Saying "We seek help from Allah" when reciting "And You alone we ask for help"

Question:
We often hear many people saying "We seek help from Allah" when the imam says "And You alone we ask for help" while reciting al-Fatihah. What is the basis for this?

Answer:
This is not permissible; it has no basis. It is so baseless that it does not even warrant a question. It is not permissible, and if a person deliberately does this, his prayer is invalid. However, we say that people are excused due to ignorance. Otherwise, this is speech in prayer that is not permissible. It was not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it has no basis, and there is absolutely no evidence for it. It is merely a custom of the common people. People should be alerted to this, and it must be abandoned. If a person persists in it after knowing that it is not permissible, his prayer is invalid, because he has introduced speech that is not prescribed in prayer. Yes.