Is it permissible for the imam in the loud prayer to pause for a long time after reciting al-Fatihah?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : Is it permissible for the imam in the loud prayer to pause for a long time so that the ma'mum can recite al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : Yes, the pause between reciting al-Fatihah and reciting the surah is mentioned in the hadith of Samurah ibn Jundub, narrated by al-Hasan from him. The scholars differ regarding a chain of this type, but the author of al-Fath mentioned that the pause is established. However, this pause is not as some jurists said, that it is a pause lasting as long as the ma'mum's recitation of al-Fatihah. Rather, it is a light pause for the imam to catch his breath, to distinguish between the recitation of the obligatory and the recitation of the voluntary, and so that the ma'mum can begin reciting and continue. If the ma'mum started reciting the surah as soon as he finished al-Fatihah, he might not recite al-Fatihah. So, by pausing, he is given a respite to start al-Fatihah, continue, and complete it. This is the stronger position, meaning that the pause is a gentle one, not a long one, such that the imam can catch his breath, the difference between the obligatory recitation and the voluntary recitation is distinguished, and the ma'mum can begin reciting al-Fatihah to continue and complete it.
The Shaykh : Yes, the pause between reciting al-Fatihah and reciting the surah is mentioned in the hadith of Samurah ibn Jundub, narrated by al-Hasan from him. The scholars differ regarding a chain of this type, but the author of al-Fath mentioned that the pause is established. However, this pause is not as some jurists said, that it is a pause lasting as long as the ma'mum's recitation of al-Fatihah. Rather, it is a light pause for the imam to catch his breath, to distinguish between the recitation of the obligatory and the recitation of the voluntary, and so that the ma'mum can begin reciting and continue. If the ma'mum started reciting the surah as soon as he finished al-Fatihah, he might not recite al-Fatihah. So, by pausing, he is given a respite to start al-Fatihah, continue, and complete it. This is the stronger position, meaning that the pause is a gentle one, not a long one, such that the imam can catch his breath, the difference between the obligatory recitation and the voluntary recitation is distinguished, and the ma'mum can begin reciting al-Fatihah to continue and complete it.