11/29. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 920 — Fatihah Exception Behind Imam
Reciting Umm Al-Quran (Al Fatihah) behind the imam in rak'ahs where the imam recites out
Hadith About Reciting Al-Fatihah Behind the Imam
Sunan an-Nasai : 920
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 920
أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ صَدَقَةَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ حَرَامِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْضَ الصَّلَوَاتِ الَّتِي يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَقَالَ " لاَ يَقْرَأَنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا جَهَرْتُ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ إِلاَّ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ " .
'Ubadah bin As-Samit Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in one of the prayers in which the recitation is done out loud, and he said: 'None of you should recite when I recite out loud, apart from the Umm Al_quran (Al Fatihah).'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 920In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 45English translation : Vol. 2, Book 11, Hadith 921
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 920
This hadith about reciting Al-Fatihah behind the imam gives a clear instruction from Ubadah bin As-Samit. The Messenger of Allah led them in a prayer where recitation was done out loud. He then said that none of them should recite when he recites out loud, except Umm Al-Quran, meaning Al-Fatihah. This narration brings together two points found in nearby reports: listening during the imam’s loud recitation and the special place of Al-Fatihah. It does not ask the reader to add more than the text says. It simply gives an exception: when the imam recites aloud, the follower should not recite along, apart from Umm Al-Quran.
What we learn from this hadith
- The instruction is tied to prayers where recitation is done out loud.
- The Prophet told followers not to recite when he recited aloud.
- Umm Al-Quran, Al-Fatihah, is given as the exception.
- The hadith shows the special place of Al-Fatihah in congregational prayer.
