FatwaFederal TerritoriesPrayer (Salah)
AL-KAFI #789 : IMAM TERLUPA MEMBACA AL-FATIHAH
Is the prayer valid if the imam forgets to recite al-Fatihah in the second rakaat and proceeds to bow despite being reminded by the congregation?
Short answer
Reciting al-Fatihah is a spoken pillar of prayer and the obligation is not waived by forgetfulness.
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
Reciting al-Fatihah is a spoken pillar of prayer and the obligation is not waived by forgetfulness. The imam's prayer is not invalidated, but he must stand and add a replacement rakaat before the final salam. If he does not make it up and a long time passes after the salam, the prayer is invalid and must be repeated. Followers have two options: keep following the imam, and intend separation (mufaraqah) and make up the rakaat themselves if he does not do so before the salam, or intend mufaraqah at once and pray alone; following the imam is preferable.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Bagi imam yang terlupa membaca al-Fatihah, solatnya tidaklah batal dan dia perlu menambah rakaat sebelum salam.
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 #789 : IMAM TERLUPA MEMBACA AL-FATIHAH”, 1 August 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2534-al-kafi-789-imam-terlupa-membaca-al-fatihah. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/imam-forgets-reciting-al-fatihah-prayer-validity/