Reciting Surat al-Fatihah in the Prayer
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The Opening Invocation of the Prayer
Question: I am a man who prays and fasts, praise be to Allah, and when I face the qiblah,I say: I say: "I direct my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, in pure submission. Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds." Is saying this from the Sunnah or not?
Answer: This dhikr is not said when you face the qiblah; rather, it is recommended (mustahabb) to say it after the takbir of ihram. This is because it is part of the opening invocations (istiftah) reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He would sometimes, after saying the takbir of ihram, say as an opening:Mishkat al-Masabih 813 . This is among the opening invocations with which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would open his prayer after the takbir of ihram. So the place for this is after the takbir of ihram, not when facing the qiblah, and not before the takbir of ihram.
[Loud Recitation of the Basmalah in the Loud Prayers]
Question: What is the ruling on mentioning the Basmalah aloud in the loud prayers?
Answer: Reciting the Basmalah aloud in the loud prayers: if one does it sometimes, there is nothing wrong with it. However, making it a constant habit is not appropriate (not recommended). This is because what is established from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Sunnah of his Rightly Guided Successors is that they did not recite "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim" aloud. They would recite al-Fatihah aloud in the loud prayers, and they would recite the surah after al-Fatihah aloud. As for "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim," there is no report that they used to recite it aloud. Therefore, it is not appropriate to make it a constant habit to recite it aloud. If one does it sometimes, there is nothing wrong with it.
Reciting Surat al-Fatihah in the Prayer
Question: Is it obligatory for the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) in the loud prayers to recite al-Fatihah, and when should he recite it? And what is the authenticity of this hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he heard some of the ma'mum behind him reciting,When he finished the prayer, he said to them in a reproachful tone:Sunan Ibn Majah 848Sahih (Darussalam) ،Then he said: , or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said. If this is authentic, does it mean reciting al-Fatihah? Or what? And how do we reconcile this with his statement in another hadith: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam) .
Answer: The scholars have differed on the ruling regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah for the ma'mum. Some of them hold that it is obligatory (wajib) and that it is not permissible to leave it out, and that the ma'mum must recite al-Fatihah behind the imam in all cases.
And some of them hold that the imam bears the responsibility of reciting al-Fatihah, but it is recommended (mustahabb) for the ma'mum to recite it during the imam's pauses and in the quiet prayers.
And some of them made the recitation of al-Fatihah obligatory for the ma'mum in the quiet prayers but not in the loud prayers;because of His saying, the Exalted: [Al-A'raf: 204] .
And this opinion, in my view, is the strongest of the opinions; because with it the evidence is reconciled. The hadiths that obligate recitation for the ma'mum are applied to the quiet prayers, and the evidence that drops the recitation of al-Fatihah for the ma'mum is applied to the loud prayers,because of His saying, the Exalted: [Al-A'raf: 204] ,And by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan ad-Daraqutni 3:313 .
In any case: So what the ma'mum should do is that if he is able to recite al-Fatihah during his imam's pauses, he should recite it.
As for if he is not able to, and the imam is reciting and raising his voice, then he should listen to him. Because if he recited while the imam is reciting, it would cause confusion, and he would recite in a way that he does not understand, and it would result in great hardship.
As for the grade of the hadith:Sunan Ibn Majah 848Sahih (Darussalam) , and it was narrated by Ahmad and the people of the Sunan, and al-Tirmidhi graded it as good (hasan), and Abu Hatim graded it as authentic (sahih).
As for the wording: , and this wording was not reported in this hadith,And it was reported in another hadith: Sunan Abi Dawud 517Sahih (Al-Albani) .
Question: I am a man who prays and fasts, praise be to Allah, and when I face the qiblah,I say: I say: "I direct my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, in pure submission. Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds." Is saying this from the Sunnah or not?
Answer: This dhikr is not said when you face the qiblah; rather, it is recommended (mustahabb) to say it after the takbir of ihram. This is because it is part of the opening invocations (istiftah) reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He would sometimes, after saying the takbir of ihram, say as an opening:
I have turned my face as a hanif * towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist. My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to God the Lord of the universe, who has no partner.
وجهت وجهي للذي فطر السماوات والأرض حنيفًا وما أنا من المشركين، إن صلاتي ونسكي ومحياي ومماتي لله رب العالمين لا شريك له وأنا أول المسلمين[Loud Recitation of the Basmalah in the Loud Prayers]
Question: What is the ruling on mentioning the Basmalah aloud in the loud prayers?
Answer: Reciting the Basmalah aloud in the loud prayers: if one does it sometimes, there is nothing wrong with it. However, making it a constant habit is not appropriate (not recommended). This is because what is established from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Sunnah of his Rightly Guided Successors is that they did not recite "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim" aloud. They would recite al-Fatihah aloud in the loud prayers, and they would recite the surah after al-Fatihah aloud. As for "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim," there is no report that they used to recite it aloud. Therefore, it is not appropriate to make it a constant habit to recite it aloud. If one does it sometimes, there is nothing wrong with it.
Reciting Surat al-Fatihah in the Prayer
Question: Is it obligatory for the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) in the loud prayers to recite al-Fatihah, and when should he recite it? And what is the authenticity of this hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he heard some of the ma'mum behind him reciting,When he finished the prayer, he said to them in a reproachful tone:
what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me?
ما لي أنازع القرآنYour imam is responsible for your prayer.
إمامكم ضمين على صلاتكمThere is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابAnswer: The scholars have differed on the ruling regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah for the ma'mum. Some of them hold that it is obligatory (wajib) and that it is not permissible to leave it out, and that the ma'mum must recite al-Fatihah behind the imam in all cases.
And some of them hold that the imam bears the responsibility of reciting al-Fatihah, but it is recommended (mustahabb) for the ma'mum to recite it during the imam's pauses and in the quiet prayers.
And some of them made the recitation of al-Fatihah obligatory for the ma'mum in the quiet prayers but not in the loud prayers;because of His saying, the Exalted:
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 opinion, in my view, is the strongest of the opinions; because with it the evidence is reconciled. The hadiths that obligate recitation for the ma'mum are applied to the quiet prayers, and the evidence that drops the recitation of al-Fatihah for the ma'mum is applied to the loud prayers,because of His saying, the Exalted:
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 تُرْحَمُونَWhoever has an imam, then his recitation is for him
من كان له إمام فقراءته له قراءةIn any case: So what the ma'mum should do is that if he is able to recite al-Fatihah during his imam's pauses, he should recite it.
As for if he is not able to, and the imam is reciting and raising his voice, then he should listen to him. Because if he recited while the imam is reciting, it would cause confusion, and he would recite in a way that he does not understand, and it would result in great hardship.
As for the grade of the hadith:
what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me?
ما لي أنازع القرآنAs for the wording: