How do we recite al-Fatihah when the imam recites aloud, given that the imam does not pause after reciting al-Fatihah and the verse that follows it?
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The questioner : How do we recite al-Fatihah when the imam recites aloud, given that the imam does not pause after reciting al-Fatihah and the verse that follows it?
The Shaykh : The answer to this is directed to both the imam and the ma'mum. As for the imam, he should pause for a brief moment after reciting al-Fatihah and before reciting the surah that follows it, as this was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him). It is a hasan hadith, and in fact, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar described it in Fath al-Bari as established (thabit). Because if he pauses this brief pause, the ma'mum begins reciting al-Fatihah and continues with it. As for pausing for a long time until the ma'mum finishes reciting al-Fatihah, I am not aware of any evidence for this in the Sunnah. So, begin reciting al-Fatihah; this is what is directed to the ma'mum. If you begin reciting al-Fatihah, continue with it and complete it, even if your imam is reciting. This is because 'Abd ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer with them, and they were reciting with him. 'Abd ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer with them, and they were reciting with him. So when he finished, he said to them:Sunan Abi Dawud 823Da'if (Al-Albani) They said: Yes. He said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 311Sahih (Darussalam) So the ma'mum recites al-Fatihah even if his imam is reciting.
As for anything other than al-Fatihah, the ma'mum does not recite it if he hears the recitation of his imam. Al-Fatihah is not dropped from the ma'mum except in one case only, which is if he arrives while the imam is bowing. In this case, he says the takbirat al-ihram and bows with the imam so that he does not miss the rak'ah. The takbirat al-ihram here is obligatory, indeed a pillar, without which the prayer is not valid. He says takbir while standing upright, then if he says takbir when he goes down to bow, that is better. If he does not do so, there is no harm. The masbuq who arrives while the imam is bowing has al-Fatihah dropped from him. Likewise, if he arrives and enters with the imam and begins reciting al-Fatihah, then the imam bows and he fears that if he completes al-Fatihah he will miss the rak'ah, in this case he bows with the imam and al-Fatihah is dropped from him. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he caught up with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was bowing in the mosque. So Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) hurried and entered the prayer before reaching the row. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished, he asked who had done that. Abu Bakrah said: I. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 683Sahih (Al-Albani) Meaning, do not repeat what you did. What Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did was three things: First, he hurried. Second, he bowed before entering the row. Third: he bowed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before reciting al-Fatihah. He considered the rak'ah valid. Let us look at which of these three things the prohibition refers to, by returning to the Sunnah. If we return to the Sunnah, we find that it refers to the first two matters, which are hurrying and entering with the congregation before reaching the row. As for the first: because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:329 So he said: And as for the second: because aligning in the rows is obligatory, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Bulugh al-Maram 2:327 So if he entered the prayer before reaching the row, he entered the prayer before fulfilling the obligation of aligning in the rows.
As for the third, which is that he entered with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wherever he caught up with him, there is no prohibition in this, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 635 With this explanation, it becomes clear that al-Fatihah is dropped from the ma'mum in such a case.
The Shaykh : The answer to this is directed to both the imam and the ma'mum. As for the imam, he should pause for a brief moment after reciting al-Fatihah and before reciting the surah that follows it, as this was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him). It is a hasan hadith, and in fact, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar described it in Fath al-Bari as established (thabit). Because if he pauses this brief pause, the ma'mum begins reciting al-Fatihah and continues with it. As for pausing for a long time until the ma'mum finishes reciting al-Fatihah, I am not aware of any evidence for this in the Sunnah. So, begin reciting al-Fatihah; this is what is directed to the ma'mum. If you begin reciting al-Fatihah, continue with it and complete it, even if your imam is reciting. This is because 'Abd ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer with them, and they were reciting with him. 'Abd ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer with them, and they were reciting with him. So when he finished, he said to them:
Perhaps you recite behind your imam?
لعلكم تقرءون 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 القرأن، فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بهاAs for anything other than al-Fatihah, the ma'mum does not recite it if he hears the recitation of his imam. Al-Fatihah is not dropped from the ma'mum except in one case only, which is if he arrives while the imam is bowing. In this case, he says the takbirat al-ihram and bows with the imam so that he does not miss the rak'ah. The takbirat al-ihram here is obligatory, indeed a pillar, without which the prayer is not valid. He says takbir while standing upright, then if he says takbir when he goes down to bow, that is better. If he does not do so, there is no harm. The masbuq who arrives while the imam is bowing has al-Fatihah dropped from him. Likewise, if he arrives and enters with the imam and begins reciting al-Fatihah, then the imam bows and he fears that if he completes al-Fatihah he will miss the rak'ah, in this case he bows with the imam and al-Fatihah is dropped from him. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he caught up with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was bowing in the mosque. So Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) hurried and entered the prayer before reaching the row. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished, he asked who had done that. Abu Bakrah said: I. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not do it again.
زادك الله حرصاً ولا تعدIf you hear the Iqamah, you must walk to the prayer (place) with tranquility and dignity, and do not hasten; and whatever portion of the prayer you get (along with the Imam) offer it, and complete afterwards whatever you missed.
إذا سمعتم الإقامة فامشوا إلى الصلاة وعليكم السكينة والوقار ولا تُسرعوا فما أدركتم فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتمواAnd do not hurry.
ولا تسرعواThe prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted.
لا صلاة لمنفردٍ خلف الصفAs for the third, which is that he entered with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wherever he caught up with him, there is no prohibition in this, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):