Recitation in prayer

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), relates about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Did any of you recite along with me?" The people said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was wondering why I am being contended with in the Qur'an." (The narrator says:) Then the people refrained from reciting behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he (peace and blessings be upon him) said this.
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it. The narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the "Sahih". Discussion of this narration will come after the next hadith.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Previously the people used to recite behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have confused the recitation of the Qur'an for me."
Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar recorded it. The narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Ibn Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led a prayer in which the recitation is done aloud. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the prayer, he asked: "Do you recite behind me?" Some people said: "We do so." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so! I was wondering why I am being contended with in the Qur'an." The narrator says: So the people refrained from reciting in the prayers in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited aloud.
Al-Bazzar recorded it in full, while Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it in abridged form. Its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih", except that al-Bazzar said: The nephew of Ibn Shihab erred in this narration when he said it is from Sayyiduna Ibn Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him), whereas Ma'mar and Ibn Uyaynah narrated it from al-Zuhri, from Ibn Ukaymah, from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led his Companions in prayer. When he completed the prayer, he turned towards the people and said: "Do you recite in prayer behind your imam while the imam is reciting?" The people remained silent. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this three times. Then one man, or some people, said: "We do so." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so. Let each of you recite Surah al-Fatihah within himself."
Abu Ya'la and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it, and its narrators are "thiqat" (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We prayed behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When he finished the prayer, he asked: "When you were in the prayer, were you reciting along with me?" We said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so, except for Surah al-Fatihah, which is a different matter."
Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator Maslamah bin Ali, and he is "da'if" (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Is there to be recitation in every prayer?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes." One of those present said: "Is this obligatory?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I consider that when the imam recites, it suffices." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Ibn Majah recorded part of this narration, up to the words "This is obligatory".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Jahr narrates: I recited behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When he finished the prayer, he said: "O Jahr! Let your Lord hear you, and do not let me hear you."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. I have not found anyone who mentions Abdullah bin Jahr.

It is reported about Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "O so-and-so, do not recite behind the imam, unless the imam is one who does not recite; then the matter is different."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are "thiqat" (trustworthy).

Abu Wa'il narrates: A man came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu Abd al-Rahman, should I recite behind the imam?" He said: "Remain silent for the Qur'an (being recited), for in prayer there is preoccupation, and the imam will suffice for you."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Ibrahim al-Nakha'i narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) did not recite behind the imam, and Ibrahim al-Nakha'i used to give rulings according to this. When Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was the imam, he would recite in the first two rak'ahs and would not recite anything in the last two rak'ahs.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Ibrahim al-Nakha'i did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever has an imam, the recitation of the imam counts as his recitation."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator Abu Harun al-Abdi, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Humayd bin Hilal relates: Hisham bin Amir came to the prayer. He came walking quickly and joined the prayer while he was out of breath, and he began reciting aloud behind the imam. When he completed his prayer, it was said to him: "Do you recite behind the imam?" He said: "We do so."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever is to recite behind the imam should recite Surah al-Fatihah." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: There is a hadith from him in the Sahih, without this wording.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Every prayer in which Surah al-Fatihah is not recited is incomplete, it is incomplete, it is incomplete."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir; its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, about whom there is criticism.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Every prayer in which Surah al-Fatihah is not recited is incomplete, incomplete, incomplete."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Sa'id bin Sulayman al-Nashiti. Abu Zur'ah said: "We ask Allah Almighty for safety; he is not strong."

Sayyiduna Mihran narrated this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever does not recite Surah al-Fatihah in his prayer, that prayer is incomplete."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and he said: This narration is transmitted from Sayyiduna Mihran only with this chain. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Its chain contains a group of people whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you recite behind me?" The people said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so, except for Surah al-Fatihah; its case is different."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains a man who is not named.

One of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) relates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perhaps you recite while the imam is reciting?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked this three times, and the people said: "We do that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so, except that a person may recite Surah al-Fatihah to himself."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

A man from the desert people narrates from his father, who had been held as a captive with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He relates: I heard Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "A prayer in which Surah al-Fatihah is not recited is not accepted." Its chain contains a narrator who is not named.
Ahmad recorded it.

Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah al-Fatihah and then said: "Your Lord says: 'O son of Adam, I have revealed to you seven verses: three of them are for Me, three are for you, and one is between Me and you. As for the verses that are for Me, they are: "All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help."' (Allah Almighty says:) 'So worship is from you, and help is upon Me. As for the verses that are for you, (they are): "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray."'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Sulayman bin Arqam, who is matruk (abandoned).