Does the follower recite al-Fatihah with the imam or after him? And is the pause between al-Fatihah and the surah established?

The questioner : Your Eminence, regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah by the follower in prayer, is it done while the imam is reciting his al-Fatihah, or when he begins the surah? And is there a report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he paused between reciting al-Fatihah and the surah?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is better for the follower to recite al-Fatihah after the imam has finished reciting it, so that he listens to the obligatory recitation, which is a pillar of the prayer. If he recites al-Fatihah while the imam is reciting al-Fatihah, he does not listen to the pillar; his listening would then be to what follows al-Fatihah, which is voluntary. Therefore, it is better to listen to the recitation of al-Fatihah, because listening to the pillar is more important than listening to the recommended practice. This is from one perspective. From another perspective: if the imam says: and you do not follow him, you are not listening to him, so you will not say: and in that case, you are no longer in the congregation. So this is the better course. As for the pause between reciting al-Fatihah and reciting the surah, it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), according to the view of some jurists that the imam pauses long enough for the follower to recite al-Fatihah. Rather, it is a brief pause, a brief pause to catch one's breath on one hand, and to give the follower the opportunity on the other hand to begin reciting and complete it, even if the imam is reciting. It is a brief pause, not a long one. Yes.