4/11. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 395b — Half for Allah and Half for the Servant
It Is Obligatory To Recite Al-Fatihah In Every Rak'ah; If A Person Cannot Recite Al-Fatihah Or Cannot Learn It, Then He Should Recite Whatever Else He Can Manage
Al-Fatiha in Salah: Half for Allah and Half for His Servant
Sahih Muslim : 395b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 395b
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا السَّائِبِ، مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، أَنَّ أَبَا السَّائِبِ، مَوْلَى بَنِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ صَلَّى صَلاَةً فَلَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ " . بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ وَفِي حَدِيثِهِمَا " قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَسَمْتُ الصَّلاَةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who observed prayer but he did not recite the Umm al-Qur'an in it, and the rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by Sufyan, and in this hadith the words are:" Allah the Most High said: the prayer is divided into two halves between Me and My servant. The half of it is for Me and the half of it is for My servant."
Reference : Sahih Muslim 395bIn-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 42USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 776
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 395b
This Hadith reports the same meaning from Abu Huraira with a slightly different wording. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم spoke about the one who prays without reciting Umm al-Qur’an, and the rest follows the earlier narration. In this version, Allah the Most High says that the prayer is divided into two halves between Him and His servant: half for Allah and half for the servant. The core topic is still Surah Fatiha in prayer. It shows why Al-Fatiha is not only a recitation to finish quickly. It contains praise of Allah, worship, seeking help, and asking for the straight path. People searching for the Hadith Qudsi on Al-Fatiha can see from this report that the chapter is tied to both devotion and request within salah.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration repeats the meaning of prayer being divided between Allah and His servant.
- Umm al-Qur’an remains the central recitation in the prayer.
- Al-Fatiha includes praise, worship, seeking help, and asking for guidance.
- The wording should be read as a report of what Allah says in this Hadith.
