Reciting Surah Fatiha behind Imam, Other Profile

[Mohammad Rafoqie]

Reciting Surah Fatiha behind Imam, Other Profile

By Mohammad Rafique Etesame
Reciting Surah Fatiha behind Imam is a burning issue among the two Muslim Schools of thought i.e. Ahl-e-Hadeeth (Followers of not any Imam in Ilamic Jurisprudence) and Ahnaf. (Followers of Imam Abu Hanifa). Ahl-e-Hadeeth claim that reciting Surah Fatiha behind Imam is obligatory and no Salat will be established without it. They argue from a Hadith that the holy Prophet (PBUH) said,” there is no Salat without reciting Surah Fatiha”. While Ahnaf say that reciting Surah Fatiha is necessary (wajib) for one who is offering prayer alone or is necessary for Imam. Because the holy Prophet (PBUH) said,” one who offers his prayer following any Imam, so the recitation of Imam is sufficient for him. (1) In this article this issue has been discussed according to Ahnaf’s point of view so that it also may be clear.

Authentic argument of Ahnaf about not to recite Surah Fatiha behind Imam is the verse of the holy Qur’an that, “And when the Qur’an is recited, give ear to it and pay heed, that ye may obtain mercy”(Al- A’raf: 204). And Surah Fatiha is part of the holy Qur’an unanimously. So Allah Almighty Orders to the believers to keep silence and listen the holy Qur’an when it recited. So it is the clear proof about not to reciting Surah fatiha behind Imam.

While Alhe Hadeeth say that these verses reveal about Jum’a prayer that when Imam delivers “khutba”, then the believers must keep silence and listen it attentively. Ahnaf reply that the Jum’a prayer was obliged in Madina while these verses revealed in Mecca, where Jum’a prayer had not been obliged at that time . So it is erroneous to say that these verses revealed about “Khutba-e-Juma”.
As regards the Hadeeth about reciting Sura Fatiha behind Imam presented by Ahle Hadeeth, so Ahnaf Say that this Hadith is not mentioned completely and there exists a word “ Fasaedan” that is a part of this hadeeth and it means “something more”. So the complete Hadeeth is as,”Thre is no prayer but by reciting Surah fatiha and something more” (2) It means reciting something more from the holy Qur’an besides Surah Fatiha. Thre is another Hadeeth Narrated by a companion of the holy Prophet (PBUH) that the holy Prophet (PBUH) taught us how to offer prayer? So he said “ when you intend to offer prayer, then stand straight and say Takbeer, then recite “sana”, then recite Surah Fatiha then recite something from the holy Qur’an. (As-saheeh-ul-Bukhari volum: 1)

This Hadeeth reveals that when the holy Qur’an will be recited from anywhere in Salat, may it be Surah Fatiha or any surah besides it, then the Slat will be completed surely. The question is: if a believer offers Slat and he recites in it half part of the holy Qur’an besides surah Fatiha, whether his salat will be completed or not?

Here is another hadith about not to recite Surah Fatiha behin Imam(3), Narrated Hazrt abu Musa Al-Ash’ari from the messenger of Allah that the holy Prophet (PBUH) delivered a “Khutba” and mentioned in it Sunnat of prayer and taught us how to offer prayer, so he said,” when you intended to offer prayer, so straighten your rows, and someone should be your Imam, when he say “Takbeer”, you also say the same, and when he recites ( Qir’at from the holy Qur’an), then you keep silence” (As-Sahihul-Muslim). This hadith is a clear proof for one who offers his salt following a Imam to keep silence. There is another hadith like this narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurarah R.A. (4). Also there are many other Ahadith like this can be mentioned here.


(۱)من کان لہ امام فقرا ء ۃ الامام لہ قراء ۃ (سسن ابن ماجۃ، و اخرجہ محمد فی الموء طا)
(۲)انّ رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم قال لا صلوۃ الا بفاتحۃ الکتاب فصاعداً (کما فی صحیح المسلم ج۱)
(۳)عن ابی موسی الا شعری انّ رسول اللہ ﷺ خطبنا فبین لنا سنّتنا و علّمنا صلوٰتنا فقال اذا صلیتم فاقیموا صفوفکم ثم لیؤمکم احدکم فاذا کبرّ فکبّروا واذا قراء فانصتوا(الصحیح المسلم)
(۴)عن ابی ھریرۃ قال قال رسول اللہﷺ انما جعل الامام لیئتمّ بہ فاذا کبرّ فکبّروا واذا قراء فانصتوا واذا قال سمع اللہ لمن حمدہ فقولوا اللّھم ربنا لک الحمد(الصحیح المسلم و النسائی)