Is it permissible for the follower to recite al-Fatihah even if the imam has started reciting and has not left him an opportunity to recite?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
If the imam recites al-Fatihah and finishes reciting al-Fatihah, it is customary for him to pause briefly. Does the follower recite al-Fatihah even if the imam has started the surah that follows it?
The Shaykh : When the imam recites al-Fatihah, he pauses briefly. However, some scholars said: he should pause until the follower completes al-Fatihah. Others said: he should pause briefly and then recite. The second opinion is the correct one, meaning: he does not pause for a long time, but rather he recites. He pauses briefly, and if the follower begins al-Fatihah, he continues with it and completes it, even if the imam is reciting. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam), and on the occasion when he left one day after the Fajr prayer and said to his companions:
قال: لا تفعلوا إلا بأم القرآن فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بها.
If the imam recites al-Fatihah and finishes reciting al-Fatihah, it is customary for him to pause briefly. Does the follower recite al-Fatihah even if the imam has started the surah that follows it?
The Shaykh : When the imam recites al-Fatihah, he pauses briefly. However, some scholars said: he should pause until the follower completes al-Fatihah. Others said: he should pause briefly and then recite. The second opinion is the correct one, meaning: he does not pause for a long time, but rather he recites. He pauses briefly, and if the follower begins al-Fatihah, he continues with it and completes it, even if the imam is reciting. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابPerhaps you are reciting behind your imam? They said: Yes. He said: Do not do so except with the Mother of the Quran, for there is no prayer for one who does not recite it.
لعلكم تقرءون خلف إمامكم؟ قالوا: نعم.قال: لا تفعلوا إلا بأم القرآن فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بها