Reciting the basmalah aloud in audible prayers
Question: What is the ruling on pronouncing the basmalah aloud during the audible prayers?
Answer: If a person occasionally recites the basmalah aloud in an audible prayer, there is no harm in that. However, one should not make a habit of doing so, because the established practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and of his rightly guided successors is that they would not raise their voices with “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim” (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). They would recite al-Fatiha aloud in the audible prayers and would recite the surah that follows it aloud, but it has not been reported that they raised their voices with “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.” Therefore, regularly reciting it aloud is not appropriate, even though doing so on occasion is permissible.

Recitation of Surah al-Fatiha in the prayer
Question: In an audible congregational prayer, is the follower required to recite al-Fatiha, and if so, when should he do so? How authentic is the narration that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard some of the followers reciting behind him, he rebuked them after concluding the prayer, saying, “Why am I being contested over the Qur’an?” and then added, “Your imam is responsible for your prayer,” or words to that effect. If the report is sound, is the issue their recitation of al-Fatiha or something else? And how can this be reconciled with his other statement, “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening Chapter of the Book”?