Is it obligatory for the imam to apply the Sunnah by leaving out the long pause after al-Fatihah? Or should he pause if the people have become accustomed to it?

The questioner : Sometimes the ma'mum (those praying behind the imam) stand up against the imam if he continues reading after al-Fatihah, as they insist on reciting al-Fatihah. What is your opinion, our Shaykh, if all the ma'mum know that the imam is reciting al-Fatihah after them? Should he give them room, or should he follow the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that he should apply the Sunnah and not let anyone blame him for the sake of Allah. Otherwise, how can the Sunnah be spread if one follows people in their customs, traditions, and schools of thought? But the truth, and the truth must be said, is that the one who wants to spread the Sunnah should prepare the ground for it and not surprise people with it. That is, the one who wants to abolish this custom, which exists among most imams in this country—pausing after finishing the recitation of al-Fatihah in the loud prayers—is not doing something easy. He must take it in stages and follow up with reminding them of the correct Sunnah in this matter. He must remind them that this long pause which some imams observe has no basis in the correct Sunnah. He must continue reminding them of this issue; then, perhaps, his application of this Sunnah will be accepted in the hearts of the people. But to practically surprise them by not pausing, when he has not preceded his turning away from this pause with even one reminder, is very difficult and may cause some commotion and unrest in some minds. Therefore, it is necessary to combine calling to the Sunnah with applying it, for one does not suffice without the other. It is not sufficient to call for the Sunnah of leaving the pause after finishing al-Fatihah while you yourself pause, for in that case, the saying of Allah the Exalted applies: to the end of the verse. Likewise, it is not permissible to pause in application of the Sunnah while not calling to it through admonition, wisdom, and good exhortation. So he must combine two things. It is good to draw the attention of these imams to the fact that they are applying this pause incorrectly, which they claim is from the Sunnah and is obligatory to enable the worshippers to perform the pillar of al-Fatihah. He must draw their attention to things in which they are falling into contradiction, the most important of which is: very few, as we have experienced from these imams, pause for a duration that enables the follower to read al-Fatihah in its entirety. Some pause in such a way that the follower reaches only half of al-Fatihah in his recitation before the imam is bowing. So what is the benefit of the pause? Half of al-Fatihah is not al-Fatihah, so he did not pause in a way that enables the follower to read al-Fatihah. Then, he must draw their attention to the fact that no one says this pause is an obligation, not even the strict Shafi'is, because in their school, if the imam begins to read what comes after al-Fatihah aloud, the follower must read al-Fatihah silently. So it is not obligatory for the imam to pause this pause. And we cannot impose on every worshipper what we believe to be the truth and correctness. That is, we cannot say to every worshipper, "Do not read al-Fatihah while the imam is reading the Qur'an aloud," because this statement faces strong resistance from those who follow scholars without knowing their evidence. This requires lectures, debates, and discussions. Therefore, we are certain that there are followers who must read al-Fatihah. So we do not say to them, "Do not read al-Fatihah," except after clarification and establishing the proof, and the like. Just as we, the imams of the mosques whom Allah the Exalted has guided to follow the correct Sunnah, it is not from the Sunnah for us to impose our opinions on the followers, but rather to remind them; so whoever remembers, good. It is even more so that these followers should not impose their opinions on the imams and make the imam a follower and the follower an imam. This is a reversal of the reality of leading and following these imams. If such words were said to such people, it would also help to calm them and extinguish their heat and enthusiasm when they insist on the imam to pause. You would say to him, "My brother, if you are, for example, confident in it and your reading of al-Fatihah is obligatory, then you read, and I am reading, and it is not obligatory for me, not even according to the Shafi'is, to pause. So let me do what I see as correct, just as I let you read al-Fatihah as is your school of thought." And thus is the clarification that removes the difficulty.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Amen, and you too.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : Yes, otherwise.