Abrogation of Reciting Behind the Imam in Audible Prayers

The Prophet ﷺ had at first allowed those following the imam to recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah behind him in prayers that are recited aloud. On one occasion, while leading the dawn prayer, he began his recitation and found it heavy upon him. When he finished he said, “Perhaps you are reciting behind your imam?” We replied, “Yes, Messenger of Allah—and we do so quickly.” He said, “Do not do that, except that one of you may recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, for there is no prayer for the one who does not recite it.”

Later he ﷺ forbade them from all recitation in audible prayers. After concluding a prayer in which he had recited aloud—one report says it was the dawn prayer—he asked, “Did any one of you recite with me just now?” A man replied, “Yes, I did, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “I was thinking: Why am I being opposed?” Abu Hurayrah said: When the people heard this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ they stopped reciting with him in any prayer in which he recited aloud; instead, they recited silently to themselves in prayers where the imam does not recite aloud.

He counted listening attentively to the imam’s recitation as an essential part of following him, saying, “The imam has only been appointed to be followed: when he pronounces the takbīr, pronounce the takbīr; and when he recites, remain silent.” He also ruled that the imam’s recitation suffices for those behind him: “Whoever has an imam, the imam’s recitation counts as his recitation.” This pertains to the audible prayers. (p. 327–364)

Obligation of Recitation in Silent Prayers

In the silent prayers, however, he approved their reciting. Jābir said, “We used to recite behind the imam in Dhuhr and ʿAṣr during the first two rakʿahs with Sūrat al-Fātiḥah and another surah, and in the last two rakʿahs with Sūrat al-Fātiḥah only.” He objected only when their recitation disturbed him. Once, after leading Dhuhr, he asked, “Which of you recited: sabbiḥ isma rabbika al-aʿlā (Exalt the Name of your Lord, the Most High)?” A man replied, “I did—intending nothing but good.” He ﷺ said, “I realized someone was contending with me in it.” In another narration: “They used to recite behind the Prophet ﷺ and raise their voices, so he said, ‘You have confused the Qur’an for me.’” He also said, “The worshipper is conversing intimately with his Lord; let him consider what he is saying to Him, and let none of you raise his voice over another in reciting the Qur’an.”

He would further say, “Whoever recites one letter from the Book of Allah receives a good deed for it, and each good deed is multiplied tenfold. I do not say that alif-lām-mīm is one letter; rather, alif is a letter, lām is a letter, and mīm is a letter.” (p. 365–372)

Saying Āmīn Aloud

Whenever he ﷺ finished reciting Sūrat al-Fātiḥah he would say, “Āmīn,” raising his voice and prolonging it.