quietly and attentively when the Qur'aan is being recited: "So, when
the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive
mercy" [al-A'raaf 7:204]. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) warned us that any prayerin which al-Faatihah is
notrecited is invalid.
I hope that you can tell me what I should do to avoid falling into
that which goes against either of these two injunctions, ifthe imam
does not leave enough time for the people praying behind him to recite
al-Faatihah. What is the correct opinion regarding this matter?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 10995 we explained that reciting
al-Faatihah is one of the pillars or essential parts of the prayer for
the imam, the one who is praying behindan imam and the one whois
praying on his own.
Secondly:
With regard to the pause that some imams leave after reciting
al-Faatihah, it is not long enough for the one who is praying behind
the imam to recite al-Faatihah; rather it is only a brief pause that
serves to separate between the recitation of al-Faatihah and the
recitation of another soorah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The pause between the recitation of al-Faatihah and another soorah was
not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), despite the view of some of the fuqaha', that the imam should
pause so as to allow those praying behind him to recite al-Faatihah.
Rather it is a brief pause that is intended for one to catch one's
breath on the one hand, and to allow the one who is praying behindthe
imam, on the other hand, to start to recite (al-Faatihah) and he
should complete it, even ifthe imam is reciting, because it is a brief
pause, not a long one. End quote.
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 323-324
If the imam does not pause for a long time afterreciting al-Faatihah,
then the one who is praying behind him has to recite al-Faatihah, even
if that is at the same time as the imam is reciting the other soorah,
because this is what was the Prophet (blessing and peace of Allah be
upon him) instructed his companions to do in Fajr prayer.
Abu Dawood (823) narrated that 'Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: We were behind the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Fajr prayer. The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited,
and he found it difficult to recite (due to interference). When he
finished praying he said: "Perhaps you were reciting behind your
imam?" We said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "Do not do that,
apart from the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah), because there is no
prayer for the one who does not recite it."
Classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Bayhaqi,
al-Khattaabi and others. This is a clear statement that it is
obligatory for theone who is praying behindan imam to recite
al-Faatihah in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said: If the imam does not pause, the one who is
praying behind him has to recite al-Faatihah even if that is when the
imam is reciting (the other soorah), according to the more correct
scholarly view.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/221
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If it is asked: if the imam does not pause, when should the one who is
praying behind him recite al-Faatihah? The answer is: he should recite
al-Faatihah when the imam is still reciting, because the Sahaabah used
to recite al-Faatihah with the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and hesaid: "Do not do that except with the Essence ofthe
Book (al-Faatihah), because there is no prayer for the one who does
not recite it. End quote.
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 322
With regard to the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning):
"So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you
may receive mercy" [al-A'raaf 7:204], this is general in meaning,
except when one has to recite al-Faatihah, in the sense that it is
obligatory to listen attentively to the imam's recitation of Qur'aan
in prayer, except when the one who is praying behind him is reciting
al-Faatihah only. This is based on the wordsof the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "Do not do that, apart
from the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah), because there is no prayer
for the one who does not recite it." And that was in Fajr prayer,
which is a prayer in which recitation is doneout loud, as is well
known.
So the one who is praying behind the imam is enjoined to listen
attentively except when he is reciting al-Faatihah.
And Allah knows best.
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