How are the hadiths that those who said the recitation of al-Fatihah behind the imam in the loud prayers is obligatory used as evidence?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Eid Abbasi : In "The Description of the Prophet's Prayer," you stated your view that the one praying behind the imam recites in the quiet prayers but does not recite in the loud prayers. In the book "Sabil al-Salam," the author presented evidence indicating that the recitation of the Mother of the Book is always part of the prayer, and that the prayer is invalid without it. So, what is the authenticity of these hadiths first? Then how do we reconcile them with your view?
The Shaykh : A question like this is not appropriate, and in fact, it is impossible to answer; because this requires bringing to mind the evidence, some of which is authentic and some of which is not. And for the authentic ones, there is one answer or more. But the questioner who truly wants to benefit by the shortest path is the one who studies "The Description of Prayer" and studies the hadiths reported in it; he places them before him on one side, then he studies what came in "Sabil al-Salam" or other books of hadith jurisprudence. So, the hadith that confuses him and contradicts what came in "The Description of Prayer," he marks it and records or writes it on a paper and asks: "What is your opinion of this hadith? First, is it authentic? Yes, it is authentic. Second, does it indicate the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam in the loud prayers, or is it not obligatory? An answer is possible. But if we are given a topic in which the scholars of the Muslims have differed for more than a thousand years, and there is much evidence for each of the two groups; if I were to memorize the world, I could not answer this question except in hours; so what can be said of us, may Allah include us in His mercy and favor, we recall some things and other things, and many things, are missed.
I give you an example of this from these hadiths that those who hold the view that the recitation of al-Fatihah behind the imam in the loud prayers is obligatory use as evidence: the hadith:Sunan Abi Dawud 823Da'if (Al-Albani); the scholars who hold that view have proceeded to use it as evidence, and you can take it and go, but it contains no evidence at all; why? And this naturally appears in a special way to the one who has some knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence, so the principles of jurisprudence say: "If a command for something comes after a prohibition of it, then this command does not indicate obligation"; if the wise Lawgiver commands something and He had previously prohibited it; then this command does not indicate the obligation of that thing, but rather it lifts the prohibition of it; so here the hadith is like this: "Do you recite?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Do not do it; do not recite behind the imam"; this is a prohibition. He said: This is an exception; an exception from the prohibition, an exception from the prohibition does not indicate obligation, but rather it indicates permissibility; so where is the evidence for obligation?
There is no evidence in the hadith for obligation, this is an example; and therefore the research, as I told you, is long, so look at the hadith, this one like this hadith - for example - it may be one of the hadiths that confused you, look at a second hadith, it may be that I can give you the answer, or else the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah agree in this topic,[Al-A'raf 7:204], and the hadiths that came indicating by their apparent meaning the obligation, they are either of this type that does not indicate obligation; everything it indicates is permissibility and the weaker permissibility, or that it was in a stage of the legislation, and on this we proceeded in our book "The Description of the Prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Shaykh : A question like this is not appropriate, and in fact, it is impossible to answer; because this requires bringing to mind the evidence, some of which is authentic and some of which is not. And for the authentic ones, there is one answer or more. But the questioner who truly wants to benefit by the shortest path is the one who studies "The Description of Prayer" and studies the hadiths reported in it; he places them before him on one side, then he studies what came in "Sabil al-Salam" or other books of hadith jurisprudence. So, the hadith that confuses him and contradicts what came in "The Description of Prayer," he marks it and records or writes it on a paper and asks: "What is your opinion of this hadith? First, is it authentic? Yes, it is authentic. Second, does it indicate the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam in the loud prayers, or is it not obligatory? An answer is possible. But if we are given a topic in which the scholars of the Muslims have differed for more than a thousand years, and there is much evidence for each of the two groups; if I were to memorize the world, I could not answer this question except in hours; so what can be said of us, may Allah include us in His mercy and favor, we recall some things and other things, and many things, are missed.
I give you an example of this from these hadiths that those who hold the view that the recitation of al-Fatihah behind the imam in the loud prayers is obligatory use as evidence: the hadith:
Do not do so except when it is Fatihat al-Kitab, for he who does not recite it is not credited with having prayed.
فلا تفعلوا إلا بفاتحة الكتاب ؛ فإنه لا صلاة لِمَن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابExcept with al-Fatihah.
إلا بفاتحة الكتابThere is no evidence in the hadith for obligation, this is an example; and therefore the research, as I told you, is long, so look at the hadith, this one like this hadith - for example - it may be one of the hadiths that confused you, look at a second hadith, it may be that I can give you the answer, or else the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah agree in this topic,
So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَAnd this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
