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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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The follower reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam when there is no pause

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Q: While the imam is finishing his recitation of al-Fatihah in the loud prayers and tarawih, he proceeds to recite the Qur'an without me being able to recite al-Fatihah, because there is no pause sufficient for recitation. I know that I have read the hadith:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam)
and the hadith:
The imam's recitation is a recitation for those behind him.قراءة الإمام قراءة لمن خلفه
How do you reconcile between them?

A: The scholars have differed on the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah for the follower, and the stronger view is that it is obligatory, due to the generality of the statement 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 الكتاب
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam)
agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And his statement (peace and blessings be upon him):
Perhaps you recite behind your imam?لعلكم تقرءون خلف إمامكم؟
Sunan Abi Dawud 823Da'if (Al-Albani)
They said: Yes. He said:
Do not do so except when it is Fatihat al-Kitab, for he who does not recite it is not credited with having prayed.لا تفعلوا إلا بفاتحة الكتاب، فإنه لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بها
Sunan Abi Dawud 823Da'if (Al-Albani)
It was narrated by Abu Dawud and others with a good chain. So if the imam does not pause in the loud prayer, the follower recites it, even while his imam is reciting, then he listens, acting in accordance with the two hadiths mentioned. If the follower forgets that or is unaware of its obligation, it is excused from him, like the one who comes while the imam is bowing; he bows with the imam and his rak'ah is sufficient, according to the more correct of the two opinions of the scholars; and this is the opinion of the majority of the scholars, due to the hadith of Abu Bakrah al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) that he came to the mosque while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was bowing, so he bowed before the row, then entered the row. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him after the salam from the prayer:
May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not do it again.زادك الله حرصًا ولا تعد
Sunan Abi Dawud 683Sahih (Al-Albani)
and he did not order him to make up the rak'ah. Al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih.
As for the hadith:
The imam's recitation is a recitation for those behind him.قراءة الإمام قراءة لمن خلفه
it is a weak hadith that does not serve as proof, as some of the scholars of hadith have pointed out. Even if it were authentic, it would be a general text specified by the recitation of al-Fatihah. And success is from Allah.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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