Musnad Ishaq

Benefits:
The aforementioned narration is weak in its chain of transmission; however, the matters mentioned within it are established by other authentic narrations: that for the individual praying alone, it is necessary to join another surah with Surah al-Fatihah, and that Surah al-Fatihah is obligatory for the imam, the follower, and everyone, because without it the prayer is not valid, and it must be recited in every rak‘ah. As is stated in the hadith: ((لَا صَلَاۃَ لِمَنْ لَّمْ یَقْرَاْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْکِتَابِ)) (Bukhari, no. 756)... “Whoever does not recite al-Fatihah, his prayer is not valid.”

In another narration: ((لَا تُقْبَلُ صَلٰوۃٌ لَا یُقْرَأُ فِیْهَا بِاُمِّ الْقُرْاٰنِ)) (Fath al-Bari, commentary on hadith 756)... “Any prayer in which Umm al-Qur’an is not recited is not accepted.”

In another narration: ((مَنْ صَلّٰی صَلَاةً لَمْ یَقْرَأ فِیْهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْکِتَابِ فَهِیَ خِدَاجٌ یَقُوْلُهَا ثَلَاثًا۔)) (Muslim, Kitab al-Salat, no. 395; Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 821)... “Whoever prays a prayer in which he does not recite Surah al-Fatihah, that prayer is deficient and incomplete.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said this three times.

It is thus known that reciting Surah al-Fatihah in every prayer is obligatory, even if one is a follower (muqtadi). As mentioned in the above hadith, the prayer of the one who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah is deficient. The narrator of this report, Abu Sa’ib rahimahullah, said: O Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu! ((اَحْیَانًا اَکُوْنُ وَرَآءَ الْاِمَامِ۔)) “Sometimes I am behind the imam.” So he pressed my wrist and said: اِقْرَأْ بِھَا یَا فَارْسِیُّ فِیْ نَفْسِكَ, (Muslim, no. 395; Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 821) “O Persian! Recite it to yourself (quietly).”

From a marfu‘ narration from Sayyiduna ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit radi Allahu anhu, these words are also transmitted: ((لَا صَلَاۃَ لِمَنْ لَّمْ یَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْکِتَابِ خَلْفَ الْاِمَامِ)) (Bayhaqi in Kitab al-Qira’ah: 56) “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah behind the imam.” Mawlana Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahimahullah, former Shaykh al-Hadith of Darul Uloom Deoband, has declared this hadith authentic. (Fasl al-Khitam: 147)

Imam al-Shafi‘i rahimahullah says: It is obligatory for the imam, the follower, and the individual praying alone to recite Surah al-Fatihah in every rak‘ah, whether the prayer is silent (sirri) or aloud (jahri), obligatory or supererogatory.

Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad rahimahumallah say: In audible (jahri) prayers, it is not recited, but in silent (sirri) prayers, Surah al-Fatihah is to be recited. The position of the Hanafis is that the follower does not recite al-Fatihah, whether the prayer is silent or audible. (al-Mughni: 1/376; Kitab al-Umm: 1/210; al-Hidayah: 1/048; Bidayat al-Mujtahid: 1/119)

The evidence of Imam Ahmad rahimahullah: ... It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after completing an audible prayer, asked: Has any of you just now recited with me? A man admitted it, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: I say, what is the matter with me that I am contending with the Qur’an? The narrator says: After that, the Companions radi Allahu anhum refrained from reciting aloud with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in audible prayers. (Sahih Abi Dawud, no. 736; Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 848)

The clarification of the aforementioned hadith has been given by the narrator himself, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, that when someone asked him: Sometimes I am behind the imam, he replied: O Persian! Recite it to yourself. (Abu Dawud: 821)

It is thus known that behind the imam in audible prayers, the Companions refrained from reciting aloud, while they would recite al-Fatihah in a low voice.