What is the ruling on reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam?

Question:
This questioner, Tahir Adam from Ghana—in West Africa—actually sent a set of questions, and he is a listener of this program. He says: Your Eminence! The scholars in our country differ regarding the ruling on reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam. Some of them say that it is permissible, and they cite the saying of the noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): which is: the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book. And some of them say that it is not permissible, and they cite the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-A'raf: 204]. What is the most correct of the evidence in this matter?

Answer:
There is scholarly disagreement on this issue. Some scholars say that the imam's recitation serves as the recitation for the ma'mum, and that is sufficient; he is not obligated to recite, neither al-Fatihah nor anything else, and the imam's recitation is sufficient for him.
The second opinion is that al-Fatihah is obligatory, and this is the correct view; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): We said: Yes. He said: Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated that the ma'mum recites al-Fatihah, then listens. In prayers recited quietly, he recites it, along with whatever else is easy for him to recite with it. In prayers recited aloud, he recites it, then listens. This is the correct opinion.