The permissibility of limiting oneself to Sūrah al-Fātiḥah (*)
Muʿādh used to perform the night prayer (ʿIshāʾ) with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and then return to lead his own people. One night he came back and led them; a youth from his clan, the Banū Salamah, named Sulaym, prayed behind him. When the prayer became too long for the young man, he stepped away, offered a separate prayer in another part of the mosque, went out, took hold of his camel’s reins, and left.
When Muʿādh finished, he was told what had happened and said, “That is a sign of hypocrisy! I shall inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ of what he has done.”
The youth replied, “And I shall inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ of what he has done.”
The next morning they went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Muʿādh reported what the youth had done, and the youth said, “Messenger of Allah, he stays a long time with you, then returns and prolongs the prayer for us!”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Are you a trial-maker, Muʿādh?!”
He then said to the youth (1):
“How do you pray, my nephew, when you stand for prayer?”
He replied, “I recite the Opening of the Book, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah; I ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from the Fire. I do not understand your murmuring (2) or Muʿādh’s.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ responded, “Around these two requests—or something like that—revolve my supplication and Muʿādh’s.”
The youth then added, “Muʿādh will know soon enough—once the people return and have been told that the enemy has arrived.”
They returned, and the youth was martyred. Afterward the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Muʿādh: