5/11. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 840 — Prayer Without Ummul Kitab
Reciting behind the Imam
Prayer Without Ummul Kitab Is Deficient
Sunan Ibn Majah : 840
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 840
حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْجَزَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبَّادِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " كُلُّ صَلاَةٍ لاَ يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ " .
A'isha Narrated from:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Every prayer in which the Ummul-Kitab (the Mother of the Book) is not recited is deficient.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 840In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 38English translation : Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 840
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 840
This Hadith about prayer without Ummul Kitab reports from Aishah that she heard the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say: every prayer in which Ummul-Kitab is not recited is deficient. Ummul-Kitab here refers to the Mother of the Book, Al-Fatihah. The wording is short and clear. It does not describe a long scene, and it does not discuss other surahs. Its focus is the status of Al-Fatihah in prayer. For readers searching for hadith about prayer being deficient without Al-Fatihah, this narration gives a direct statement. It teaches that the recitation of Ummul-Kitab is not a small detail in salah, but a key part of the prayer described here.
What we learn from this hadith
- Aishah heard this statement directly from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
- The prayer without Ummul-Kitab is described as deficient.
- The Hadith focuses on Al-Fatihah, not on other prayer topics.
- It reminds worshippers to take the recitation of Al-Fatihah seriously.
