عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، عن النبيِّﷺ قال:«مَن صلَّى صلاةً لم يَقرَأْ فيها بأُمِّ القُرآنِ فهي خِدَاجٌ – ثلاثًا - غيرُ تَمامٍ»،فقيلَ لأبي هُرَيْرةَ: إنَّا نكونُ وراءَ الإمامِ؟ فقال: اقرَأْ بها في نَفْسِكَ؛فإنِّي سَمِعْتُ رسولَ اللهِ ﷺ يقولُ: «قال اللهُ تعالى: قَسَمْتُ الصلاةَ بَيْني وبينَ عَبْدي نِصفَيْنِ، ولعَبْدي ما سألَ،فإذا قال العبدُ: {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة: 2]، قال الله تعالى: حَمِدني عبدي، وإذا قال: {الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة: 3]، قال الله تعالى: أثنى عليَّ عبدي، وإذا قال: {مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} [الفاتحة: 4]، قال: مجَّدني عبدي،فإذا قال: {إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ} [الفاتحة: 5]، قال: هذا بيني وبين عبدي، ولعَبْدي ما سَألَ،فإذا قال: {اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ} [الفاتحة: 6، 7]، قال: هذا لِعَبْدي، ولِعَبْدي ما سَألَ»


Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said: 

1. If anyone offers a prayer without reciting the Mother of the Qur’an, it falls short’. He repeated it three times, ‘not perfect’.  2. It was said to Abu Hurayrah: ‘We are praying behind the imam’. He said: ‘Recite it in silence.  3. I heard God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) say: “God, the Exalted, said: I have divided prayer in two halves between Myself and My servant. My servant shall have what he requests.  4. When God’s servant says: ‘All praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds’, God will say: ‘My servant has praised Me’. When he says: ‘the Lord of Grace, the Ever-Merciful’, God will say: ‘My servant has extolled Me’. When he says: ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’, God will say: ‘My servant has glorified Me’. (In one narration: My servant has submitted himself to Me.)  5. When he says: ‘You alone do we worship and to You alone do we turn for help’, God will say: ‘This is between Myself and My servant. My servant shall have what he requests’.  6. When he says: ‘Guide us on the straight path, the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your favours, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray’, God will say: ‘This is granted to My servant, and My servant shall have what he requests’”.

Related by Muslim, 395.

Summary of Meaning

Abu Hurayrah narrates this hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentions that a person who offers a prayer without reciting the Opening Surah, al-Fātiḥah, will find his prayer falls short of an important part that affects its validity. Abu Hurayrah was asked about reciting it when one is with a congregation. He said that it should be recited, due to the importance of a hadith in which the Prophet quotes God saying that He has divided al-Fātiḥah into two halves, retaining one half and giving the other to His servant.

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