53 - The importance of the Opening Surah, al-Fātiḥah

عن أبي هُريرة رضي الله عنه:أن رسول الله ﷺ دخل المسجد فدخَل رجلٌ، فصلَّى، فسلَّم على النبيِّ ﷺ، فرَدَّ وقال: «ارجِعْ فصَلِّ؛ فإنَّكَ لم تُصَلِّ»،فرجَعَ يُصَلِّي كما صَلَّى، ثم جاء، فسلَّمَ على النبيِّ ﷺ، فقال: «ارجِعْ فصَلِّ؛ فإنَّكَ لم تُصَلِّ» ثلاثًا، فقال: والذي بعَثَكَ بالحقِّ ما أُحسِنُ غَيرَه، فعَلِّمْني، فقال: «إذا قُمْتَ إلى الصلاةِ فكَبِّرْ،ثم اقرَأْ ما تَيسَّرَ معَكَ منَ القرآنِ، ثم اركَعْ حتى تَطمئِنَّ راكعًا، ثم ارفَعْ حتى تَعدِل قائمًا، ثم اسجُدْ حتى تَطمئِنَّ ساجِدًا، ثم ارفَعْ حتى تَطمئِنَّ جالسًا، وافعَلْ ذلك في صلاتِكَ كلِّها»

Abu Hurayrah narrated: 

1. God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) entered the mosque. A man came in and offered a prayer, then came forward and greeted God’s Messenger (peace be upon him). The Prophet replied with a greeting then said: ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed’.  2. The man went back and prayed in the same way as he prayed earlier. He then returned to the Prophet and greeted him. The Prophet said: ‘And peace be to you’. He then said: ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed’. He did this three times. The man said: ‘By Him who sent you with the message of the truth, I know nothing better than this. Teach me’.  3. The Prophet said: ‘When you stand up to pray, say Allah-u akbar.  4. then recite of the Qur’an what comes easy to you.  5. Then bow until you are well positioned in bowing, then raise yourself until you stand up well. Then you prostrate yourself until you are well positioned in prostration, then raise yourself until you are well positioned seated. Do this throughout your prayer’.

Related by al-Bukhari, 757; Muslim, 397.

Summary of Meaning

A man came into the mosque and prayed, then went to the Prophet and greeted him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) returned the greeting and ordered the man to repeat his prayer. The man complied and returned, but the Prophet again told him to repeat his prayer. He did this three times. The man told the Prophet that he knew no better. The Prophet then taught him how to pray.

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