The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer, and we did not hear him recite: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And Abu Bakr and Umar led us in prayer and we did not hear it from them either."

It was narrated that Anas said: "I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them, and I did not hear any of them say out loud: In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful."

Ibn Abdullah bin Mughaffal said: "If Abdullah bin Mughaffal heard any one of us recite: 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful', he would say: 'I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and behind Abu Bakr and behind Umar-may Allah be pleased with them both- and I did not hear any of them recite: 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

Abu As-Sa'ib- the freed slave of Hisham bin Zuhrah-said: "I heard Abu Hurairah say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite Umm Al-Quran (Al Fatihah), it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, incomplete." I (Abu As-Sa'ib) said: 'O Abu Hurairah, sometimes I am behind the Imam.' He poked me in the arm and said: 'Recite it to yourself, O Persian! For I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Allah says: "I have divided prayer between Myself and My slave into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.'" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Recite, for when the slave says: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists, Allah says: 'My slave has praised Me.' And when he says: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Allah says: 'My slave has extolled Me.' And when he says: The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), Allah says: 'My slave has glorified Me' . And when he says: You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything), He says: 'This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.' And when he says: 'Guide us to the straight way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, He says: 'This is for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.'"

It was narrated from Ubadah bin As-Samit that : The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There is no Salah for one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab."

It was narrated that Ubadah bin As-Samit said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "There is no Salah for one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab or more.'"

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: "When Jibril was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he heard a sound from above like a door opening. Jibril, peace be upon him, looked up toward the sky and said: 'This is a gate in Heaven that has been opened, but it was never opened before." He said: "An Angel came down from it and came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: 'Receive the glad tidings of two lights that have been given to you and were never given to any prophet before you: The Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah) and the last verses of Surat Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a single letter of them but you will be granted it.'"

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed bin Al-Mu'alla that: The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by him when he was praying, and called him. He said: "I finished praying, then I came to him, and he said: 'What kept you from answering me?' He said: 'I was praying.' He said: 'Does not Allah say: O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life? Shall I not teach you the greatest surah before I leave the masjid?' Then he went to leave, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what about what you said?' He said: "All praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all that exists. These are the seven oft-recited that I have been given, and the Grand Quran.'"

It was narrated that Ubayy bin Ka'b said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, did not reveal in the Tawrah or the Injil anything like Umm Al-Quran (Al-Fatihah), which is the seven oft-recited, and (Allah said) it is divided between Myself and My slave will have what he asked for.'"

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: "The Prophet (ﷺ) was given seven oft-recited; the seven long ones."

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: Concerning the words of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: "Seven of Al-Mathani (seven repeatedly-recited): "The seven long ones."

It was narrated that Imran bin Hussain said: "The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr and a man behind him recited: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High. When he had finished praying, he said: 'Who recited: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High?" A man said: 'I did.' He said: 'I realized that some of you were disputing with me over it'".

It was narrated from Imran bin Husain that: The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr or Asr, and a man was reciting behind him. When he had finished he said: "Which one of you recited: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High?" A man among the people said: "I did, but I did not intend anything but good." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "I realized that some of you were disputing with me over it."

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished a prayer in which he recited out loud, then he said: 'Did any one of you recite with me just now?' A man said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'I was wondering what was distracting me in reciting Quran.'" So the people stopped reciting in prayers in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited out loud when they heard that.

It was narrated that Ubadah bin As-Samit said: "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).'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The Imam is appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir, and when he recites, be silent, and when he says: "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him)," say: "Allahumma rabbana lakal-hamd (Our Lord, to You be praise)."

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The Imam is appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir, and when he recites, be silent.'"

Kathir bin Murrah Al-Hadrami narrated that : He heard Abu Ad-Darda say: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: 'Is there recitation in every prayer?' He said: 'Yes.' A man among the Ansar said: 'Is that obligatory?' He (Abu Ad-Darda) turned to me (Kathir), as I was closest of the people to him, and said: 'I think that if the Imam leads the people, that is sufficient for them.'"

It was narrated that Ibn Abi Awfa said: "A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: 'I cannot learn anything of the Quran; teach me something that I can say instead of reciting the Quran.' He said: 'Say: SubhanAllah, wal-hamdulilah, wa la illaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Billahil-aliy al-azim (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Allah, Allah is Most Great, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah the Exalted and Magnificent ).'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When the reciter says Amin, then say: "Amin" too, for the angels say Amin and if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, Allah will forgive his previous sins"

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "When the reciter says Amin, then say: "Amin" too, for the angels say Amin and if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, Allah will forgive his previous sins"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When the Imam says: Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, say: 'Amin' for the angels say Amin and the Imam says Amin, and if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.'"

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When the Imam says Amin, say Amin, for if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When the Imam says: Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, say: 'Amin,' for if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.'"

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "If any one of you says: 'Amin' and the angels in Heaven say Amin, and the one coincides with the other, his previous sins will be forgiven."

It was narrated from Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah bin Rafi' that : His father said: "I prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) and I sneezed and said: 'Al-hamdu lillahi, hamdan kathiran tayiban mubarakan fih, mubarakan'alaihi, kama yuhibbu rabbuna wa yarda (Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise as our Lord loves and is pleased with.)' When he finished praying, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?' But no one said anything. Then he said it a second time: 'Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?' So Rifa'ah bin Rafi bin Afrah said: 'It was me, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'I said: "Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise as our Lord loves and is pleased with.'" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, thirty-odd angels hastened to see which of them would take it up.'"

It was narrated from Abdul-Jabbar bin Wa'il that : His father said: "I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when he said the takbir, he raised his hands to the bottom of his ears. When he recited: Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), he said: 'Amin,' and I could hear him although I was behind him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a man saying: 'Al-hamdu lillahi, hamdan kathiran tayiban mubarakan fih, (Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise.)' When the Prophet (ﷺ) said the salam and finished his prayer, he said: 'Who spoke those words during the prayer?' The man said: 'I did, O Messenger of Allah, but I did not mean anything bad thereby.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Twelve angels hastened (to take it) and nothing is stopping it going all the way to the Throne.'"

It was narrated that Aishah said: "Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and when it departs I remember what he (the Angel) said, and this is the hardest on me. And sometimes he (the Angel) comes to me in the form of a man and gives it to me.'"

It was narrated from Aishah that: Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and this is the hardest on me. When it departs I remember what he said. And sometimes the Angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I remember what he said." Aishah said: "I saw him when the Revelation came to him on a very cold day, and his forhead was dripping with sweat."

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: Concerning the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: "Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it- "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to suffer a great deal of hardship when the Revelation came to him, and he used to move his lips. Allah said: Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it." He said: " (This means) He will gather it in your heart, then you will recite it," And when We have recited it to you, then follow the recitation. He said: "So listen to it and remain silent. So when Jibril came to him, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) listened, and when he left, he would recite it as he had taught him."