And is the follower’s recitation of al-Fātihah when the imam recites aloud obligatory or recommended? There are two views:

The first is that it is obligatory. This is al-Shāfi‘ī’s later view and the view of Ibn Hazm. The second is that it is recommended. This is the view of al-Awzā‘ī and al-Layth ibn Sa‘d, and the position preferred by my grandfather, Abū al-Barakāt.

In this matter, there is no precautionary course that avoids all scholarly disagreement, just as there is none concerning the time of ‘Asr, the conversion of Hajj, and similar questions. In such cases, one must examine what the scriptural evidence requires.

Many scholars hold that the time for ‘Asr ends when the shadow of each object reaches twice its length. This is the well-known position in the schools of Mālik and al-Shāfi‘ī, and one of the two views reported from Ahmad. Abū Hanīfah, however, holds that its time begins at that point. Thus, they have not agreed upon a time at which ‘Asr may validly be performed.

This differs from the other prayers. If someone performs Zuhr after the sun has passed its zenith, after the shadow of each object has reached its own length, excluding the shadow present at the zenith, his prayer is valid. They likewise agree that Maghrib is valid if performed after sunset, and that ‘Ishā’ is valid if performed after the white twilight has disappeared and before the first third of the night has passed, and Fajr