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Should the worshiper led in prayer recite the Fatiha and a short surah, or is the imam's recitation sufficient, or should he recite along with the imam?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The more cautious approach for the congregant is to recite Al-Fatiha behind the Imam during his pauses, to avoid disagreement. If unable to do so, the preponderant opinion is that it is waived for him. As for reciting another Surah other than Al-Fatiha behind the Imam, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade it, saying: "Do not do so, except with the Mother of the Qur'an, for there is no prayer for one who does not recite it." Therefore, it is obligatory to listen attentively to the Imam's recitation in everything other than Al-Fatiha.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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