon whom this verse was revealed, he himself, after the Fajr prayer, announced that recitation of Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam is necessary. Now, why should we use this verse as evidence to prevent the follower from reciting altogether? Do the Hanafis not consider that when they arrive at the mosque during the audible prayers while the imam is reciting, they utter the words of intention (niyyah), then say "Allahu Akbar," and some are even heard reciting "Subhanaka Allahumma …"? So, are they not opposing this verse at that time, even though uttering the words of intention is itself an innovation (bid'ah)? If they reply that saying the takbir and reciting "Subhanaka Allahumma …" are established from hadith, then we say that recitation of Surah al-Fatihah by the follower is also established from several ahadith, so this too should be specified.
Note: … If the follower arrives when the imam is reciting aloud, he should not recite "Subhanaka Allahumma …" or any other opening supplication (du'a al-istiftah), because during the recitation of the Qur'an, only the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah is permitted. Saying the opening takbir (takbir tahrimah) is obligatory.
