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There's another detailed discussion available here:
http://www.askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.p...8adb0dbf68a500
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
1.
Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran:
“When the Quran is recited, then listen attentively to it and remain silent so that mercy be shown to you.” [Surah I’raaf, Ayah 204]
According to Imam Abu Hanifah Rehmatullah alayh, the Muqatadi (person following the Imam in salah) must neither recite Surah Fatiha nor any other Surah. The above verse regarding listening attentively and remaining silent applies to the person performing salah as well as to others.
Muslim (Vol.1, Pg.174) reports an authentic Hadith in which Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Remain silent when the Imam is reading.” Not only did Imam Muslim Rehmatullah alayh report this Hadith, but he specifically mentioned that it is authentic; the general context will include those salaahs in which the recitation is audible as well as those in which it is silent.
According to Imam Ahmad (Rehmatullah alayh) it is not wajib (compulsory) to recite neither Surah Fatiha nor any other Surah in salah while following an Imam.
According to the old ruling of Imam Shafi’ee (Rehmatullah alayh), it will be waajib for a person to recite form the Quran behind the Imam in such a salah wherein the recitation is silent (sirri). However, in the audible salaahs (jahri), recitation will not be wajib. According to his revised opinion, it will be wajib to recite in both types of salaah (jahri and sirri).
Imam Malik (Rehmatullah alayh) and Imam Ahamad (Rehmatullah alayh) maintain that recitation of the muqtadi is not fardh, but in certain situations, it will be optional.
When the rewards for salah are distributed on the Day of Judgment, they will not be asked whether those who did not perform salah according to their opinion should enter Jannah or not.
[REFERENCE: Anwaarul Bayaan/ Illuminating Discourses on the Noble Quran p.g 101-103, vol. 4]
The following deals with this issue in details:
The Hanafi school of thought:
In the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa
Rehmatullah alayh, Abu Yusuf
Rehmatullah alayh, and Imam Muhammad
Rehmatullah alayh, under all circumstances—be it
jehri salaah or
sirri salaah, and whether the
muqtadi (follower) is listening to the Imam’s
qirat (recitation) or not—it is not
jaiz (not permissible) for the
muqtadi to recite Surah Fatiha behind the Imam; in fact it is
makrooh tehreemi.
Sahib Hidayah mentions that Imam Muhammad relates it is ‘good’ for the
muqtadi to read
Surah Fatiha in silent prayers (
sirri salaah). However,
Durr Mukhtaar refutes this report as follows:
“Q
irat should not be recited by the
Muqtadi at all. There is unanimous agreement (
bil-ittifaaq) that one must not recite Surah Fatiha in silent prayers (
sirri salaah). The report which has been attributed to Imam Muhammad
Rehmatullah alayh is weak (
dha’eef). Ibn Humaam describes in detail: it is
makrooh tehreemi for the
muqtadi to recite
qirat. However, according to the most authentic view,
salaah will be correct.”
Durr Bihaar relates from the
Mabsoot of
khawaahar-
zada that the salaah will become
faasid, and the
Muqtadi who recites
qirat will become
faasiq (sinful). Numerous Sahaabah kiraam have related it as ‘
fasaad’, due to which greater caution lays in it being unlawful (i.e. in ‘
adam-
e-
jawaaz). Therefore, when the Imam recites
qirat loudly, then the
Muqtadi (followers) should listen; and when the Imam recites
qirat silently, then the
Muqtadi should not speak. The proof of this is stated in a Hadith:
Hadrat Abu Hurayrah Radiyallahu anhu reports that we would recite qirat behind the Imam; thereafter, an Ayat was revealed “When the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent.”
Allamah Shaami writes in his
haashiya (marginal notes):
- Sahib Durr Mukhtaar wrote “fis-sirriyyah” from which it is automatically understood that in loud prayers (jehri salaah) qirat is prohibited (mamnoo’).
- And ‘bil-ittifaaq’ refers to the agreement of Aimma-thalaatha (the three Imams).
- And the report attributed towards Imam Muhmmad Rehmatullah alayh means that it is istihbaab to read Surah Fatiha in silent salah as a precautionary measure (ehtiyaatan).
- And the result of Allamah Ibn Humam’s
Rehmatullah alayh contradiction was that Imam Muhammad says in Kitaabul aathaar that we do not deem qirat permissible behind an Imam in any salaah at all, whether it is jehri (loud) salah, or sirri (silent) salaah. And to say there is caution (ehtiyaat) in it is not worthy, for caution (ehtiyaat) is in not reiciting qirat, because that is acting upon the stronger of the two daleel (proofs). Also, numerous Sahabah kiraam have related that salah becomes faasid by reciting qirat, therefore it is unlawful (which holds the stronger view). [Shaami, p.402, v.1]
The Maliki school of thought:
According to Imam Malik
Rehmatullah alayh, it is also
makrooh for the
muqtadi to recite Surah Fatiha in
jehri salaah (loud prayers)—whether or not the muqtadi is listening to the Imam’s
qirat. And it is mustahab (desirable) to read Surah Fatiha in
sirri salaah (silent prayers). It is stated in Kitaabul Fiqh ‘alal mazaahib al-arba’ah:
“Maliki say that it is
makrooh for the
muqtadi to recite
qirat in
jehri salaah even if one is not listening to the Imam’s
qirat or if the Imam has paused/silenced.” [vol.1, p.254]
It is stated in Sharah Sagheer of Allamah Dardeer that:
“The fourth fardh of salah for the Imam and individual is to recite Surah Fatiha, but not for the muqtadi because the Imam undertakes the responsibility of reciting Fatiha on behalf of the muqtadi.”
“Silent qirat behind an Imam in a
sirri salah (silent prayer) is
Mustahab (desirable), and also in the last
rakat of Magrib, and in the last two
rakats of Isha.”
The Shaf’iee school of thought:
Imam Shafi’s former opinion was that Surah Fatiha is not wajib upon the muqtadi in jehri namaz. Nevertheless, during the last stages of his life, two years before his death whilst in Egypt, Imam Shafi told his new opinion that it is wajib upon the muqtadi to recite Surah Fatiha in a jehri salaah. And according to the Shawaafi’, fatwa is upon this new opinion. As for sirri namaaz (without any contradictory opinions) it is wajib upon the muqtadi to recite Surah Fatiha. It is written in Muhazzab:
“Is it wajib upon the Muqtadi to recite Fatiha? In this series, it will be observed that…
§ If it is sirri salaah, then Fatiha is wajib
§ If it is jehri salaah then there are two opinions:
§ Imam Shafi has said in Kitaablul-Umm and Buwaytee that it is wajib
§ And Imam Shafi’s old opinion is that the muqtadi should not recite qirat. Imam Nawwi says that we have mentioned earlier that our mazhab is that “Fatiha is wajib upon the muqtadi in all rakaats of both sirri (silent) and jehri (loud) salaah; and this is the correct mazhab in our opinion.”
The Hanbali school of thought:
In the opinion of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, if the muqtadi is listening to the Imam’s qirat in jehri salaah, then it is not jaiz to read Fatiha. And if the muqtadi is so far that the Imam’s recitation cannot be heard, then it is jaiz (permissible) to recite Fatiha. Furthermore, it is mustahab (desirable) to recite Fatiha in sirri salaah and between the Imam’s silent-pauses in jehri salaah. It is written in Mukhtasar al-kharqi:
“When the Muqtadi is listening to the Imam’s qirat, then he should not read Surah Fatiha or any other Surat; whereas, to recite in between the Imam’s silent-pauses and in sirri salaah (silent prayers) is Mustahab (desirable). Hence, if the Muqtadi did not recite Fatiha, his salaah is complete because ‘for whosoever is an Imam; the Imam’s qirat is also his qirat’. And if the Muqtadi is not listening to the qirat due to distance, then one should recite Surah Fatiha.”
[REFERENCE: Adalla-e-Kaamila yani ghair muqallidoun kai 10 sawaalaat aur unkai tehqeeqi jawaabaat, by Shaikul-Hind Hadrat Moulana Mehmud Hasan Sahib Deobandi, P.g 60-64]
Ahadith/ Narrations:
Regarding this issue, two types of Hadith have been mentioned.
1. Those Hadith from which we understand that a muqtadi can recite Fatiha.
2. Those Hadith from which we understand that a muqtadi should not recite Fatiha, instead he should remain silent.
The Statements of the Sahaabah Radiayallah anhum About Not Reciting Behind the Imam
When Hadhrat Ata bin Yasaar (A.R) enquired from Hadrat Zaid bin Thaabit (Radiyallahu anhu) concerning reciting behind the Imam, he replied, “There is no recitation whatsoever behind the Imam.” [Muslim, vol. 1, pg. 410]
Hadrat Jabir Radiyallahu anhu mentioned, “There is no salaah for him who does not recite Surah Fatiha in salaah, except for the one who performs salaah behind an Imam (he will not even recite Surah Fatiha when following the Imam)” [Tirmidhi]. Imam Tirmidhi (Rehmatullah alayh) says that this Hadith is Hasan and that from this Hadith Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Rehmatullah alayh) deduced that the salah of the person who does not recite Surah Fatiha will not be valid when he performs salah individually.
Imam Tahaawi (Rehmatullah alayh) has narrated from Hadrat Ali Radiyallahu anhu that the person who recites the Quran while following the Imam is not a follower of the natural Deen.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radiyallahu anhu) is reported to have said, “Remain silent for the recitation of the Quran because salaah is an occupation and the Imam will suffice for you.”
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radiyallahu anhu) is also reported to have said, “If only the mouth of that person who recites while behind the Imam is filled with soil.”
Abu Jamra (A.R) asked Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radiyallahu anhu) whether he should recite the Quran while behind the Imam. He replied in the negative.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) never recited Quran behind the Imam and when it was asked of him whether one should recite, he replied, “When any of you perform salaah behind an Imam, then the recitation of the Imam will suffice for him as well.”
These Hadith together with the Quranic verse in Surah I’raaf “When the Quran is recited, then listen attentively to it and remain silent so that mercy be shown to you” establish the rule that the Muqtadi should listen to the Imam’s qirat and keep silent.
[REFERENCE: Anwaarul Bayaan/ Illuminating Discourses on the Noble Quran p.g 101-103, vol. 4]
It is compulsory for a muqallid (adherent of a particular madhab) to follow the ruling of his madhab. He cannot do as he likes.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah