Reciting al-Fatihah for the followers in the night prayer and tahajjud: Is it obligatory for them or not? Do they recite it while the imam is reciting? And is the imam's recitation considered their recitation or not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Is reciting al-Fatihah obligatory for the followers in the night prayer and tahajjud, or not? And do they recite it while the imam is reciting, or do they not recite it?
And is the imam's recitation considered their recitation, or not?
The Shaykh : The correct opinion among the scholars regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah is that it is obligatory for the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone, in both the secret and the loud prayers, generally.
So if someone says: What is the evidence for this statement of yours?
The answer is: The hadith of 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam), and is the negation here a negation of perfection or a negation of validity?
The student: Of validity.
The Shaykh : Of validity.
Because we established a rule previously, I don't know if we mentioned it or not?
The student: Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : We said: When a negation is mentioned, the original ruling is that it is a negation of the thing itself; if that is not possible, then it is a negation of validity; if that is not possible, then it is a negation of perfection. This rule is agreed upon by the scholars, but the application differs based on the verification of the operative cause in this issue.
Very well.
The hadith:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam), contains no exception.
If you say: This generality is opposed by the Qur'an, what is the Qur'an?[Al-A'raf 7:204], so as long as I am reciting, I am listening, and this generality as well?
The student: It is specific.
The Shaykh : It is specific, by His saying:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam).
So we have two generalities, or we have two texts, each of which is more general than the other from one aspect.
And at that point, we return to determining the stronger position, and the stronger position is the generality of His saying:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam).
What determines the stronger position?
What the people of the Sunan narrated from 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with his companions one day the Fajr prayer, then he finished, and said: They said: Yes. He said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 311Sahih (Darussalam), and is the Fajr prayer secret or loud? It is loud.
So this hadith determines the strength of the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam), and it becomes a specification of the saying of the Exalted: [Al-A'raf 7:204] So we say: If recitation is done in something other than al-Fatihah, then al-Fatihah must be recited.
And based on this, we say: Whoever prays behind the imam in tarawih or the night prayer, it is obligatory for him to recite al-Fatihah, even if his imam is reciting.
And is the imam's recitation considered their recitation, or not?
The Shaykh : The correct opinion among the scholars regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah is that it is obligatory for the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone, in both the secret and the loud prayers, generally.
So if someone says: What is the evidence for this statement of yours?
The answer is: The hadith of 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابThe student: Of validity.
The Shaykh : Of validity.
Because we established a rule previously, I don't know if we mentioned it or not?
The student: Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : We said: When a negation is mentioned, the original ruling is that it is a negation of the thing itself; if that is not possible, then it is a negation of validity; if that is not possible, then it is a negation of perfection. This rule is agreed upon by the scholars, but the application differs based on the verification of the operative cause in this issue.
Very well.
The hadith:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابIf you say: This generality is opposed by the Qur'an, what is the Qur'an?
when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention
إِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُواThe student: It is specific.
The Shaykh : It is specific, by His saying:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لاصلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابSo we have two generalities, or we have two texts, each of which is more general than the other from one aspect.
And at that point, we return to determining the stronger position, and the stronger position is the generality of His saying:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابWhat determines the stronger position?
What the people of the Sunan narrated from 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with his companions one day the Fajr prayer, then he finished, and said:
Perhaps you are reciting behind your imam?
لعلكم تقرأون خلف إمامكم ؟Do not do that, except for Umm Al-Kitab, for there is no Salat for one who does not recite it.
لا تفعلوا إلا بأم القرآن، فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بهاSo this hadith determines the strength of the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابSo when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention
وإذا قرئ القرآن فاستمعوا له وأنصتواAnd based on this, we say: Whoever prays behind the imam in tarawih or the night prayer, it is obligatory for him to recite al-Fatihah, even if his imam is reciting.