Is the Prayer of a Follower Valid If He Listens to the Imam and Does Not Recite Al-Fatihah?

Second: Evidence from the Sunnah

Another evidence is that if a latecomer catches the imam while he is in ruku, he has caught the rakah according to the majority of scholars, even though he did not recite Al-Fatihah. This indicates that reciting Al-Fatihah is not an independent pillar for the person praying behind the imam in the same way that it is for the imam and the person praying alone. Shaykh Al-Albani also used this as evidence. Third: The Opinion Chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah The view held by the majority of scholars is to differentiate between prayers recited aloud and prayers recited silently. The person praying behind the imam recites in the silent prayer and does not recite in the prayer recited aloud. This is the most balanced of the opinions.

Fourth: The View of Shaykh Al-Albani رحمه الله

Fifth: Applying This to the Questioner’s Situation The questioner joined during the first rakah while the imam was standing and reciting aloud after Al-Fatihah, and the questioner could hear his recitation. According to this stronger opinion, rather, what is obligatory is to listen attentively behind the imam in a prayer recited aloud. Indeed, reciting behind the imam in this situation is foolish, because the imam is reciting for you while you do not want to listen to him. Therefore, what was prescribed for the questioner was to listen attentively to the imam. He was not required to begin reciting Al-Fatihah while the imam was reciting. The ruling is not changed by the fact that the imam was going to prolong his recitation such that there was enough time to recite Al-Fatihah. This is because the reason for the ruling is not a lack of time; rather, it is that the person praying behind the imam can hear the imam’s recitation in a prayer recited aloud. Accordingly, his deliberately refraining from reciting Al-Fatihah in this situation does not invalidate the rakah. Rather, the Sunnah is to listen attentively and not recite in a prayer recited aloud. It should be noted that this issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement. Shaykh Ibn Baz and Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمهما الله held the view that reciting Al-Fatihah is obligatory upon the person praying behind the imam even in prayers recited aloud. Conclusion: The stronger opinion, which was chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Shaykh Al-Albani, and others, is that when the person praying behind the imam can hear the imam’s recitation in a prayer recited aloud, he should listen attentively and should not recite Al-Fatihah, because the imam’s recitation counts as his recitation. This is in accordance with the statement of Allah: “So when the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent.” And the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “And when he recites, listen attentively.” Accordingly, the rakah in which the questioner did not recite Al-Fatihah is valid, his prayer is valid, and he is not required to repeat the rakah, repeat the prayer, or perform sujud al-sahw, even though he had sufficient time to recite Al-Fatihah, because he was praying behind an imam whose audible recitation he could hear.