Is it obligatory for the ma'mum to recite al-Fatihah behind the imam, or not? And what is the authenticity of the hadith: "Whoever has an imam, the recitation of the imam is his recitation"?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, is it obligatory for the ma'mum to recite al-Fatihah behind the imam? And what is the authenticity of the hadith ?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. This is a matter in which the scholars have differed, with multiple opinions. We will mention the main points of these opinions, which are:
That there is no recitation required of the ma'mum at all, neither in the silent prayers nor in the loud prayers, based on this hadith you referred to:Sunan ad-Daraqutni 3:309
The second opinion is that it is obligatory in all cases, in both the silent and the loud prayers, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam) and because
The third opinion is a middle ground between the two, stating: If the prayer is a loud prayer, the recitation of the imam is the recitation for those behind him. For this reason, they say "Ameen" in response to his recitation of al-Fatihah when he completes it, saying "Ameen" with him. This indicates that his recitation is their recitation. However, if the prayer is a silent prayer, the ma'mum must recite al-Fatihah. What appears to me is that reciting al-Fatihah is obligatory in both the silent and the loud prayers, except in one case: if a person enters the prayer and the imam has already bowed, then reciting al-Fatihah is dropped from him in that rak'ah. Likewise, if he enters before the bowing but is unable to complete al-Fatihah before the imam bows, he should bow and it is dropped from him in this case. Yes.
The imam's recitation is a recitation for those behind him.
قراءة الإمام قراءة لمن خلفهThe Shaykh : Yes, yes. This is a matter in which the scholars have differed, with multiple opinions. We will mention the main points of these opinions, which are:
That there is no recitation required of the ma'mum at all, neither in the silent prayers nor in the loud prayers, based on this hadith you referred to:
Whoever has an imam, the recitation of the imam is his recitation
من كان له إمام فقراءة الإمام له قراءةThe second opinion is that it is obligatory in all cases, in both the silent and the loud prayers, due to the generality of 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 الكتابThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from the Fajr prayer one day and said: "Perhaps you are reciting behind your imam?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Do not do so, except for the Mother of the Qur'an, for there is no prayer for one who does not recite it."
النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم انفتل ذات يوم من صلاة الصبح فقال : لعلكم تقرأون خلف إمامكم ؟ قالوا : نعم قال : لا تفعلوا إلا بأم القرآن فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بهاThe third opinion is a middle ground between the two, stating: If the prayer is a loud prayer, the recitation of the imam is the recitation for those behind him. For this reason, they say "Ameen" in response to his recitation of al-Fatihah when he completes it, saying "Ameen" with him. This indicates that his recitation is their recitation. However, if the prayer is a silent prayer, the ma'mum must recite al-Fatihah. What appears to me is that reciting al-Fatihah is obligatory in both the silent and the loud prayers, except in one case: if a person enters the prayer and the imam has already bowed, then reciting al-Fatihah is dropped from him in that rak'ah. Likewise, if he enters before the bowing but is unable to complete al-Fatihah before the imam bows, he should bow and it is dropped from him in this case. Yes.