In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

The scholars are of 3 opinions with regards to reciting Fatiha behind Imam in a prayer
that is read aloud:

First:
In a prayer that is read aloud, a person praying behind an Imam should not recite
(neither Fatiha nor any other surah) if he is listening to the Imam. This is the view held
by the majority of both earlier and later scholars; it is also the view of Abu Hanifa, Malik,
Ahmad and one of Shafi’s narrations.
Second:
It is compulsory for a person praying behind an Imam to recite Fatiha in a prayer that is
read aloud just like how he is supposed to recite it in a prayer that is read silently. This
is the view held by Shafi and Ibn Hazm from the Dhahiriyah school of thought.
Third:
It is desirable for a person praying behind an Imam to recite Fatiha. This is the view held
by a group of scholars among them al-Awzai.
What is apparent to me is that the fair opinion and nearer to what is correct is the first
opinion which is held by the majority of scholars which says the person praying behind
an Imam in a prayer read aloud does not recite Fatiha or any other surah as long as he
is listening to the Imam’s recitation. This view is indicated by the sayings of most
sahabah and conformed to by many hadiths.
Furthermore, Allah commanded that people should listen when Imam is reciting in
Prayer when he said:

“So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive Mercy.
[i.e. during the compulsory congregational prayers when the Imâm (of a mosque) is
leading the prayer, and also when He is delivering the Friday-prayer Khutbah]. [Tafsir
At-Tabari, Vol.9, Pages 162-4]” [al-A’raf 7:204]

The evidence in this verse which necessitates listening to the Imam’s recitation is
supported by a hadith narrated by Muslim on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ashari (may
Allah be pleased with him) who said:
“Verily the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) addressed us and explained to us all
its aspects and taught us how to observe prayer (properly). He (the Holy Prophet) said:
When you pray make your rows straight and let anyone amongst you act as your Imam.
Recite the takbir when he recites it and when he recites.” This is an excerpt from a long
hadith. Other narrators added the wording (When he recites, keep silent).
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasai and Ibn Majah narrated a similar hadith on the authority of
Abu Huraira who said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: 'The Imam is appointed to be followed,
so when he says the takbir, say the takbir, and when he recites, be silent.”
Muslim was asked regarding this hadith which was reported by Abu Huraira and he
replied: to me it is authentic.
What also indicates that a person praying behind an Imam in a prayer which is read
aloud is prohibited from reciting is a hadith narrated by As-hab Sunan and others on the
authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that:
“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished a prayer in
which he had recited aloud and asked "Did any of you recite with me just now?" One
man said, "Yes, I did, Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said, "I was saying to myself, 'Why am I distracted from the
Qur'an?' “When the people heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, say that, they refrained from reciting with the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he recited aloud.”
Many scholars spoke about this hadith regarding Akima who narrates from Abu Huraira,
but this is not an issue because Yahya Ibn Saeed said that Akima is reliable and reliable
narrators are many. This hadith was also contested by scholars like Bukhari, Al-Dhahli,
Abu Dawud and others saying: “his wording: they refrained...” was inserted by Zuhri”
The reply to this is that; that does not take away the hadith from being considered as
proof whether the wording was inserted by Abu Huraira or Zuhri.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmu’ al-Fatawa (23/274):
“If this was from Zuhri then it is proof enough that the sahabah did not recite in a loud
prayer when they prayed behind The Prophet (peace be on him), this is because Zuhri
was the most knowledgeable on sunnah during his time. If recitation of sahaba behind
The Prophet (peace be on him) was permissible, obligatory or desirable, the generality
of sahabah would not know because it is part of general rules which are not known by
the generality of companions, tabi’een. So Zuhri was the most knowledgeable among
them, if they had not clarified it then he would have deduced that they did not do it. But
in this case Zuhri is certain that the sahabah did not recite behind The Prophet (peace
be on him) when they prayed behind him in a prayer that is read aloud.”
What is used to deduce that it is not obligatory for a person praying behind an Imam to
recite in a prayer read aloud is the famous hadith:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: ‘Whoever has an Imam, the recitation
of the Imam is his recitation.”
This hadith was narrated by a group of Imams in many narrations on the authority of a
group of sahabah, like the hadith reported by Jabir despite being graded as weak and
much criticism it faced. Nevertheless, shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmu’ al-
Fatawa (18/271-272):
“this hadith was narrated as Mursal and Musnad but many reliable Imams narrated it as
Mursal from Abdullah Ibn Shadad from The Prophet (peace be on him). Some narrators
related it to The Prophet (peace be on him) and Ibn Majah narrated it as Musnad. The
majority of scholars from the sahaba and tabi’een said this Mursal contradicts the literal
meaning of Quran and Sunnah.
The four Imams and others are of the opinion that this Mursal can be used as proof.
The person who comprehensively dealt with this hadith and its chain of narrations is al-
Dar Qutni (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book called Ilal. What we explained
earlier clarifies that the hadith that was narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and others on the
authority of Ubada Ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that The
Prophet (peace be on him) said: - “Whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his
prayer is invalid.” – is not general but rather specific to other texts like what Muslim
narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that
The Prophet (peace be on him) said: - “Whoever performs a prayer in which he does not
recite Ummul Qur’an (the Mother of the Qur’an, i.e., Al- Fatihah), it is deficient; not
complete.”
All these and similar hadith refer to the person who is not praying in a congregational
prayer. What proves that the hadiths are not general is what Imam Ahmad (may Allah
have mercy on him) mentioned: “we haven’t heard any Muslim saying: if an Imam
recites loud it will not suffice for the ones praying behind him if they do not recite it.
As for the hadith reported by Ubada Ibn al-Samit that:
“Allah's Messenger prayed the Subh prayer, and he had difficulty with the recitation.
When turned (after finishing) he said: 'I think that you are reciting behind your Imam?'"
He said: "We said: 'Yes, Messenger of Allah, by Allah!' He said: 'Do not do that, except
for Umm Al-Kitab, for there is no Salat for one who does not recite it.” [narrated by
Ahmad and As-hab al-Sunan except Ibn Majah]
In its chain of narrators is Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, Imam Ahamd said no one relates it to
The Prophet (peace be on him) except Muhammad Ibn Ishaq. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah said in Majmu’ alfatawa (23/286): “This hadith is defective according to the
Imams of Hadith in terms of many factors, Ahmad and other Imams graded it as weak.”
After mentioning people who graded it as authentic and sound he said (23/315): “in this
hadith The Prophet (peace be on him) did not know if there were people reciting
something behind him or not. It is well known that if recitation was obligatory upon the
person praying behind an Imam, he (The prophet) would have instructed them to do that
as it is not permissible to delay clarification / speech when it is needed. If he had
clarified that for them they will all have done it, not just one or two of them, and there
wasn’t going to be any need for questioning. So this is a proof that he did not make it
compulsory for them to recite behind him in a prayer that is read aloud. And also if he
had known that they were reciting he would have prohibited them to recite anything
other than Fatiha. The difficulty mentioned occurs when they are reciting at the same
time with him during a prayer read aloud whether it is Faatiha or another surah. The
reason includes both cases, what causes distraction or difficulty is prohibited.
What is apparent to me is that it is not permissible for a person praying behind an Imam
to recite in a prayer read aloud when the Imam is reciting according to evidence earlier
mentioned and the meaning derived from the hadith of Ubadah Ibn al-Samit that
denotes prohibition. But if a person praying behind an Imaam can be able to recite in
between the Imam’s pauses, then this is what is required, if this is not possible then
there is no problem if he does not recite basing on the prohibition instructed by The
Prophet (peace be on him) when he said:
“Avoid that which I forbid you to do and do that which I command you to do to the best
of your capacity.” [Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and others on the authority of Abu
Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)]
And Allah knows best.

Your brother,
Dr. Khalid al-Muslih
07 / 09 / 1424 AH

Praise be to Allah.

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 behind an imam and the one who is 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 behind the imam, on the other hand, to start to
recite (al-Faatihah) and he should complete it, even if the 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 after reciting 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 the one who is praying behind an 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 he said: “Do not do that except with the Essence of the 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 words of 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 done out 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.