Reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

No, Hanafis do not say you can pray without reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. Rather we consider it Wajib to recite Fatihah. So it is sinful to omit it. However, we do believe that the prayer will remain valid even if you do not recite the entirety of Surah al-Fatihah.

Explanation

عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: لاَ صَلاَةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الكِتَابِ

Ubaadah ibn Samit (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: There is no prayer for the one who did not recite the Fatihah of the Book. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 756).

The Hadith above is clear in its emphasis upon reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. So why don’t the Hanafis take the Hadith literally? Why do they insist upon interpreting it? Because the Hanafis say the prayer will be valid but sinful if you do not recite the entirety of Surah al-Fatihah in Salah.

Prioritising the Holy Quran

In the Usool (legal framework) of the Hanafi Madhab there is the idea of prioritising the Holy Quran over Hadith. This manifests in many ways. In our discussion, it leads to us interpreting the Hadith above and not taking it literally. Since, the Hanafis believe that in this case either a Quranic verse or a Hadith will have to be interpreted.

فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ

So, recite whatever is easy of the Quran. (Surah al-Muzamil, 20).

According to Hanafi Imams the above verse is clear in permitting one to recite anything of the Quran in Salah. Thus, it does not limit us to specifically reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. So if the Hadith is taken literally it leads to a conflict. Therefore, one of them must be interpreted and not taken literally.

In such circumstances the Hanafis prefer to take the stronger text literally an interpret the weak. Since, even a Sahih Hadith is not as strong as a verse of the Holy Quran, the Hadith is the one to be interpreted.

How is it interpreted?

The Hanafis interpret the Hadith to mean that there is no perfect or unflawed prayer without reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. Inevitably, this does not align with the exact wording of the Hadith, but that is what interpretation necessitates. By necessity you have moved away from the literal meaning when you interpret.

The fact that all scholars interpret Hadith away from the literal meaning at times, significantly strengthens the Hanafi position. Below are just two examples where all scholars will move away from the literal meaning of the Hadith narrations.

عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ

Anas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said “None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 13).

عَنْ أَبِي شُرَيْحٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ. قِيلَ: وَمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: الَّذِي لاَ يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَايِقَهُ

Abu Shuraih (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: By Allah (Most High), he does not believe. By Allah (Most High), he does not believe. By Allah (Most High), he does not believe. It was said, ‘Who, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ He ﷺ said: A person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his harm. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6016).

The first narration above is interpreted so often, that many Muslims do not know the actual wording of the Hadith. That is because it is often narrated by meaning. So people will narrate it as: None of you ‘truly’ believes.

If the Hadith was taken literally then it would dictate that anyone who does not love for others precisely what he loves for himself then he would be a Kafir (disbeliever).  No credible scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah holds this view.

As for the second Hadith, if it were taken literally it would mean that even if your neighbour fears harm from you, then you are a Kafir (disbeliever). Again no credible scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah understands it like this.

Again they understand it to refer to perfect faith not the existence of it. Meaning if your neighbour is uncomfortable with you and fears you may harm him or her, then you have not fully embodied the dictates of the Islamic faith.

In a similar manner the Hadith which dictates reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah is interpreted. Meaning the Hanafis say you will not have a perfect or unflawed prayer without al-Fatihah. However, the prayer will be valid.

Hadith is clearer

إِذَا قُمْتَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَكَبِّرْ، ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مَعَكَ مِنَ القُرْآنِ، ثُمَّ ارْكَعْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ رَاكِعًا

The Prophet ﷺ said: When you stand for prayer utter Takbir. Then recite whatever is easy for you from The Qur’an. Then bow until you are tranquil in bowing. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 757).

Although the verse from Surah al-Muzamil is clear in permitting other than reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah, the Hadith above is clearer still. In it the blessed Prophet ﷺ is saying that a person may recite whatever is easy for him. Meaning as an individual. And it is not the case that every individual finds Surah al-Fatihah the easiest Surah to memorise and recite.

Conclusion

As we see from the discussion above, Hanafis have strong proof for their position. Namely, saying that prayer is valid without reciting Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. It is clear why the Hanafis have not taken the Hadith literally.

However, it is still very important to recite Surah al-Fatihah in Salah. Since it is a Wajib of Salah. Meaning, the prayer will be valid but sinful without the recital of Surah al-Fatihah. This is how the Hanafis understand the Hadith necessitating al-Fatihah in Salah.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (18.12.24)