Is Salah valid if a person does not verbalize anything?

format_quote Originally Posted by Ahl_al-Kitāb

السلام عليكم

Sometimes when I pray in the mosque, I notice that some people do not verbalize anything even the Al-Fatiha. Is Salah valid if we recite Al-Fatiha and other recitation in Salah just by heart?

Salaam,

I got this info from a website....


Praise be to Allaah.
Reciting al-Faatihah is one of the essential parts of the prayer, and is to be recited in each rak’ah both by the imaam and by those who are being led by him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book [i.e., al-Faatihah].” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 714). With regard to one who is following an imaam reciting al-Faatihah behind the imaam in a prayer where Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, there are two scholarly opinions.

The first opinion is that it is obligatory, the evidence for that being the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book [i.e., al-Faatihah].” And because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught the one who had not prayed properly, he told him to recite al-Faatihah.

It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite it in every rak’ah. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari: “It was proven that permission was given to the one who is praying behind an imaam to recite al-Faatihah in prayers in which Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, without any exceptions. That is what was narrated by al-Bukhaari in Juz’ al-Qiraa’ah, and by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan and others, from Makhool from Mahmood ibn al-Rabee’ from ‘Ubaadah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stumbled in his recitation in Fajr, and when he finished he said, “Perhaps you recite behind your imaam?” They said, “Yes,” He said, “Do not do that, except for the Opening of the Book (al-Faaithah), for there is no prayer for the one who does not recite it.”

The second opinion is that the recitation of the imaam is also the recitation of the one who is praying behind him. The evidence for that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” [al-A’raaf 7:204]

Ibn Hajar said: “Those who say that (the one who is praying behind an imaam) does not have to recite it in prayers where Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, such as the Maalikis, quote as evidence the hadeeth, ‘When he recites then listen attentively.’ This is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by Muslim from Abu Moosa al-‘Ash’ari.”

Those who say that it is obligatory say that it should be recited after the imaam has finished reciting al-Faatihah and before he starts to recite another soorah, or that it should be recited when the imam pauses. Ibn Hajar said: “He should listen when the imam is reciting, and recite it when he is silent.”

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said, “What is meant by when the imam pauses is when he pauses during al-Faatihah or after reciting it, or in the soorah that he recites after it. If the imam does not pause, then the one who is praying behind him has to recite al-Faatihah even if the imam is reciting, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.” (See Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, vol. 11, p. 221)

The Standing Committee was asked a similar question and replied as follows:

The correct scholarly opinion is that it is obligatory to recite al-Faatihah when praying alone and it is obligatory upon the imam and those whom he is leading both in prayers where Qur’aan is to be recited out loud and when it is to be recited silently, because of the soundness and specific nature of the texts which indicate that. The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”

[al-A’raaf 7:204] is general in meaning. The hadeeth, “When the Qur’aan is recited then listen attentively” is general and applies both to al-Faatihah and other soorahs. These two texts are general in meaning, and the following hadeeth refer to an exception to that rule:

“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.” Thus we may reconcile all the proven evidence. The hadeeth “The recitation of the imaam is the recitation of the one who is praying behind him” is da’eef (weak). It is not correct to say that the Ameen of the congregation to the imaam’s recitation of al-Faatihah takes the place of their own recitation. The differences of opinion among the scholars concerning this matter should not be taken as a means to hate one another, and to divide and turn our backs on one another. Rather you have to study the matter in more detail and find out more. If one of you is following a scholar who says that the one who is praying behind an imam has to recite al-Faatihah during prayers in which Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, and others are following a scholar who says that they must be silent and listen to the imam in prayers where Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, and that the imam’s recitation of al-Faatihah is sufficient, there is nothing wrong with that. There is no need for one group to denounce the other, or to hate one another because of that.

They have to be open-minded about differences of opinion among the scholars, and about the reasons for that, and ask Allaah to guide them in matters concerning which there are differences of opinion as to what is correct, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid


http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/10995/...ation%20method

^ that's the link to the same stuff....

hope it comes of use.

format_quote Originally Posted by Woodrow

Just my own thought would the salah of a deaf mute be valid, as they can not speak? Perhaps the answer to that is the answer to your question. We do not know why some do not verbalize, but perhaps there are valid reasons they don't.

^ I agree....Allah (SWT) is the Most Merciful and All-Forgiving...so if a person has a genuine reason, then he will be excused, if Allah Wills.

format_quote Originally Posted by Ahl_al-Kitāb

Sometimes when I pray in the mosque, I notice that some people do not verbalize anything even the Al-Fatiha. Is Salah valid if we recite Al-Fatiha and other recitation in Salah just by heart?

in Shalah dhuhur (noon) and asr (afternoon), fatihah and other surats are not supposed to be recited with sound, so the imam recite them very softly/whisper that only he could hear.
This is from authentic ahadeeth.

Unless if they are shia mosques, which I dont know much, because they dont really take ahadeeth as their guidance even if they are authentic, apart ahadeeth narrated by Ali ra, fatima ra, and their offsprings.

How do you notice people dont do that? Focus more!

Nah kidding but thinking back, I dont think I have recited it every time in mosque. Sometimes I just sort of recite in my head.

^^ According to the Hanafi Madhab :

The Muqtadi (follower) does not recite Surah faithah and Surah in Jam'aat Salaah (whether it be a quiet or a loud recitation Salaah) behind the Imam. The Imaam's recitation suffices for the entire congregation. The Imaam is as it were, the representative for the entire congregation.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam said: "Whoever prays behind the Imaam, the Qir'aah (recitation of the Qur'aan) of the Imaam is Qir'aah for him (meaning the Imaam's recitation is sufficient for him).

And Allah knows best

Walaikum salam brother

have just found this fatwa on islam qa (am not yet permitted to post links but it's fatwa 26268 if you want to look it up for yourself inshaAllah)

there is no sin on a person who is praying alone and does not recite aloud, however it is sunnah to recite out loud in the fajr prayer and the first 2 rakats of maghrib and isha.

hope that is helpful