Is the hadith (Whoever has an imam, the imam's recitation is his recitation) authentic?

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : I read the hadith: How authentic is this hadith?

The Shaykh : Yes, this hadith, may Allah bless you, in our critique first and in the expression of the hadith scholars second, is authentic through other means. What does "authentic through other means" mean? It means it does not have a sound chain in itself, but it has many chains. These many chains gave the hadith strength.
And a bit of detail: the hadith is narrated with a sound chain from Abdullah ibn Shaddad, a Tabi'i, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is a sound mursal, meaning the Companion was not mentioned. But in some narrations, some of them mentioned from Abdullah ibn Shaddad from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, but this group has weakness in it. So it came connected with a weak chain, and it came mursal with a sound chain. Then other paths came for it, also connected, and although there is weakness in them, this group of weak connected chains gives strength to the mursal chain, so the hadith becomes authentic through other means, meaning authentic by the sum of its paths. Therefore, the hadith is among the evidences that drop the obligation of the follower reciting behind the imam in the loud prayers, because the imam's recitation is his recitation. Then the jurisprudential and scholarly derivation helps to correct the meaning of this hadith, because he says: It is known by experience that the listener to the Qur'an is able to reflect on it and benefit from its recitation more than the one who recites it for himself. This is known by experience. And the hadith of al-Bukhari indicates this, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: He said: I will recite the Qur'an to you, and it was revealed to you. He said: Why? Because a person devotes himself to listening and reflection more than if he took charge of the recitation himself, because the least that can be said is that he must pay attention to performing the verse first in the correct manner according to the principles of lawful recitation, and that he does not miss a verse or make a mistake in its recitation, while this listener is relieved from this aspect, and directs all his effort to reflecting on what he hears of the recitation. So if the imam recites loudly, and you listen, his recitation is your recitation, rather it is better than your recitation for yourself. Do you see how?
So this hadith: although, as we said, its strength came from the sum of its chains, but the hadith: takes some of this meaning and strengthens it. Therefore, it is evidence that the one who listens to the recitation of the Qur'an has the al-Fatihah dropped from him, because the imam's recitation is his recitation.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : Welcome.