How do non-Arabs recite the Qur'an, especially al-Fatihah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : You are in Albania. In Albania, there are no Arabs.
The Shaykh : Never.
The questioner : I mean, the Muslims whom Allah has blessed are able to recite al-Fatihah. But a person who comes from Central America or from China, who does not know anything of the Arabic language, and wants to become a Muslim and says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," how does he recite al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : Just as we used to recite it in our lands. They learned 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 : In Arabic.
The Shaykh : It is the same way. All non-Arabs, in all their lands, recited the Qur'an as they wrote it in Arabic letters, and they recited it likewise. And among the non-Arabs are scholars of tajwid and qira'at, some of whom surpass many Arabs.
The questioner : ... a new convert in America, and he knows how to say Allahu Akbar, but he is ... regarding the people, and he means, as much as he can. As for not knowing how to recite al-Fatihah, is his prayer valid or invalid?
The Shaykh : Every question has its answer. I understood your question as a community (ummah).
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : You are now speaking as an individual.
The questioner : Yes, as an individual.
The Shaykh : Well, we are now speaking of facts that are not hidden from many people. Did a man who embraced Islam know, before he embraced Islam, what to say if he wanted to become a Muslim? The answer is no. So, if he resolves to embrace Islam, he must learn how to recite the tashahhud?
The audience: He says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah."
The Shaykh : No problem, but you are now saying it is easy, that he says it. But did he know how to say it before? No. So, knowledge is necessary. And as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said,. So, when this disbeliever resolves to embrace Islam, he must pronounce the two testimonies of faith. He does not know them before, so we say he must learn them. So, we do not imagine that this man who wants to become a Muslim becomes a Muslim without pronouncing the two testimonies of faith. He may become a Muslim between himself and Allah, but between himself 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 phrase is the first thing he learns. Therefore, we say that from this phrase, just as he learns the two testimonies of faith to become a Muslim, he must gradually learn the prayer, which is obligatory. We know from our previous hadith Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam). So, we tell him he must learn to recite al-Fatihah, because the prayer is not valid without it. And I imagine it is not just that we tell him he must learn and he learns. No, perhaps it takes him days, and perhaps it takes him months, because this varies with age, for example, between a child and an old, elderly man, and so on. Regardless of natural memory, one person has strong memory and another does not have this memory. We imagine completely that it may take him a period. We tell him, we are giving you a choice now: if it is easy for you to learn al-Fatihah from a close source, then you must learn it. If this is difficult for you, we give you four words: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu Akbar. These four words are undoubtedly easier than al-Fatihah. So, we teach him these easy, facilitated words. At the same time, we tell him: Do not forget your share of learning the opening of the Book. This is the Shari'ah solution.
The questioner : So, your words indicate that it is not necessary to memorize al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : No, no, that is not permissible.
The questioner : When you say no?
The Shaykh : Do you know how, like you, Abu Khudr?
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Like you, like one who says:
The questioner : One person ... Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : When do I teach him? If he is unable to learn al-Fatihah, what do you do? Woe to the prayeers, but no.
The student: I know a man in this neighborhood who was ordered by you. He is proficient in the Arabic language. By Allah, it was opened to him. He said to me: "How are you, an Arab?" One day we came to pray and caught up with the imam in the first rak'ah. We came in bowing, the imam said the taslim, and he stood up and came for the rak'ah. I said to him: "Why did you do this?" He said: "I did not recite al-Fatihah." I said to him: "I know that if you catch up with the imam while he is bowing, you make up the rak'ah." He said: "Let us bring the book." He read and said: "You are correct."
The questioner : For example, a man enters with the group of new Muslims in America, and all they speak is...
Another questioner: It is the word that our brother mentioned, learning through learning, if he wants to take it step by step.
The Shaykh : Never.
The questioner : I mean, the Muslims whom Allah has blessed are able to recite al-Fatihah. But a person who comes from Central America or from China, who does not know anything of the Arabic language, and wants to become a Muslim and says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," how does he recite al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : Just as we used to recite it in our lands. They learned 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 : In Arabic.
The Shaykh : It is the same way. All non-Arabs, in all their lands, recited the Qur'an as they wrote it in Arabic letters, and they recited it likewise. And among the non-Arabs are scholars of tajwid and qira'at, some of whom surpass many Arabs.
The questioner : ... a new convert in America, and he knows how to say Allahu Akbar, but he is ... regarding the people, and he means, as much as he can. As for not knowing how to recite al-Fatihah, is his prayer valid or invalid?
The Shaykh : Every question has its answer. I understood your question as a community (ummah).
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : You are now speaking as an individual.
The questioner : Yes, as an individual.
The Shaykh : Well, we are now speaking of facts that are not hidden from many people. Did a man who embraced Islam know, before he embraced Islam, what to say if he wanted to become a Muslim? The answer is no. So, if he resolves to embrace Islam, he must learn how to recite the tashahhud?
The audience: He says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah."
The Shaykh : No problem, but you are now saying it is easy, that he says it. But did he know how to say it before? No. So, knowledge is necessary. And as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
Knowledge is acquired through learning, and wisdom through being wise.
إنما العلم بالتعلم والحلم بالتحلمThere is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابThe questioner : So, your words indicate that it is not necessary to memorize al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : No, no, that is not permissible.
The questioner : When you say no?
The Shaykh : Do you know how, like you, Abu Khudr?
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Like you, like one who says:
The questioner : One person ... Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : When do I teach him? If he is unable to learn al-Fatihah, what do you do? Woe to the prayeers, but no.
The student: I know a man in this neighborhood who was ordered by you. He is proficient in the Arabic language. By Allah, it was opened to him. He said to me: "How are you, an Arab?" One day we came to pray and caught up with the imam in the first rak'ah. We came in bowing, the imam said the taslim, and he stood up and came for the rak'ah. I said to him: "Why did you do this?" He said: "I did not recite al-Fatihah." I said to him: "I know that if you catch up with the imam while he is bowing, you make up the rak'ah." He said: "Let us bring the book." He read and said: "You are correct."
The questioner : For example, a man enters with the group of new Muslims in America, and all they speak is...
Another questioner: It is the word that our brother mentioned, learning through learning, if he wants to take it step by step.