How do non-Arabs recite the Qur'an, and specifically al-Fatihah?

The questioner : Are you in Albania? There are no Arabs in Albania.

The Shaykh : Not at all.

The questioner : I mean the Muslims whom Allah has blessed are able to recite al-Fatihah, but a person from Central America or from China who does not know anything of the Arabic language, and he wants to pray and fast, and he says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, how does he recite al-Fatihah?
Please proceed.

The Shaykh : Just as we used to recite it in our lands, learn the Qur'an as it was revealed... We need to recite the Qur'an as it was revealed in the Arabic language. How did the Turks write their Turkish language? With what letters did they write before Ataturk?

The questioner : With Arabic letters.

The Shaykh : That is it. In the same way, all non-Arabs in all their lands recited the Qur'an as they wrote it with Arabic letters and recited it likewise. Among the non-Arabs are scholars of tajwid and qira'at, some of whom surpassed many of the Arabs.

The questioner : ... a new convert in America, and he knows how to say: Allah is the Greatest, but he stops with people and says, meaning as much as he can. But if he does not know how to recite al-Fatihah, is his prayer valid or not valid?

The Shaykh : Every question has its answer. I understood your question as a community.

The questioner: Ah...

The Shaykh : You are speaking as an individual.

The questioner : As an individual.

The Shaykh : You are now saying as an individual, okay. We are now speaking of facts that are not hidden from many people. A man who embraced Islam, did he know before he embraced Islam what to say if he wanted to embrace Islam? The answer is: No. So, if he resolved to embrace Islam, he must learn how to testify?

Those present : He says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.

The Shaykh : No problem, but you are now saying easily that he says it, but did he know how to say it before? No. So, knowledge is necessary. And as he (peace be upon him) said: . So, this disbeliever, when he resolved to embrace Islam, must pronounce the two testimonies. He did not know them before; so we say: he must learn them. Right, or not? So, we do not imagine that this man who wants to embrace Islam becomes a Muslim without pronouncing the two testimonies. He may become a Muslim between him and Allah, but between him and the Muslims, he does not become a Muslim until he testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. So, this word is the first thing he learns. Therefore, we say from this word, just as he learned the two testimonies to become a Muslim, he must gradually learn the prayer which is necessary. We knew from our previous hadith: . So, we tell him: you must learn to recite al-Fatihah; because the prayer is not valid except with it. And I imagine it is not just that we tell him: you must learn, he learned. No, he will take days and perhaps he will take months with him; because this varies with age, for example, between a child and an old man, and so on, regardless of the difference in nature. A man who has a strong memory and a man who does not have that memory. We imagine completely that the period may be long for him. We tell him: we are now giving you a choice. If it is easy for you to learn al-Fatihah from a close person, then you must learn it. No, this is difficult for you. We want to give you four words: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). These four words are undoubtedly easier than al-Fatihah. So, we teach him these easy, simplified words on every tongue. At the same time, we tell him: do not forget your share of learning the opening of the Book. This is the legal solution.

The questioner : So, your words indicate that it is not necessary for al-Fatihah to be memorized...?

The Shaykh : No, no, that is not permissible.

The questioner : Why do you say: No?

The Shaykh : Do you know how, like you, Abu Khudr?

The questioner : Yes, please.

The Shaykh : Like you, like the one who says.

The questioner : One and one equals two.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : One and one equals two.

The Shaykh : Oh, wonderful!

The questioner : ... that he taught him: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu Akbar.

The Shaykh : When do I teach him? If he is unable to learn al-Fatihah, what did you do? Woe to the worshippers, and that's it? No, .

Another questioner : We have an American in this neighborhood who masters the Arabic language in a way that we cannot...

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : But I tell you one thing: the day Allah opened for him... he says to me: How are you Arabs?

Another questioner: Correct.

Another questioner : One day - excuse me - one day, we came to pray, me and him, and we caught up with a rak'ah that was going on for us at the beginning. We came together. I said the taslim with this man. No, no, we caught up with the first rak'ah. But when the imam went into ruku', I said the taslim with the imam, and he stood up and brought a rak'ah. I said to him: Where did you get this from? Why are you doing this? He said: I did not recite al-Fatihah. I said to him: What is your evidence that if you catch up with the imam while he is in ruku', you bring the rak'ah? He said: Let's look at the book. Immediately he went and brought... He said to me: You are right.

The questioner : ... that man joins the group of new Muslims among the Americans, what do they say? Everything they say?

Another questioner : It is the word our brother spoke: learning by learning, if he wants step by step.