What is the ruling on the prayer of many people who leave out the recitation of al-Fatihah, and what is the difference between a pillar and an obligatory act in prayer when the worshiper leaves it out, whether by mistake or intentionally?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on the prayer of many people who leave out the recitation of al-Fatihah? And what is the difference, O honorable Shaykh, between a pillar and an obligatory act in prayer when the worshiper leaves it out, whether by mistake or intentionally?
The Shaykh : He says: Many people leave out the recitation of al-Fatihah, and I do not know the truth of this claim, because it is well known among people that it is necessary to recite al-Fatihah. Reciting al-Fatihah is a pillar of the prayer, and the prayer is not valid without it. So if one leaves out the recitation of al-Fatihah in any rak'ah of the prayers, his prayer is invalid. That is to say, if he leaves out the recitation of al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah and completes the prayer, his prayer is invalid and not accepted, because it is necessary to recite al-Fatihah in every rak'ah.
And if he leaves it out by mistake, then if he remembers before standing up for the second rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return to the first rak'ah and recite al-Fatihah, then continue. That is to say, he continues in his prayer. And if he remembers al-Fatihah after he has stood up for the second rak'ah, the second rak'ah becomes the first, and the first rak'ah is void because he did not recite al-Fatihah in it.
As for the difference between a pillar and an obligatory act in prayer, they share in that if one leaves them out intentionally, his prayer is invalid. So if a person intentionally leaves out the first tashahhud, his prayer is invalid, just as if he intentionally leaves out the last tashahhud, even though leaving out the last tashahhud is a pillar and the first tashahhud is an obligatory act.
As for if he leaves it out by mistake, the obligatory act is dropped by the mistake, but he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness. An example of this is: if he stands up from the first tashahhud to the third rak'ah and did not sit for the first tashahhud, let him continue in his prayer and prostrate two times before he says the taslim. And these two prostrations suffice for the obligatory act that he left out.
As for the pillar, it is not dropped by mistake. If he forgets it, he must perform it and what comes after it, because it is a pillar without which the structure does not stand, like the pillars of a house. This is the difference. So if it is assumed that a man left out the second prostration and then stood up, and he remembered after standing up that he left out the second prostration, we say: return, sit between the two prostrations, prostrate the second prostration, then complete the prayer, say the taslim, then prostrate two times after the taslim.
And if it is assumed that he left out the second prostration and did not remember until he reached it from the second rak'ah, then the first rak'ah is void and the second becomes a substitute for it, and he completes the prayer with it and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim.
The Shaykh : He says: Many people leave out the recitation of al-Fatihah, and I do not know the truth of this claim, because it is well known among people that it is necessary to recite al-Fatihah. Reciting al-Fatihah is a pillar of the prayer, and the prayer is not valid without it. So if one leaves out the recitation of al-Fatihah in any rak'ah of the prayers, his prayer is invalid. That is to say, if he leaves out the recitation of al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah and completes the prayer, his prayer is invalid and not accepted, because it is necessary to recite al-Fatihah in every rak'ah.
And if he leaves it out by mistake, then if he remembers before standing up for the second rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return to the first rak'ah and recite al-Fatihah, then continue. That is to say, he continues in his prayer. And if he remembers al-Fatihah after he has stood up for the second rak'ah, the second rak'ah becomes the first, and the first rak'ah is void because he did not recite al-Fatihah in it.
As for the difference between a pillar and an obligatory act in prayer, they share in that if one leaves them out intentionally, his prayer is invalid. So if a person intentionally leaves out the first tashahhud, his prayer is invalid, just as if he intentionally leaves out the last tashahhud, even though leaving out the last tashahhud is a pillar and the first tashahhud is an obligatory act.
As for if he leaves it out by mistake, the obligatory act is dropped by the mistake, but he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness. An example of this is: if he stands up from the first tashahhud to the third rak'ah and did not sit for the first tashahhud, let him continue in his prayer and prostrate two times before he says the taslim. And these two prostrations suffice for the obligatory act that he left out.
As for the pillar, it is not dropped by mistake. If he forgets it, he must perform it and what comes after it, because it is a pillar without which the structure does not stand, like the pillars of a house. This is the difference. So if it is assumed that a man left out the second prostration and then stood up, and he remembered after standing up that he left out the second prostration, we say: return, sit between the two prostrations, prostrate the second prostration, then complete the prayer, say the taslim, then prostrate two times after the taslim.
And if it is assumed that he left out the second prostration and did not remember until he reached it from the second rak'ah, then the first rak'ah is void and the second becomes a substitute for it, and he completes the prayer with it and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim.