prayer. Moreover, listening to the recitation of the imam whom one follows, and whom one is obliged to follow, has a stronger claim than listening to someone reciting outside prayer. Recitation during prayer therefore falls within the verse’s scope, whether specifically or as part of its general application. In either case, the verse indicates that the follower is commanded to remain silent during the imam’s recitation. Whether this command denotes an obligation or a recommendation, the point is established: listening is preferable to reciting. The verse clearly indicates this on either interpretation.

The opposing scholar concedes that, for recitation beyond al-Fātihah, listening rather than reciting is commanded. Yet the verse commands silence whenever the Quran is recited. Al-Fātihah is the Mother of the Quran, the surah that must be recited in every prayer, and the greatest surah of the Quran. Nothing like it has been revealed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Quran. It is therefore impossible that the verse should mean listening to other portions of the Quran but not to al-Fātihah, given its unrestricted and general wording, especially since al-Fātihah is recited more frequently, is more widely known, and is superior to other surahs.

For His words,

“When the Quran is recited,”

include al-Fātihah just as they include other portions of the Quran. Indeed, its inclusion is all the more evident in both wording and meaning. Someone who turns from listening to al-Fātihah to reciting it does so only because he considers reciting it preferable to listening. This is an error that contradicts the revealed texts and scholarly consensus. The Book and the Sunnah command the follower to listen rather than recite, and the Muslim community agrees that listening to what is recited beyond al-Fātihah is preferable to reciting those passages oneself.