Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In some narrations, Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) has reported this hadith as marfu‘ (attributed directly to the Prophet), with the wording: “There is no prayer without recitation.” In Musnad Abi ‘Awanah, this narration appears with the wording: “I heard the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, ‘There is no prayer without al-Fatihah.’” In any case, this narration holds the ruling of being marfu‘. The objective of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) is thus established: that there is recitation in every prayer, and the Fajr prayer is also among those prayers; therefore, recitation is required in it as well.

In the last part of the narration, there is this addition: If you are an imam, then shorten the prayer considering the followers, and if you are alone, then prolong the prayer as much as you wish. And there is recitation in every prayer, as is mentioned in Musnad Abi Ya‘la.

(2)
From this narration, it is understood that the one who does not recite al-Fatihah in prayer, his prayer is not valid, and reciting more than al-Fatihah is recommended (mustahabb). Although, according to some of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum), reciting other verses besides al-Fatihah is also necessary. This is the position of ‘Uthman ibn Abi al-‘As (radi Allahu anhu). In any case, the apparent implication of this narration from Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) is that without al-Fatihah, the prayer is not valid, and reciting other verses in all units (rak‘ahs) is recommended, not obligatory.

(Fath al-Bari: 2/327)

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From the statement of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, it is understood that there is no alternative to reciting al-Fatihah, and reciting more than this is a cause of reward and virtue, even though the prayer will be valid with only al-Fatihah.

821. Commentary:
➊ Without Surah al-Fatihah, the prayer remains completely deficient and incomplete, which is expressed in other ahadith as follows:
«لا صلوة لمن لم يقرا بفاتحة الكتاب» [صحيح بخاري۔ حديث 756۔ وصحيح مسلم۔ حديث 394]
In the narration of Isma‘ili from Sufyan:
«لا تجزي صلوة لايقرا فيها بفاتحة الكتاب» [سنن دار قطني۔ حديث 1212]
“In any prayer in which Surah al-Fatihah is not recited, it is not sufficient.”
In Fath al-Bari, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, and Ahmad it is stated:
«لا تقبل صلوة لا يقرا فيها بام القران» (Fath al-Bari, commentary on hadith 756)
Any prayer in which Umm al-Qur’an (al-Fatihah) is not recited is not accepted. These various wordings establish that Surah al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) of the prayer. Its recitation is obligatory (fard) and compulsory (wajib), except for one who is unable to recite it.

➋ This ruling includes all types of prayers (obligatory, supererogatory, funeral, Eid, eclipse, etc.) and all types of worshippers (individual, imam, follower, resident, and traveler).

➌ Reciting “in the soul” means to recite with the tongue without raising the voice; merely thinking or imagining the words is not correct, and this cannot be called recitation (qira’ah) in any way. Furthermore, this issue is not merely the opinion or view of Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu; rather, his reasoning is based on an explicit and authentic statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

➍ By referring to the prayer as Surah al-Fatihah, only its division has been made, and Bismillah has not been counted in this division. This is evidence that Bismillah is not a part of Surah al-Fatihah.

➎ The objection regarding reciting behind the imam is not a new one of today, but has existed since the era of the Tabi‘in. However, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, by issuing the fatwa for its recitation and presenting its evidence, has removed all doubts.
Furthermore, the noble verse:
«وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنصِتُوا» [اعراف۔ 104]
“When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it silently,” its meaning has also been clarified: recite quietly, i.e., do not raise your voice. In this, there is both attentive listening (insat) and acting upon recitation (qira’ah). Also, in the hadith of ‘Ubadah radi Allahu anhu, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «لا تفعلوا الا بام القران» that is, “Recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam.”

➏ Surah al-Fatihah should be recited in every rak‘ah of the prayer, as is mentioned in the hadith of Khallad ibn Rafi‘ radi Allahu anhu «مسئي الصلواة» that «ثم افعل ذلك فى صلوتك كلها» “And do so in the entire prayer.” [صحيح بخاري۔ حديث 793وصحيح مسلم حديث 397]

820. Commentary:
The aforementioned narrations are weak in terms of their chain of transmission. However, the matters stated within them are established by other narrations. That is, for an individual praying alone, it is prescribed to recite another surah or some portion from the Qur'an along with Surah al-Fatihah. However, in audible (jahr) prayers, nothing should be recited behind the imam except Surah al-Fatihah.

797. Commentary:
➊ The purpose is that the recitation which was to be done aloud (jahri), we also recite aloud, and that which was to be done silently (siri), we also recite silently.
➋ There is consensus (ijma‘) of the Ummah that recitation is done aloud (jahri) in Fajr, Maghrib, and the first two rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’, as well as in Jumu‘ah, ‘Eid, and Istisqa’ prayers; and it is done silently (siri) in Dhuhr, ‘Asr, the third rak‘ah of Maghrib, and the last two rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’.
➌ The noble Companions (Sahabah radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in) are that first great group of the Ummah who acquired the religion directly from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and those who came after them acquired it from them.

971. Commentary:

➊ This is an indication that in the prayers of Dhuhr and Asr, the recitation (qira’ah) is done quietly. It does not mean that there is no recitation in them at all, as some people have misunderstood. The wisdom behind the quiet recitation in the daytime prayers may be that there is noise and commotion during the day, and if the congregation is large, it would be difficult to hear. Whereas at night there is tranquility, and thus in the night prayers the recitation is done aloud. In those prayers where there is greater tranquility, the recitation has also been prescribed to be longer. And Allah knows best.

➋ Another possible meaning of the hadith is that there is recitation in every rak‘ah, even though in the first two rak‘ahs the recitation is done aloud and in the last rak‘ahs it is done quietly, so that the prayer does not become excessively long.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
From this, it is understood that Surah Al-Fatihah is an essential part of the prayer (salah).
It is obligatory upon both the follower (muqtadi) and the individual praying alone to recite Surah Al-Fatihah.

➋
Deficiency (nuqs) is of two types.
For example, if a person's arm or leg is cut off, the person can still remain alive,
although he will be deficient.
But if someone's head is cut off,
or his heart is removed, then he cannot remain alive.
The deficiency that results from not reciting Surah Al-Fatihah is generally considered to be of the first type.
But this opinion is not correct because it is established from a marfu' hadith that prayer is not valid without Surah Al-Fatihah.
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: (لَاتَجْزِي صَلَاةٌ لَايُقْرَاءُ فِيْهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ)
"Any prayer in which Surah Al-Fatihah is not recited
does not suffice."
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Kitab al-Salat, The Comprehensive Chapter on the Doors of Adhan and Iqamah, Chapter: The mention of the evidence that khadaj
...
...
is the deficiency with which the prayer is not sufficient, Hadith: 490)
The meaning of "does not suffice" is that such a prayer is not sufficient and will have to be repeated.

➌ (Recitation) (إِقْرَاء بِهَا فِي نَفْسِكَ)
Recite it in your heart.
This does not mean to merely think it in your heart without moving the tongue,
because that is not called recitation (qira'ah).
Rather, what is meant is to recite in such a way
that the person standing next to you in prayer does not hear the sound.
Reciting in this manner is also not contrary to listening (istima') and remaining silent (insat).
Just as the recitation of Al-Fatihah behind the imam is rejected by claiming it is contrary to listening and remaining silent, this is a denial of this Prophetic ruling of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Benefit:
From this hadith, the tremendous virtue of Surah al-Fatihah is established. Whenever someone recites this surah in prayer, Allah, the Exalted, responds to every single verse. In this surah, the first three verses and up to «اياك نعبد» are praise of Allah, the Exalted; after that, from «اياك نستعين» to «ولا الضالين», various requests are made to Allah, the Exalted.

From this, it is proven that whenever supplication (du'a) is made, one should first praise Allah, the Exalted, and then present whatever need one has.

Here, as a point of caution, it is stated that Allah, the Exalted, responds to the one who recites Surah al-Fatihah himself; He does not respond to the one who merely listens. From this, it is also established that in every prayer, reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam is proven.

Benefit:
In this hadith as well, there is clear evidence that the prayer of the imam is his own, and the prayer of the follower (muqtadi) is his own. If the imam recites Surah al-Fatihah in the prayer, then his prayer will be complete; similarly, when the follower recites Surah al-Fatihah in the prayer, then his prayer will be complete. Because in this hadith, «كل صلاة لا يقرأ فيها بفاتحة الكتاب فهي خداج» is mentioned, and the meaning of «خداج » is "to be deficient" and "to be incomplete."

Benefit:
From this hadith, it is established that in those prayers where recitation (qira’ah) aloud (jahr) is proven, the recitation should be done aloud. These are the Maghrib prayer, the Isha prayer, and the Fajr prayer. And in those prayers where silent recitation (sirri) is established, the recitation should be done silently, and these are the Dhuhr prayer and the Asr prayer. Furthermore, the virtue of Surah al-Fatihah is established in every prayer; some discussion on this has already passed.