performs a prayer without reciting the Mother of the Quran has offered a deficient prayer.” He repeated this three times, meaning that it is incomplete. Abū Hurayra was asked: “But I pray behind the imam.” He replied:

“Recite it quietly to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, relate that Allah said: ‘I have divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant: half is Mine and half is My servant’s, and My servant shall have what he asks for. When the servant says, “All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds,” Allah says, “My servant has praised Me.” When he says, “The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,” Allah says, “My servant has extolled Me.” When he says, “Master of the Day of Judgment,” He says, “My servant has glorified Me.” On one occasion he said, “My servant has entrusted his affairs to Me.” When he says, “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help,” He says, “This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.” When he says, “Guide us to the straight path—the path of those You have blessed, not those who have incurred Your anger, nor those who have gone astray,” He says, “This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.”’”

Muslim also narrated in his Sahīh from ʿImrān ibn Husayn:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, led the noon prayer, and a man behind him began reciting ‘Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.’ When he finished the prayer, he asked, ‘Which of you recited?’—or, ‘Which of you was reciting?’ A man said, ‘I did.’ He said, ‘I thought that one of you was competing with me in reciting it.’” Narrated by Muslim.

This man recited behind him during the noon prayer, yet he did not forbid either him or anyone else from reciting. Rather, he said, “I thought that one of you was competing with me in reciting it,” meaning that he was contending with him over it. Similarly, he said in the other hadith:

“I say, ‘Why is someone competing with me in reciting the Quran?’”