Those who permitted reciting behind the imam

Yazid bin Sharik al-Taymi said: I asked Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) about recitation behind the imam. He said: Recite behind the imam. I said: Even if I pray behind you? He said: Even if you pray behind me. I said: Even if you are reciting? He said: Yes, even then.

Mujahid said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) reciting from Surah Maryam behind the imam in the Zuhr prayer.

Husayn said: I prayed beside Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah, and I heard him reciting behind the imam. Afterwards I met Mujahid and mentioned this to him, and he said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reciting behind the imam.

Huzayl said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surah al-Fatihah and a surah behind the imam in the first two rak'ahs of the Asr prayer.

Abu Maryam al-Asadi said: I prayed beside Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), and I heard him reciting behind one of the rulers in the Zuhr and Asr prayers.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: In Zuhr and Asr, recite Surah al-Fatihah and a surah behind the imam in every rak'ah.

Al-Hakam and Hammad said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to order recitation behind the imam.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Do not fail to recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam, whether he is reciting aloud or quietly.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Isha prayer, and the recitation felt heavy to him during the prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said: "Perhaps you were reciting behind your imam?" We said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah, we were doing so. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Recite nothing behind the imam except Surah al-Fatihah, for there is no prayer without it."

Abu Qilabah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: "Do you recite behind your imam?" Some said yes and some said no. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you must recite, then recite only Surah al-Fatihah to yourselves."

Something similar is reported through another chain.

Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If a man is praying behind the imam and can hear the imam's recitation, he should recite Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Nas and Surah al-Falaq (Shu'bah said: or similar surahs). If he cannot hear the imam's recitation, he should recite himself, but he should not disturb the people standing on his right and left.

Al-Sha'bi said: You have a choice in this matter; if you wish, recite, and if you wish, rely on the imam's recitation.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said: If you cannot hear the imam's recitation, then recite to yourself if you wish.

Al-Hasan (al-Basri) used to say: "Behind the imam, recite the Opening of the Book (Surah al-Fatihah) silently to yourself in every rak'ah."

Al-Sha'bi used to say: "Behind the imam, in Zuhr and Asr, recite Surah al-Fatihah and one other surah, and in the last two rak'ahs recite only Surah al-Fatihah."

Al-Sha'bi said: "Reciting behind the imam in Zuhr and Asr is a light for the prayer."

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib said: "The imam and those behind him are to recite Surah al-Fatihah in Zuhr and Asr."

Al-Hakam said: "In the prayers in which the imam does not recite aloud, recite behind the imam Surah al-Fatihah and one other surah in the first two rak'ahs, and only Surah al-Fatihah in the other two rak'ahs."

Urwah said: "Be silent in the prayers recited aloud, and recite in the prayers recited quietly."

Yahya bin Abi Ishaq said: "I prayed Maghrib behind al-Hakam bin Ayyub. Abu al-Malih was standing beside Ibn Usamah. I heard Abu al-Malih reciting Surah al-Fatihah. When the imam said the salam, I asked Abu al-Malih: 'Were you reciting behind the imam while the imam was also reciting?' He said: 'Did you hear something?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Yes, I was reciting.'"

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said concerning recitation behind the imam: "It is tasbih (glorification)."

Sayyiduna Mahmud bin al-Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I prayed alongside Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him). He recited Surah al-Fatihah in the prayer. After the prayer I said: 'O Abu al-Walid, did I hear you reciting Surah al-Fatihah?' He said: 'Yes; there is no prayer without it.'"

Abu Mijlaz said: "If you recite behind the imam, that is good; and if you do not, the imam's recitation suffices you."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam."

Malik bin Mighwal said: "I heard al-Sha'bi approving of recitation behind the imam."

Al-Qasim said: "I like to keep myself occupied behind the imam in Zuhr and Asr."

Abu al-Sa'ib said: "I said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): 'What should I do when I am behind the imam?' He pressed my arm and said: 'O Persian, recite Surah al-Fatihah silently to yourself.'"