Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (3/299)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

the Prophet ﷺ asked who had done it. Abu Bakrah said, “I did.” He said: “May Allah increase you in eagerness, but do not do that again.” (1) He did not instruct him to make up the rak‘ah whose bowing he had caught, despite not having recited in it. Had he not caught it, it would have been missed, and the Prophet ﷺ would have instructed him to make it up, just as he instructed the man who prayed incorrectly to repeat his prayer. Since he did not instruct him to make it up, it is known that he had caught the rak‘ah, and the recitation of al-Fātiḥah was waived for him. This is textual evidence.

Reasoning also requires this: for this follower did not catch the standing position, which is the place for recitation. When standing is waived, the obligatory remembrance within it—namely, recitation—is likewise waived, just as washing the hand is waived if it has been amputated above the elbow. The absence of the place entails the dropping of what is required within it.

Some scholars (2) have said that reciting al-Fātiḥah is not unconditionally a pillar. They cited the general meaning of Allah’s saying:

“Recite, then, whatever is easy for you of the Quran.” [Surah al-Muzzammil 73:20]

They also cited the general wording of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah concerning the man who prayed incorrectly: “Then recite whatever is easy for you of the Quran.” (3) The point of inference from this hadith is that it occurs in the context of explaining what is obligatory, where there was a need to specify the particular surah. Had al-Fātiḥah been obligatory, he would have specified it, since this man did not know anything and thus needed it to be explained to him. Since he did not specify it despite the need for clarification, it is known that it is not obligatory. This is a strong argument.

However, the response to it is that this is a general and unspecific statement—namely, his words, “whatever is easy”—while the textual proofs have clarified that reciting al-Fātiḥah is indispensable. Thus, this general statement is to be understood

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari, Book of the Adhan, chapter: If one bows before reaching the row (783). (2) Al-Mughni (2/146). (3) Its source was cited previously on p. 19.

النبيُّ ﷺ مِن الصَّلاةِ سأل مَنِ الفاعل؟ فقال أبو بَكْرة: أنا، فقال: «زادكَ اللهُ حرصاً ولا تَعُدْ» (١)، ولم يأمره بقضاء الرَّكعة التي أدركَ ركوعها، دون قراءتها، ولو كان لم يدركها لكانت قد فاتته، ولأمره النبيُّ ﷺ بقضائها، كما أمَرَ المسيءَ في صلاتِهِ أن يعيدَها، فلما لم يأمره بقضائها عُلِمَ أنه قد أدرك الركعة، وسقطت عنه قراءة الفاتحة، فهذا دليل من النصِّ. والمعنى يقتضي ذلك: لأن هذا المأموم لم يدرك القيام الذي هو محلُّ القراءة، فإذا سقط القيامُ سَقَطَ الذِّكْرُ الواجبُ فيه وهو القراءة. كما يسقطُ غَسْلُ اليد إذا قُطعت مِن فوق المرفق. إنَّ فَقْدَ المحلِّ يستلزمُ سقوط الحال. وقال بعض العلماء (٢): إنَّ قراءة الفاتحة ليست رُكناً مطلقاً. واستدلَّ بعموم قوله تعالى: ﴿فَاقْرَأُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ﴾ [المزمل: ٢٠]. وعموم قول النبيِّ ﷺ في حديث أبي هريرة في قصةِ المسيءِ في صلاتِه: «ثم اقرأ ما تيسَّرَ معك مِن القرآن» (٣): ووجه الاستدلال مِن هذا الحديث: أنه في بيان الواجب، والحاجة داعية إلى بيان السُّورة المعيَّنة، ولو كانت الفاتحة واجبة لعيَّنها؛ لأن هذا الرَّجُل لم يعرف شيئاً، فهو بحاجة إلى بيانها، فلما لم يعينها في مقام الحاجة عُلِمَ أنَّها ليست بواجبة، وهذه حجَّة قويَّة. ولكن يُجاب عنه: بأن هذا مجملٌ، أي: قوله: «ما تيسَّر»، وقد بيّنت النصوص أنه لا بُدَّ مِن قراءة الفاتحة، فيحمل هذا المجمل

(١) أخرجه البخاري، كتاب الأذان، باب إذا ركع دون الصف (٧٨٣). (٢) «المغني» (٢/ ١٤٦). (٣) تقدم تخريجه ص (١٩).