FatwaFederal TerritoriesPrayer (Salah)
AL-KAFI #872: MAKMUM TERLUPA BACA AL-FATIHAH KETIKA BERJEMAAH
What is the ruling on a follower in congregational prayer who forgets to recite al-Fatihah?
Short answer
A follower who forgets to recite al-Fatihah is not at fault, but the extent of the forgetfulness must be considered.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Prayer (Salah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
A follower who forgets to recite al-Fatihah is not at fault, but the extent of the forgetfulness must be considered. If the imam has already bowed, the follower first completes al-Fatihah and is permitted to lag behind by up to three long actions, until the imam is about to perform the second prostration, after which he must follow the imam again. Following the Shafi'i school, the fatwa states that al-Fatihah is obligatory for the imam, the follower and the individual praying alone, except for the latecomer (masbuk), who may follow the imam into bowing even if his recitation is unfinished.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Sekali lagi kami tegaskan bahawa al-Fatihah adalah wajib bagi imam, makmum (kecuali makmum masbuk) dan juga sembahyang seorang diri.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #872: MAKMUM TERLUPA BACA AL-FATIHAH KETIKA BERJEMAAH”, 31 October 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2719-al-kafi-872-makmum-terlupa-baca-al-fatihah-ketika-berjemaah. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/follower-forgets-reciting-al-fatihah-congregational-prayer/