How should one act if he forgets al-Fatihah, whether he is the imam or a follower?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Your Eminence, according to those who say that al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) and that it is not excused by mistake or forgetfulness, if the imam forgets al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah, is he allowed to perform a fifth rak'ah, with the first one being invalid?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if the follower follows him in this fifth rak'ah, knowing that it is an addition, is his prayer invalid or not?
Also, if the follower forgets al-Fatihah and has not missed any part of his prayer, should he stand up and perform a fifth rak'ah?
The Shaykh : Yes, these are all valid questions. Al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) without which the prayer is not valid in every rak'ah. If the imam forgets it in the first rak'ah and does not remember until he stands up for the second rak'ah, the second becomes the first. Accordingly, if he concludes the prayer with the taslim, he must perform another rak'ah.
As for the follower, he does not follow him in this rak'ah which he knows is an addition, but he sits for the tashahhud and waits until he concludes the prayer with the taslim along with his imam.
As for the follower, if he omits it, whoever says that the follower is not required to recite al-Fatihah, then the matter is not significant. And whoever says that it is a pillar (rukn) in his case, he is like the imam, meaning if he omits it in a rak'ah, he performs a rak'ah after his imam concludes the prayer, except if he arrives while the imam is bowing or if he arrives while the imam is standing, but the imam bows before he completes it, in this case it is excused for him in the first rak'ah. Yes.
Your Eminence, according to those who say that al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) and that it is not excused by mistake or forgetfulness, if the imam forgets al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah, is he allowed to perform a fifth rak'ah, with the first one being invalid?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if the follower follows him in this fifth rak'ah, knowing that it is an addition, is his prayer invalid or not?
Also, if the follower forgets al-Fatihah and has not missed any part of his prayer, should he stand up and perform a fifth rak'ah?
The Shaykh : Yes, these are all valid questions. Al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) without which the prayer is not valid in every rak'ah. If the imam forgets it in the first rak'ah and does not remember until he stands up for the second rak'ah, the second becomes the first. Accordingly, if he concludes the prayer with the taslim, he must perform another rak'ah.
As for the follower, he does not follow him in this rak'ah which he knows is an addition, but he sits for the tashahhud and waits until he concludes the prayer with the taslim along with his imam.
As for the follower, if he omits it, whoever says that the follower is not required to recite al-Fatihah, then the matter is not significant. And whoever says that it is a pillar (rukn) in his case, he is like the imam, meaning if he omits it in a rak'ah, he performs a rak'ah after his imam concludes the prayer, except if he arrives while the imam is bowing or if he arrives while the imam is standing, but the imam bows before he completes it, in this case it is excused for him in the first rak'ah. Yes.