Islamic Fiqh > Prayer > The Fatiha and recitation in prayer
Recitation of rak'as: the Fatiha obligation, loud or low voice, recitation behind the imam and pardoned omission.
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Updated on 31 August 2026 at 3:55 AM
The Fatiha is the heart of every rak'a. The majority of jurists (Malikis, Shafi'is, Hanbalis) make it a pillar: whoever leaves it while able has no valid prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the opening of the Book.al-Bukhari 756, Muslim 394
Abu Hurayra repeated three times: whoever prays without reciting the Mother of the Book, his prayer is incomplete; to those who answered that we pray behind the imam, he advised reciting it in one's heart, recalling the Prophet's word.
Allah said: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant in two halves, and My servant will have what he asks. When he says: praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Allah says: My servant has praised Me... When he says: You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help, Allah says: this is between Me and My servant. When he says: guide us on the straight path, Allah says: this is for My servant, and My servant will have what he asks.Muslim 395
Ibn Qudama states he knows no scholar who denies the sunna of reciting a surah with the Fatiha in the first two rak'as of every prayer. Abu Qatada reports that the Prophet recited in the first two rak'as of dhuhr the Fatiha and two surahs, lengthening the first and shortening the second, and did the same for asr, while he lengthened the first rak'a of fajr (al-Bukhari 759, Muslim 451). In the last two rak'as, the recitation is limited to the Fatiha (reported by agreement).
The follower's recitation divides the schools: some jurists exempt the follower from reciting behind an imam reciting aloud, others ask him to recite the Fatiha during the moments of silence. Abu Hurayra's view quoted above guides the middle path: recite in your heart what the imam does not cover.
Learn the Fatiha with its correct pronunciation before any other text: without it, no prayer stands. Then keep a small repertoire of surahs for the first rak'as, and lengthen the first a little: that is the trace of the Prophet's practice.