Fariq Naik – Can I Read Al Faatihah without Bismilaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
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The importance of reciting the holy Bible for religion is emphasized, with Surah Al-F being the most important title. The title of the holy Bible is also discussed, along with the need for everyone to practice it to avoid confusion and chaos. The importance of unity in religion is emphasized, and individual recitation is emphasized as a healthy way to avoid chaos.
AI: Summary ©
I'm Muhammad Zakwan from Ghana.
Does reciting Surah Al-Fatihah in our Salah
without Bismillah in the beginning make our Salah
invalid?
As far as reciting Surah Al-Fatihah is
concerned, it is important that we recite Surah
Al-Fatihah in our Salah.
And before responding to a question, I would
like to mention an important point.
Surah Al-Fatihah, it consists of seven verses.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the
glorious Quran in Surah Al-Hijr, chapter number
15, verse number 87.
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبَعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِ وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمِ And
we have revealed to thee the seven oft
-repeated verses in the grand Quran.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the
glorious Quran.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
said, it is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith
number 4704.
وَهِيَ السَّبْعَ الْمَثَانِ وَهِيَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَهِيَ فَاتِحْتُ
الْكِتَابِ And it is the seven verses and
it is the mother of the Quran and
it is the opening of the book.
So Surah Al-Fatihah, it consists of seven
verses and in fact this is an ijma
of the scholars that Surah Al-Fatihah, it
consists of seven verses and this ijma has
been reported by Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah
as well as Ibn Abdulbar and various other
scholars as well.
Now is Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim a
part of these seven verses of Surah Al
-Fatihah?
The scholars they have deferred upon this into
two opinions.
The first opinion is the opinion of the
majority of the scholars including the Hamli school
of thought, the Hanafi school of thought as
well as the Maliki school of thought.
They say that Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim,
it is not a part of Surah Al
-Fatihah and it is a separate verse in
itself and they base this on certain ahadith
of our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon
him, the hadith of Sahih Muslim which is
the hadith of Qudsi which talks about the
conversation between Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and
his servant and it starts with alhamdulillah rabbil
alameen, glory be to Allah the Lord of
the worlds and then it says Hamadani abdi,
my servant he has praised me and then
it further continues with ar-Rahman ar-Rahim,
Malik yawm al-deen.
Now in this hadith, hadith of Qudsi, it
starts with alhamdulillah rabbil alameen and this hadith
of Qudsi is talking about Surah Al-Fatihah
and it does not start with Bismillah ar
-Rahman ar-Rahim but it directly starts with
alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.
So based on this hadith, the scholars they
say, the first group of scholars that Surah
Al-Fatihah, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, it
is not a part of Surah Al-Fatihah.
There's another hadith that is mentioned in Sahih
Muslim that is narrated by Anas radiya wherein
he says that I prayed behind, this hadith
is mentioned in Sahih Muslim wherein Anas radiya
reports and he says that I prayed behind
our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him,
I prayed behind Abu Bakr radiya as well
as Umar radiya and none of them they
read Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim but they
started directly with alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.
From this hadith we understand that Anas radiya
when he prayed behind Abu Bakr radiya and
Umar radiya one, none of them they recite
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim but they directly
started the recitation of the glorious Quran in
the Qiyam with alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.
So first group of scholars they say that
Bismillah it is not a part of Surah
Al-Fatihah but it is a separate verse
in itself and this is the opinion that
is also favored by Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin
Baz rahimahullah.
The second opinion is the opinion of the
Shafi'i school of thought wherein they say
that Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim it is
a part of Surah Al-Fatihah and based
on a hadith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad
peace be upon him that is reported by
Nu'aym wherein he says that I prayed
behind Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu and Abu Bakr
radiyallahu anhu he offered the salah and he
started his recitation with Bismillah ar-Rahman ar
-Rahim, his recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and
then he completed reciting Surah Al-Fatihah and
after he completed the salah he said that
this is the salah in accordance to our
beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
This is the salah how the way our
beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him offered
it.
So based on this hadith the second group
of scholars that is the Shafi'i school
of thought they say that Bismillah ar-Rahman
ar-Rahim it is a part of Surah
Al-Fatihah.
Now if we agree with the first group
of scholars that Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
it is not a part of Surah Al
-Fatihah then even if a person does not
recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim in his
salah, his salah it is yet valid and
if he recites Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
softly and he starts his recitation of the
glorious Quran with Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alameen he recites
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim softly and then
he recites Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alameen loudly if he
is the Imam so this is but natural
better.
So he at least recites Bismillah ar-Rahman
ar-Rahim softly whereas according to the second
group of scholars Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
it is a part of Surah Al-Fatihah.
So therefore they say that it is a
requirement for an individual to recite Bismillah ar
-Rahman ar-Rahim in his salah and if
the Imam is reciting Bismillah ar-Rahman and
if the Imam is leading the salah then
he needs to recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar
-Rahim loudly but as far as the salah
being valid if a person recites Bismillah ar
-Rahman ar-Rahim loudly then his salah it
is valid if he is the Imam and
if he recites Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
loudly his salah it is valid if a
person does not recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar
-Rahim loudly or if he does not recite
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim in his salah
it is yet valid because both these group
of scholars they have their Adillah they have
their reasoning and both of these opinions they
are important opinions and there is huge scope
as far as this issue is concerned it
is not a major issue that will lead
to our salah being invalid it is not
a ruqn or a shart of salah so
whatever we do whether we recite Bismillah or
whether we do not recite Bismillah ar-Rahman
ar-Rahim there is no problem in it
but naturally if you are offering individually it
is preferable that we recite Bismillah ar-Rahman
ar-Rahim in order to move out of
the difference of opinion and depending upon which
place we are in we should see to
it that we offer salah so that there
is no difference of opinion and we should
not cause drift in the Muslim Ummah so
for example if we are the Imam and
if we are offering salah in a place
for example like in Malaysia where the Shafi
'i Madhhab is followed then if we are
the Imam we should see to it that
we recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim because
there is no problem in reciting Bismillah ar
-Rahman ar-Rahim loudly when we are the
Imam so when we are the Imam if
we are in a place for example where
the Shafi'i Madhhab is followed so we
should see to that we recite Bismillah ar
-Rahman ar-Rahim loudly in order to avoid
difference of opinion because keeping the Muslim Ummah
united is more important if we are in
a place for example in Saudi Arabia where
the Humbly School of Thought is followed we
can recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim softly
if we are the Imam and we can
directly start with Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen with the
recitation of Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen loudly so as
far as this is concerned there is huge
scope as far as following any one of
the opinion is concerned and we Muslim we
should focus on the broader aspects as far
as the religion is concerned as far as
Islam is concerned many a times we find
Muslims they fight over trivial and small issues
and they forget the more important and greater
goals in Islam many a times people they
fight over small issues like a particular way
how to pray which may be a Sunnah
as far as Salah is concerned which is
not even a Rukn or a Sharat of
the Salah but people they focus and they
stress upon this so much to the extent
that they fight with each other Allah Subhanallah
says in the glorious Quran Surah Ta'ala
Imran chapter number 3 verse number 103 وَاَتَسْرِهِمُوا۟
بِحَبْ لِلَّهِ جَمِعَوا۟ وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ Whole fast rope
of Allah strongly and be not divided so
we should unite based on the glorious Quran
and authentic teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad
may peace and blessings be upon and if
we Muslims are united we will be successful
and we will be torchbearers of the world