As-salamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarkatuhu.

Surah al-Fatihah aur Namaaz/

Surah Al-Fatihah and the Prayer:

Hadees-e-Qudsee mein hai, Allah Taala ne farmaya:

‘QASAMTU AS-SALATA BAYNI WABAYNA ABDI’

[Al Hadees, Saheeh Muslim, Kitab us-Salat]

Maine Salat(Namaaz) ko Apne aur Apne bandon ke darmiyan taqseem kar diya hai.

Murad Surah Fatiha hai. Jis ka nisf hissa Allah Taala ki Hamd o Sanaa aur Us ki Rahmat wa Ruboobiyat
aur Adl wa Badshahat ke bayan mein hai aur nisf hisse mein Duaa wa munajat hai jo banda Allah ki
bargah mein karta hai. Is Hadees mein Surah Fatihah ko 'Namaaz' se tabeer kiya gaya hai, jis se yeh saaf
maloom hota hai ke Namaaz mein is ka padhna bahut zaroori hai, chunanche Nabi ke irshadat mein is ki
khoob wajahat kar diya gaya hai, farmaya: ‘LA SALATA LIMAN LAM YAQRA BIFATIHATIL
KITAB’ (Saheeh Bukhari wa Saheeh Muslim) Us shaksh ki Namaaz nahi jis ne Surah Fatihah nahi padhi.
Is Hadees mein (Man) ka lafz Aam hai jo har Namaazi ko shamil hai, munfarid ho ya imaam, ya imaam
ke pichhe muqtadi, sirri namaaz ho ya jehri, farz namaaz ho ya nafl, har namaazi ke liye Surah Fatihah
padhna zaroori hai.

Is umoom ki majeed tayeed us Hadees se hoti hai jis mein aata hai ke ek martaba Namaaz e Fazr mein
baaz Sahaba e kiram RadhiAllahu Anhima bhi Nabi ‫ ﷺ‬ke saath Qur'an e Kareem padhte rahe jis ki
wajah se Aap ‫ ﷺ‬par qiraat bojhal ho gayi, namaaz khatm hone ke baad jab Aap ‫ ﷺ‬ne puchha ke tum bhi
saath padhte rahe ho? Unhone asbat mein jawab diya toh Aap ‫ ﷺ‬ne farmaya: 'LA TAF'ALU ILLA BI-
UMM AL-QUR'AN, FAINNAHU LA SALATA LIMAN LAM YAQRA BIHA.' "Tum aisa mat karo
(yani saath saath mat padha karo) albatta Surah Fatihah zaroor padha karo, kyunki is ke padhe beghair
namaaz nahi hoti" (Abu Dawud, Tirmizi, Nasa'i) Is tarah Hazrat Abu Hurairah Radhiallahu Anhu se
marwi hai ke Nabi ‫ ﷺ‬ne farmaya: 'MAN SALLA SALATA LAM YAQRA FIHA BI-UMM AL-
QUR'AN, FAHIYA KHIDAJ-SALASAN GHAIRO TAMAM' "Jis ne beghair Fatihah ke namaaz padhi
toh us ki namaaz naqis hai" Teen(3) martaba Aap ‫ ﷺ‬ne farmaya. Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu Anhu se arz
kiya gaya: INNA NAKUNU WA RA'AA LI-IMAM (Imam ke pichhe bhi hum namaaz padhte hain, us
waqt kya karein?) Hazrat Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu Anhu ne farmaya: IQRA' BIHA FI NAFSIKA
(Imam ke pichhe tum Surah Fatihah apne jee mein padho) Saheeh Muslim.

Mazkura donon Hadeeson se wajeh huwa ke Qur'an Majeed mein jo aata hai: "WA-IJA QURI-A
ALQUR'ANU FASTAMIAAOO LAHU WAANSITOO" (Surah Aaraf-204) "Jab Qur'an padha jaye toh
suno aur khamosh raho" ya Hadees WA-IJA QARA'A FA'ANSITOO (bishart sahat) "Jab imaam qiraat
kare toh khamosh raho." ka matlab yeh hai ke jehri namaazon mein muqtadi Surah Fatihah ke alawah
baqi qiraat khamoshi se sunein. Imaam ke saath Qur'an na padhein, ya imaam Surah Fatihah ki ayat
waqfon ke saath padhe taki muqtadi bhi Ahadees Saheeh ke mutabiq Surah Fatihah padh sakein, ya
imaam Surah Fatihah ke baad itna sukoot kare ke muqtadi Surah Fatihah padh lein. Is tarah ayat Qurani
aur Ahadees Saheeh mein Alhamdulillah koi ta'arij nahi rehta. Dono par amal ho jata hai, jab ke Surah
Fatihah ki mumaniyat se yeh baat sabit hoti hai ke Qur'an e Kareem aur Ahadees Saheehah mein takrao
hai aur dono mein se kisi ek par hi amal ho sakta hai baek waqt donon par amal mumkin hain.
FANAUZO BILLAHI MIN HAZA Dekhiye Surah Aaraf, Ayat-204 ka hasiya. (Is masle ki tahqeeq ke
liye mulahaza ho kitab "Tahqeequl Kalam" Maulana Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri wa "Tawzihul Kalam"
Maulana Irshadul Haqq Asari Hafizahullah wagaira) yahan yeh baat bhi wajeh rahe ki Imam Ibn
Taimiyyah Rahmatullahi Alayhi ke najdeek Salaf ki aksariyat ka qaul yeh hai ke agar muqtadi imam ki
qiraat sun raha ho toh na padhe aur agar na sun raha ho toh padhe. (Majmoo' Fatawaa ibn Taimiyyah
23/265)

[Ahsanul Bayan Fee Tafseer Maan’il Qur’an]

Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

'MAN SALLA SALATA LAM YAQRA FIHA BI-UMM AL-QUR'AN, FAHIYA KHIDAJ-SALASAN
GHAIRO TAMAM'

Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not read Umm Al-Qur'an, then his prayer is incomplete. He
said it thrice.

Abu Hurayrah was asked, "When we stand behind the Imam"

He said, "Read it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

QALA ALLAHU AZZA WAJAL: QASAMTU AS-SALATA BAYNI WABAYNA ABDI NISFAYIN
WALIABDEE MASA’ALA

Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My
servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.'

If he says, ALHAMDULILLAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN (All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of
existence.

QALA ALLAH: HAMIDANEE ABDEE

Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.'

When the servant says, AR-RAHMAINR RAHEEM The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

QALA ALLAH: ASNEE ALAYYA ABDEE

Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.'

When he says, MALIKI YAUMID-DEEN The Owner of the Day of Recompense.

QALA ALLAH: MAJJADANEE ABDEE WAQALA MARRATA: FAWWAZA ILAYYA ADBEE

Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,' or `My servant has related all matters to Me.'
When he says, IYYAKA NAABUDU WA IYYAKA NASTAAEEN You (alone) we worship, and You
(alone) we ask for help.

QALA: HAJA BAYNI WABAYNA ABDEE WALIABDEE MA SA'ALA

Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.'

When he says, IHDINAS-SIRATAL MUSTAQEEM Guide us to the straight path.

SIRATAL LAJEENA AN AAMTA AALAYHIM GHAYRIL MAGHDOOBI AALAYHIM WALAD-

DALLEENA The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who
earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray,

QALA ALLAH: HAJA LI-ABDEE WALI-ABDEE MA SA'ALA

Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.'.''

These are the words of An-Nasa'i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa'i collected the following wording,

"A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.''

[Tafseer Ibn Kathir-English]