Q. Could you please explain whether in a congregational prayer, the worshippers must read surah Al-Fatihah in every rak’ah, even when the imam is reading aloud?
S.A. Junedi
A. Scholars differ on the requirement of reading Surah Al-Fatihah by the worshippers in a congregational prayer. There are several views on the subject, with the Shafie school requiring everyone to read it in every rak’ah in all situations, while the Hanafi school not allowing such reading. In between there are other views. Each one of these views has its supporting evidence, and the way the evidence is interpreted leads to such variation. The relevant evidence is composed of one Qur’anic verse and two authentic Hadiths. The verse states: “When the Qur’an is recited, hearken to it, and listen in silence, so that you may be graced with God’s mercy.” (7: 204) The first Hadith states: “No prayer by anyone who does not read Al-Fatihah is valid.” And the other Hadith says: “When a person prays with an imam, the reading by the imam is considered a reading by him.” Without going into the details of how different schools emphasize different aspects of these three statements, I will tell you the view I feel most comfortable with taking all three statements in consideration. If the imam is reading in private and the congregation does not hear his recitation, then everyone should read Al-Fatihah in every rak’ah. When the imam reads aloud, then those behind him read Al-Fatihah only if he allows a period of silence for them to read it. If he does not leave this period of silence, they do not read Al-Fatihah, relying on the last statement that considers the reading by the imam sufficient for the entire congregation.