Question
What is the method of reciting Fatiha behind the Imam? In the audible prayers, is Fatiha recited in the last two rak’ahs or not? In the Zuhr and Asr prayers, should a surah be recited along with Fatiha (according to the hadith of Jabir narrated by Ibn Majah), or only Fatiha? Kindly explain the detailed method. May Allah reward you.
Answer
The answer to the different parts of your question is as follows:
➊ The method of reciting Fatiha behind the Imam
When the Imam has completed the recitation of Surah al-Fatiha, the follower should recite Fatiha before the start of another surah, or recite it during the Imam’s pauses.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“When the Imam is reciting, remain silent, and when the Imam is silent, the follower should recite Fatiha.”
According to Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him):
The Imam’s pauses mean a brief silence between the verses of Surah al-Fatiha, or the silence after Surah al-Fatiha is completed. If the Imam is not silent, it is still obligatory upon the follower to recite Fatiha, even if it is during the Imam’s recitation.
➋ The obligation of reciting Surah al-Fatiha in the prayer
The recitation of Surah al-Fatiha is one of the pillars of the prayer, and the prayer is not valid without it, whether the one praying is an Imam, a follower, or one praying alone. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«لا صَلاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
“There is no prayer for one who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab.”
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite Surah al-Fatiha in every rak’ah, and the Companions transmitted this practice.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) states in “Fath al-Bari”:
“It is permissible for the follower to recite Surah al-Fatiha in the audible prayers without any condition.” Regarding this, Imam al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban and others have narrated the following hadith:
It is narrated from Hadrat Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that in the Fajr prayer the recitation became difficult for the Prophet ﷺ, and when he finished the prayer he said:
‘It seems that you recite behind your Imam?’
We said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
‘Do not do so except for Fatiha, for one who does not recite Surah al-Fatiha, his prayer is not valid.’
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has also given this opinion:
“Reciting Surah al-Fatiha is obligatory upon the Imam, the follower and the one praying alone, in both audible and silent prayers, because the authentic evidences support this.” The saying of Allah Most High:
“When the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent so that you may be shown mercy” is general, and the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ “When he recites, remain silent” is also general. These evidences are specified by the hadith “One who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab, his prayer is not valid.” And the hadith
«من كان له إمام فقراءة الإمام له قراءة» (For one who has an Imam, the Imam’s recitation is sufficient for him) is weak.
From the aforementioned evidences it is established that the one praying, whether an Imam, one praying alone, or a follower, must recite Surah al-Fatiha in every rak’ah of every prayer, and the prayer is not valid without it.
➌ Another surah along with Fatiha in the Zuhr and Asr prayers
In the first two rak’ahs of the Zuhr and Asr prayers, another surah should be recited along with Surah al-Fatiha, whereas in the last two rak’ahs only Surah al-Fatiha should be recited.
