5/11. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 837 — Reciting Al-Fatihah in Prayer
Reciting behind the Imam
Reciting Al-Fatihah in Prayer Is Required
Sunan Ibn Majah : 837
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 837
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، وَسَهْلُ بْنُ أَبِي سَهْلٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " لاَ صَلاَةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ " .
'Ubadah bin As-Samit Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab in it.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 837In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 35English translation : Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 837
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 837
This Hadith about reciting Al-Fatihah in prayer gives a direct statement from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): there is no prayer for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab in it. The wording is short, clear, and serious. It names Fatihatil-Kitab, meaning Surah Al-Fatihah, as part of prayer. The text does not discuss special cases or different prayer settings in detail; it simply states the rule in a brief form. For readers searching for the hadith no prayer without Al-Fatihah, this narration is one of the clearest wordings. It reminds a person not to treat the opening surah as a small or optional matter in salah.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said there is no prayer without reciting Fatihatil-Kitab.
- The Hadith directly names Al-Fatihah as part of prayer.
- The wording is brief and should be understood with care.
- It reminds worshippers to pay attention to Al-Fatihah in salah.
