Method of Salaah (Namaz): Reciting Fatiha Behind Imam Issue
Method of Salaah (Namaz): Reciting Fatiha Behind Imam Issue
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Reciting Surah al-Fatiha behind the Imam?
Recently
it has been experienced that some people stubbornly claim that
whosoever does not recite Surah al-Fatiha behind the Imam then his
prayer is not acceptable (i.e. It is null and void). Whether it is
necessary to recite behind the Imam or not is a minor issue, but when
arrogant people make rigid statements like: Prayer of people who do not
recite is “NULL AND VOID” then it becomes necessary to write a detailed
refutation of such extremists. With the Grace of Allah “NOT” reciting
behind Imam is something which is proven directly from Qur'an itself
In Light of Qur'an
Qur'an states: When the Qur’an is being recited then “LISTEN ATTENTIVELY AND REMAIN SILENT” so that mercy will be showered upon you".(7:204)
Tafsir Ibn Kathir R.A: Imam Ibn Kathir (rah) narrates from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (ra), Abu Huraira (ra) and Ibn Masud (ra) that this ayah was revealed regarding “REMAINING SILENT WHEN IMAM RECITES”… Then Imam Ibn Kathir says:
وقال أبو حنيفة وأحمد بن حنبل: لا يجب على المأموم قراءة أصلاً في السرية ولا الجهرية بما ورد في الحديث «من كان له إمام فقراءته قراءة له» وهذا الحديث رواه الإمام أحمد في مسنده عن جابر مرفوعاً، وهو في موطأ مالك عن وهب بن كيسان عن جابر موقوفاً، وهذا أصح
Translation: Imam Abu Hanifa (rah) and Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal (rah) say that Qirat is not binding upon Muqtadi “WHETHER IN SILENT OR LOUD PRAYER” because it has come in hadith that whosoever has an Imam then his recitation is your recitation, this hadith is narrated by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad from Jabir (ra) in the “MARFU FORM” and in Muwatta Imam Malik via the route of Wahb bin Kaysan who nattated from Jabir (ra) in Mawquf form. (Ibn Kathir said) “THIS IS THE MORE CORRECT VIEWPOINT” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (1/281) under 7:204]
May Allah immensely bless Imam Ibn Kathir (rah) who in-spite of being a Shafi'i called the stance of Imam Abu Hanifa and Ahnaaf as “MORE CORRECT”
Imam Nasai'i (rah) made a whole chapter as:
باب تأويل قوله عز وجل: {وإذا قرىء القرآن
فاستمعوا له وأنصتوا لعلكم ترحمون}
Translation: Interpretation of Allah’s saying: {When the Qur’an is being recited then listen attentively and remain silent so that mercy will be showered upon you}
Under this chapter he brought the following hadith
1.
أَخْبَرَني الْجَارُودُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ التِّرْمِذِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ أَبِـي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِـي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلّم: «إنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَإذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا وَإذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ».
Translation: Hadrat Abu Hurraira (ra) narrates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Imam has been appointed upon you so that you follow him, when he says takbir then you should also say takbir, “BUT WHEN HE RECITES QUR'AN THEN YOU SHOULD REMAIN SILENT”, when he goes for Ruku and says Sami Allah huliman Hamida then you should say Allahuma Rabbana Lakal Hamd [Sunnan Nasai’I (2/479, Hadith # 919)]
2.
حدثنـي أبو السائب، قال: ثنا حفص، عن أشعث، عن الزهري، قال: نزلت هذه الآية فـي فتـى من الأنصار كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلّم كلـما قرأ شيئا قرأه، فنزلت: وَإذَا قُرِىءَ القُرآنُ فـاسْتَـمِعُوا لَهُ وأنْصِتُوا
Translation: Imam al-Zuhri (rah) narrates that this ayah was revealed regarding a young person from Ansaar. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) recited any ayah in prayer, then he used to recite behind him, “THEREFORE THIS AYAH WAS REVEALED” [Tafsir Ibn Jarir (9/110) under 7:204]
Leading Sahaba and Tabiyeen on 7:204
1.
عن بشير بن جابر، قال: صلى ابن مسعود، فسمع ناسا يقرءون مع الإمام، فلـما انصرف، قال: أما آن لكم أن تفقهوا؟ أما آن لكم أن تعقلوا؟ وَإذَا قُرِىءَ القُرآنُ فـاسْتَـمِعُوا لَهُ وأنْصِتُوا كما أمركم الله.
Translation: Hadrat Bashir bin Jabir (ra) narrates that Ibn Masud (ra) lead people in prayer and he heard some people reciting along with Imam, when he offered salutations he said: “HASN’T TIME COME YET THAT YOU UNDERSTAND” hasn’t time come yet that you use your senses? Remember when Quran is recited then you should listen to it attentively and “REMAIN SILENT, BECAUSE ALLAH HAS ORDERED IT (IN 7:204)” [Tafsir at-Tabri, (9/110) under 7:204]
2.
عن سعيد بن جبـير: وَإذَا قُرِىءَ القُرآنُ فـاسْتَـمِعُوا لَهُ وأنْصِتُوا قال: فـي الصلاة الـمكتوبة.
Translation: Hadrat Sa’eed bin Jubair (ra) narrates that {When the Qur’an is being recited then listen attentively and remain silent} is revealed about “OBLIGATORY PRAYERS” [Tafsir Ibn Jarir (9/110) under 7:204]
3.
وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس في الآية قوله {وَإِذَا قُرِىءَ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۴} يعني في الصلاة المفروضة،
Translation: Ibn Abbas (ra) said that {When the Qur’an is being recited then listen attentively and remain silent} refers to ruling regarding “OBLIGATORY PRAYERS” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir under 7:204]
Now here is proof from leading Tabiyeen:
1.
قال: ثنا أبـي، عن سفـيان، عن أبـي هاشم، عن مـجاهد: فـي الصلاة الـمكتوبة
Imam Mujahid (rah) said: (This ayah is revealed) about “Obligatory prayers” [ibid]
2.
قال: ثنا الـمـحاربـي وأبو خالد، عن جويبر، عن الضحاك قال: فـي الصلاة الـمكتوبة
Imam adh-Dhahak (rah) said: (This ayah is revealed) about “Obligatory prayers” [ibid]
3.
قال: ثنا جرير وابن فضيـل، عن مغيرة، عن إبراهيـم، قال: فـي الصلاة الـمكتوبة.
Ibrahim al Nakh’ai (rah) said: (This ayah is revealed) about “Obligatory prayers” [ibid]
Hence those people who believe that recitation of Imam is enough for Muqtadi (follower) then they have Quran in their favour whereas people who proclaim that recitation is necessary for Muqtadi have no proof from Quran whatsoever. But to their surprise even overwhelming ahadith refute the claim that recitation on Muqtadi is binding, some have been shown above but let us see some more.
In Light of Hadith
Hadith #1
Ata' b. Yasar reported that he had asked Zaid b. Thabit about recital along with the Imam, to which he said: ”THERE SHOULD BE NO RECITAL ALONG WITH THE IMAM IN ANYTHING” and alleged that he recited:" By the star when it sets" (Surah Najm) before the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he did not prostrate himself. [Book 004, Number 1192: (Sahih Muslim)]
References:
1. Sahi Muslim, Kitab As Salah, Chapter: Sajood At Tilawah, Volume 1, Page: 406, Hadith No #577
2. Sunan Nasai Al Kubra, Kitab Al Masajid, Volume 2, Page: 6, Hadith No #1034
3. Sunan Nasai, Kitab Al iftitah, Volume 2, Page: 160, Hadith No #960
4. Mustakhraj Abu 'Awanah, Volume 1, Page: 522, Hadith No #1951
Hadith #2
حدثني عن مالك عن أبي نعيم وهب بن كيسان أنه سمع جابر بن عبد الله
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Nuaym Wahb ibn Kaysan that he heard Jabir ibn Abdullah say, "Someone who prays a raka without reciting the umm al-Qur'an in it has not done the prayer except behind an imam." [Book 3, Number 3.9.40: (Muwatta Imam Malik)]
1. Jami' Tirmidhi, Kitab As Salah, Volume 1, Page: 43, Hadith No #313
2. Sharah Ma'ani al Athaar, Volume 1, Page: 218, Hadith No #1300
Note: It has been noted that some people use the above hadith and they hide the last part of it, without the last part of above hadith which states: "EXCEPT BEHIND AN IMAM" the hadith is incomplete.
Hadith #3
حدثني يحيى عن مالك عن ابن شهاب عن ابن أكيمة الليثي عن أبي هريرة
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished a prayer in which he had recited aloud and asked, "Did any of you recite with me just now?" One man said, "Yes, I did, Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I was saying to myself, 'Why am I distracted from the Qur'an?' " When the people heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that, they refrained from reciting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he recited aloud. [Book 3, Number 3.11.46: (Muwatta Imam Malik)]
We would clarify something here so that no excuse is left. Some people believe that Surah al Fatiha is to be recited by Muqtadi whether in “Jahri (loud) or Sari (silent) prayer, so they cannot say that one should refrain from reciting in loud prayer but may recite in silent prayer. Now let us see the following ahadith which makes it crystal clear.
References
1. Muwatta Imam Malik, Kitab As Salah, Volume 2, Page: 118, Hadith No #286
2. Musnad Ahmad Bin Hambal, Volume 13, Page: 223, Hadith No #7820
3. Imam Bukhari in Qirat Khalf Al Imam, Volume 1, Page: 28, Hadith No #67
4. Sunan Ibn e Majah, Kitab Iqam As Salah Was Sunnah Feeha, Volume 1, Page: 276, Hadith No #848
5. Jami' Tirmidhi, Kitab As Salah, Volume 1, Page: 408, Hadith No #312
6. Musnad Al Bazzar, Volume 15, Page: 286, Hadith No #8780
7. Sunan Nasai, Volume 2, Page: 140, Hadith No #919
8. Sunan Nasai Al Kubra, Volume 1, Page: 475, Hadith No #993
9. Sharah Ma'ani Al Athaar, Volume 1, Page: 217, Hadith No #1290
10. Sahi Ibn e Hibban, Volume 5, Page: 151, Hadith No #1843
11. Ma'jam Al Ausath of Tabrani, Volume 5, Page: 308, Hadith No #5397
12. Sunan Dar Al Qutuni, Volume 2, Page: 99, Hadith No #1217
Hadith #4
حدّثنا وَكِيع عن الضحاك بن عُثمان عن عَبدِ الله بن يَزيد عن ابن ثوبان عن زَيد بن ثَابت قال: لا يقرأ خلف الإمام إن جهر ولا إن خافت.
Zayd bin Thabit (ra) said: There is no recitation behind the Imam “WHETHER IN LOUD OR SILENT (PRAYER)”[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 1/413
1. Musannaf Ibn e Abi shahibah, Kitab As Salah, Volume 1, Page: 330, Hadith No #3787
2. Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, Kitab As Salah, Volume 2, Page: 137, Hadith No #2802
3. Sharah Ma'ani Al Athaar, Volume 1, Page: 219, Hadith No #1314
4. Sunan Al Kubra-Bayhaqi, Volume 2, Page: 233, Hadith No #2912
Hadith #5[ Ahadith regarding not reciting behind Imam]
حدّثنا الفضل عن زُهير عن الوليد بن قيس قال: سألت سويد بن غفلة: أقرأ خلف الإمام في الظهر والعصر؟ فقال: لا.
Translation: Walid bin Qays asked Suwaid bin Ghafla (ra): Should there be Qirat behind Imam in the Dhuhr and Asr prayers? He said: No! [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 1/413]
1. Musnnaf Ibn e Abi shaybah, Volume 1, Page: 331, Hadith No #3796
2. Al Athaar of Muhmmad Bin Hasan, Volume 1, Page: 186, Hadith No #87
Hadith #6
ثنا بن نمير عن عبيد الله بن عمر عن نافع عن بن عمر أنه كان يقول من صلى وراء الإمام كفاه قراءة الإمام هذا هو الصحيح
Translation: Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiallahu anhu) used to repeatedly say: "Whoever performs salaah behind the Imaam, the Imaam’s qiraat suffices for him" Imam Baihaqi declared it “SAHIH”.(Sunan Baihaqi, Chapter regarding “NOT RECITING BEHIND THE IMAM” Volume No.2, Page No. 160]
1. Sunan Al Kubra-bayhaqi, Volume 2, Page: 229, Hadith No #2901
2. Musnad Ibn e Ja'd, Volume 1, Page: 178, Hadith No #1150
3. Sharah Ma'ani Al Athaar, Volume 1, Page: 220, Hadith No #1317
4. Sunan Dar Al Qutuni, Volume 2, Page: 260, Hadith No #1503
Hadith #7
حدّثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ . حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسى ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ إِمَامٌ، فَقِرَاءَةُ الإِمَامِ قِرَاءَةٌ».
Translation: Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah (ra) narrates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Whosoever has an Imam then the “RECITIATION OF IMAM IS ENOUGH FOR HIM” [Sunnan Ibn Majah (1/277, Hadith # 880)]
1. Musnnaf Ibn e Abi Shaybah, Volume 1, Page: 330, Hadith No #3779 and Volume 1, Page: 331, Hadith No #3802
2. Musnad Ahmad Bin Hambal, Volume 23, Page: 12, Hadith No #14643
3. Sunan Dar Al Qutuni, Volume 2, Page: 113, Hadith No # 1238, Volume 2, Page: 122, Hadith No #1253, Volume 2, Page: 125, Hadith No #1264
4. Muwatta Imam Malik, Kitab As Salah,Volume 1, Page: 62, Hadith No #124
5. Sunan Ibn e Majah, Kitab Iqam As Salah Wa Sunnah Feeha, Volume 1, Page: 277, Hadith No #850
6. Sharah Ma'ani al Athaar, Volume 1, Page: 215, Hadith No #1287
7. Musnad Imam Abu hanifah, Volume 1, Page: 32
8. Ma'jam Al Ausath of Tabrani, Volume 7, Page: 308, Hadith No #7579
Hadith #8
حدّثنا أحمد بن داود قال: ثنا يوسف بن عَديّ قال: ثنا عُبيد اللّه بن عمرو، عن أيوب، عن أَبي قلابة، عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: صلى رسول الله، ثم أقبل بوجهه فقال: «أتقرؤون والإمام يقرأ» فسكتوا فسألهم ثلاثاً فقالوا إنا لنفعل، قال: «فلا تفعلوا».
Translation: Anas bin Malik (ra) narrates: The Prophet (Peace be upon him) led us in prayer and then turned towards the people and asked: Do you recite while Imam is reciting? The Prophet asked this thrice! They replied Yes! The Prophet said “DO NOT DO IT” [Imam Tahawi in Sharh al Ma’ni al Athaar (Volume 1, Page: 218, Hadith no #1302)]
Qirat khalf Al Imam-Bayhaqi, Volume 1, Page: 175, Hadith No #385
Conclusion: We hope that the above article would be enough for people to understand that the great Hanafi Muslims who believe in not reciting behind Imam and that one’s prayer is valid without it, they are in “PERFECT CONFORMITY” with Qur'an and Sunnah. This article means no offense to any of the other 3 valid schools of Jurisprudence because following a valid school of jurisprudence is a source of security from wrath of Allah, however this does not apply on the La Madhabiyyah sect.
Recitation of Qiraah behind Imam
Those of us who adhere to the madhab of Imam Abu Hanifa believe that when an individual performs salat alone then it is wajib to recite al-Fatiha, but when one is praying behind the Imam then al-Fatiha should not be recited, whether the Imam is reciting loudly or quietly.The evidence available from the Qur’an and Sunna are as follows:
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it”
[Sura al-A’raf: 204]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:“The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘The Imam’s recitation is enough for the followers’ “
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Sura al-Fatiha]
Hence the position taken by those who adhere to this madhab is that it is impermissible to recite behind the Imam in any salat.There are people who believe that we should recite behind the Imam even when the Imam recites loudly or quietly. Their evidence is from the hadith in which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
“The salat of the person who does not recite al-Fatiha is not accepted”
[Bukhari & Muslim, Kitab as-Salat, Wujub al-Qira’at]
Rather than reading this hadith in isolation, when we read other
sources of Islamic law we can establish that the meaning of this hadith
is that it is essential to recite al-Fatiha when praying salat alone.
Some people have also established from the above hadith that it implies
that the recitation of al-Fatiha in every rakat is fard (compulsory). It
is also worth mentioning that this hadith is established from a single
narration, and an action cannot be proved to be fard from such type of
narration. There is proof from Qur’an and Sunna which supports the view
that if someone reads any part of the Qur’an in the salat, the salat will be accepted. Allah says in the Qur’an:“Recite the Qur’an [in salat] that which is easy for you”
[Sura al-Muzzammil, verse 20]
If Surat al-Fatiha was fard then the verse would have stated this
explicitly. There is also another hadith which states that the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught a man how to perform
salat, yet he did not mention al-Fatiha. Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim
write:“The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sitting in the masjid and a man came and performed salat. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered him to perform salat again. When he finished, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told him again to perform salat. The man said, ‘This is the best way that I can perform salat. Teach me a better way.’ The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said ‘When you stand, say takbir then recite from the Qur’an whatever is easy for you’ “
[Bukhari & Muslim, Bab al-Wujub al-Qira’a]
Imam Daraqutni writes:“The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that whoever joins the salat with the Imam in ruku’ [before the Imam stands straight], that ruku will not have to be repeated”
[Daraqutni, Adrak Imam Qabla ar-Ruku’]
If the recitation of Sura al-Fatiha was fard, the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) would have told the man to reciteal-Fatiha first
and then to recite any other part of the Qur’an which was easy for him.
Also the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would not
have said that the ruku’ of the person who joins the Imam in ruku’ does
not have to be repeated. In such a case al-Fatiha is missed. If
al-Fatiha was fard the person joining the salat at ruku’ would have had
to repeat his salat, simply because a fard was missing.Allama Sa’idi writes:
“The meaning of the above debated hadith is similar to the following ahadith: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘Whoever lives close to the mosque and does not pray in the mosque his salat is not accepted.’
“There is another hadith, which states that if a person makes wudu’ and does not recite bismillah, the wudu’ is invalid. There is also another hadith stating that a person is not Muslim if his neighbour sleeps in a hungry state. Another hadith states that if a person does not fulfil their promise then he is not a Muslim.Of course, the person who fails to fulfil their promise is still a Muslim and, in the same way, if someone does not recite al-Fatiha in salat, his salat is still accepted but without full perfection. If this was not the case the Prophet should have said: ‘The salat of the one who does not recite al-Fatiha is false’ “
[Sa’idi, Sharh Muslim, Bab Wujubi Qira’at]
There is a further explanation of this hadith, which we shall touch
upon later insha’llah. We accept that there are scholars who hold the
view that people should recite al-Fatiha behind the Imam. The scholars
have also written books on this subject.Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:
“Some scholars say that al-Fatiha should be recited behind the Imam. The scholars of Hadith say this opinion is weak. Qur’an and authentic ahadith and the opinion of the early Muslims [salaf] is with those scholars who say that al-Fatiha should not be recited behind the Imam”
[Ibn Taymiyya, Tanaw Ibadat, p. 76]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:“Imam Ahmad and Imam Abu Hanifa say there should be no recitation behind the Imam during any salat. This is more accurate because Imam ash-Shafi’i has one opinion which is similar to this”
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Sura al-A’raf, verse 204]
Imam Abu Dawud writes:“One day the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was leading the prayer. After he had finished praying he asked, ‘Perhaps some of you were reciting behind me?’ The followers replied, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet said, ‘That was why I was facing difficulty in reciting.” Abu Hurayra, Imam Zuhri and Imam Awza’i said that after this advice from the Prophet everyone stopped reciting behind the Imam”
[Abu Dawud, Bab Man al-Qira’at]
From this narration, we can see that people used to recite behind the Imam but stopped it afterwards.Surely, after reading such statements, it should suffice to understand which position is in accordance with the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) command of ‘Pray as you see me pray.’ Whoever decides to embark on their own research on this subject will find it difficult not to arrive at the same conclusion of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya and Hafiz Ibn Kathir.
Evidence For Reciting al-Fatiha Behind the Imam
Let us now examine the evidence of the people who insist that they should recite behind the Imam. Essentially, they claim that there are three ahadith which state that the Prophet said that we should recite behind the Imam. In fact, there is not a single hadith in which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has commanded us to recite behind the Imam. As we have seen thus far, there is proof from the Qur’an and Sunna to suggest that we should NOT recite behind the Imam.Let us examine the three narrations which have been put forward. The first narration is from ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah from Sufyan from Zuhri from Mahmud who reported:
“The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that the salat of whoever does not recite al-Fatiha is not complete”
[Bukhari & Muslim, Bab al-Wujib al-Qira’a]
Those who recite behind the Imam put forward this hadith as their
evidence to recite Sura al-Fatiha in every salat behind the Imam. There
is no word in this hadith that proves that al-Fatiha should be recited
behind the Imam. If we take the literal meaning of reciting behind the
Imam, then thisnarration would go against the Qur’an and authentic ahadith. The actual meaning of this narration is that when a person is praying alone and does not recite al-Fatiha then his salat is not complete. This is the actual opinion held by narrators of this narration. The following proves this:
Imam Muslim writes:
“Ma’mar reported from Zuhri that the Prophet Muhammad said, ‘The salat of the person who does not recite Sura al-Fatiha and another part of the Qur’an is not accepted’ “
[Muslim, Bab al-Qira’a]
Imam Muslim’s narration confirms that this hadith is for the person
who is praying alone because when a person prays alone he reads Sura
al-Fatiha and another part of the Qur’an. Even the people who recite
al-Fatiha behind the Imam do not say that there should be another part
of the Qur’an recited. So it is clear that this hadith is for those
people who are praying alone.An Objection Raised
Imam al-Bukhari narrated a narration from Sufyan which is about the wujub of only reciting al-Fatiha whereas Imam Muslim narrates from Ma’mar a hadith which says that the person’s prayer is not accepted if they do not recite Sura al-Fatiha AND another part of the Qur’an. We prefer Sufyan’s narration over Ma’mar’s because Sufyan is more reliable.This objection can be cleared easily by looking at what the books of al-jarh wa ta’dil say about the quality of hadith narrators.
Imam adh-Dhahabi and Hafiz al-‘Asqalani write:
“Imam Yahya ibn Mu’in was asked by his students as to who had memorised more of Imam adh-Dhahabi’s narrations and whom he prefered. He replied: ‘Imam Ma’mar. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said that Sufyan heard ahadith from Imam Zuhri at a young age, so this is why when he reported ahadith from Zuhri he made mistakes in twenty of them’ “
[al-‘Asqalani, Tahzib at-Tahzib; adh-Dhahabi, Mizan al-I’tidal, Biography of Sufyan and Ma’mar]
This reference proves that Ma’mar’s narration is more authentic than Sufyan’s narration.Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:
“Sufyan sometimes committed tadlis [which means that when he narrated some of the hadith he made out that he heard it directly from Zuhri, but he had actually heard it from someone else who in turn heard it from Zuhri].One day, Sufyan was sitting with his students and he told them a hadith, which he was narrating from Zuhri. One of the students questioned: ‘Did you hear this directly from Zuhri?’ Sufyan paused and said: ‘No, I heard it from ‘Abd ar-Razzaq, who heard it from Ma’mar, who heard it directly from Zuhri”
[Ibn Kathir, Iftisar ‘Ulum al-Ahadith, Bab at-Tadlis]
This reference proves that Sufyan at times committed tadlis and since
Ma’mar’s name is not mentioned under those who committed tadlis, we can
safely assert that he did not.Someone may say that Sufyan’s narrations are prefered over Ma’mar’s even if Ma’mar is more reliable concerning Zuhri’s narrations. In response to this we assert that Sufyan’s narrations do not actually prove that we should read al-Fatiha even if we are praying behind an Imam. Let us examine what Imam Zuhri and his other students (including Imam Malik and Sufyan himself) understood from this narration.
The main narration comes from Imam Zuhri, then his students: Imam Malik, Sufyan, Yunus, Ma’mar, Awza’i and others narrate this narration:
Imam Abu Dawud writes:
“Sufyan narrates from Imam Zuhri that the hadith, that a prayer of the person who does not recite al-Fatiha and another part of the Qur’an is not accepted, is meant for the person who is praying alone. Imam Zuhri says that when the Prophet used to lead the prayer loudly the people used to recite behind him. This narration is from Imam Zuhri, narrated by Sufiyan, Ma’mar, ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad, Awza’i, ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ishaaq, Yunus, ‘Usama and Imam Malik”
[Abu Dawud, Bab Tark al-Qira’a Khalf al-Imam]
From this we can prove that the hadith concerning nullification of
the prayer of the one who does not recite Al-Fatiha in their prayer is
meant for that person who is performing salat alone, and not behind the
Imam. This is what Imam Sufyan, his teacher and colleagues understood by
this narration. This hadith is found in two versions: one version is
narrated by Sufyan concerning just reading Al-Fatiha (and without any
clarification). The other version is that the person’s prayer is not
accepted who does not recite al-Fatiha AND another part of the Qur’an.
This narration comes from Sufyan, Ma’mar and others. The second
narration is an explanation of the first one. Imam Sufyan himself
explained that this narration is for that person who is performing salat
alone.More Evidence Supporting the Recitation Behind the Imam
Imam Muslim writes:
“Someone asked Abu Hurayra, ‘What do we do when we are behind the Imam? Should we recite al-Fatiha or not?’ He answered, ‘Recite it in your heart’ “
[Muslim, Bab Wujubi Qira’at]
The people who recite behind the Imam take evidence from this
narration by saying that reciting al-Fatiha behind the Imam is fard as
Abu Hurayra said that it should be recited in the heart. These words are
neither from Allah nor the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace), but are the words of Abu Hurayra himself. In Bukhari, Muslim,
and other books of ahadith there is no such narration which says that
when you are behind the Imam you must recite al-Fatiha in your heart.
There are,however, narrations which say that when the Imam is reciting
al-Fatiha one should listen to it.Imam Muslim writes in Sahih Muslim:
“Abu Hurayra relates that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘When the Imam recites, listen and stay quiet’ “
[Muslim, Bab at-Tashahhud]
How can it be possible that Abu Hurayra contradict his own
narrations? The actual meaning of Abu Hurayra’s words concerning
reciting in the heart is to contemplate its meanings. This is the true
meaning which does not go against the Qur’an and the Sunna.Qadi Shawkani (Imam al-Qurtubi has also written something similar) writes:
“The word ‘Nafsaka [Your self] means to think about the meaning”
[Fath al-Qadir, Sura al-A’raf, verse 203]
Imam an-Nawawi writes:“Some Maliki scholars have explained Abu Hurayra’s words about ‘reading in the heart’ as to mean thinking about the words of al-Fatiha, because if you read something in the heart it cannot be called recitation because recitation is actually when one reads from the tongue. So it is only called recitation when the tongue is actually moving. The proof of this is that all the scholars say when a woman is in an impure state she cannot recite with the tongue, but she can think about the meaning in her heart”
[Sharh Muslim, Bab Wujubi Qira’at]
From the above we can see that Abu Hurayra’s words do not mean to
recite behind the Imam but rather they mean to think about the meaning
in the heart.The Status of the Words of the Companions
It is said that the words of Abu Hurayra prove that recitation behind the Imam is fard. This objection can be easily cleared, as the words of the Companions cannot prove something to be fard, wajib, halal or haram, as only the Qur’an and ahadith of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) can prove this. This is particularly so when the words of the Companion contradict any hadith that the Companion himself reported. The words of the Companions are normally proof of something when there is nothing related to it (from the Qur’an and Sunna).Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:
“The words of the Sahaba cannot prove anything to be fard, wajib, halal or haram, especially when words go against authentic hadith. So when the words go against the hadith it is not necessary for Muslims to follow it. There is a narration saying that Abu Hurayra used to wipe his neck during wudu. We know that
to perform this wiping is against Sunna. This is why groups of scholars criticise those people who wipe the neck during wudu”
[Kitab al-Wasila, Bab Hadith al-Ama]
After Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya’s statement one cannot prove that reciting al-Fatiha behind the Imam from Abu Hurayra’s words.More evidence supporting recitation behind the Imam
Imam Abu Dawud writes :
” ‘Ubada ibn Samid reported: ‘Once we prayed Fajr behind the Prophet and he experienced difficulty in his recitation. When he finished praying he asked, ‘Maybe one of you was reciting behind me?’ We said, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet said, ‘Do not recite anything behind me except al-Fatiha.’ Narrated by Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Muqhul, and Naf’i from ‘Ubada.”
[Abu Dawud, Bab al-Qira’at fi as-Salat]
From this narration one cannot prove that the recitation behind the Imam is necessary. Here are some reasons for this:1) This narration opposes the Qur’an and the authentic ahadith which say that one should not recite behind the Imam (of which we have mentioned but a few, above).
2) This narration is very weak. The reason for this is that the narrators of this hadith have been criticised by the scholars of Hadith.
3) Abu Dawud, who collected this hadith, wrote a second chapter in which there is the full explanation of this hadith. When we read the full explanation we can see that we should not recite behind the Imam.
4) The narrator of this narration himself, never recited behind the Imam.
The Narrator of This Hadith
Abu Dawud writes:
“Muqhul sometimes got this narration confused because sometimes he said he got the narration from ‘Ubada and sometimes that he said he heard it from Naf’i and sometimes he said he heard it from Mahmud”
[Abu Dawud, Bab Qira’a Khalf al-Imam]
The other narrator of this hadith is Naf’i, who is unknown. Imam adh-Dhahabi and Hafiz al-‘Asqalani write:“Naf’i only ever narrated one hadith [which was the one above]. This is the reason why Imam Ibn ‘Abdi’l-Barr says that he is unknown. Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Abu Hatim never mentioned Naf’i’s name in their books. Ibn Habban said that Naf’i’s narration is weak, but he was not a liar”
[Mizan al-‘Itidal, Tahzib at-Tahzib, Biography of Naf’i ibn Mahmud]
The other narrator of this narration is Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who was
very knowledgeable in Islamic history but very weak in narration of
hadith. Imam adh-Dhahabi and Hafiz al-‘Asqalani write:“The scholars of Hadith have different opinions about Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Yahya ibn Mu’in says that he is authentic but his narration of hadith is not good. ‘Ali ibn Madini says his two narrations are unknown. An-Nasa’i said that he is not strong in the knowledge of Hadith. Imam Daraqutni said that his hadith cannot be used as evidence. Imam Abu Bakr said that Muhammad ibn Ishaq was Qadri. Imam Hasham and Imam Sulayman said that he was a liar. Imam Malik said that he is a liar and is a Dajjal. ‘Abdullah ibn Mubarak said, ‘I saw Muhammad ibn Ishaq in Masjid al-Haif. I did not go near him because people might have said that I have wrong beliefs like him.’ Imam Ahmad said, ‘When he narrates hadith, he narrates hadith from those people whom he never met. Imam Yahya ibn Sa’id says, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad ibn Ishaq is a liar. He has narrated one thousand ahadith which no one else has narrated.’ Imam al-Bukhari never wrote any hadith that was narrated by Muhammad ibn Ishaq. No one can use his narration of hadith as evidence for halal and haram but there are a few people who praised him, like Imam Shoba”
[Mizan al-I’tidal, Tahzib at-Tahzib, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Biography of Muhammad ibn Ishaq]
We can see that the majority of scholars have criticised Muhammad ibn Ishaq so how can we use his narration as evidence?Imam Abu Dawud writes :
“Naf’i reported: One day, ‘Ubada and I performed salat behind Abu Na’im. ‘Ubada was standing besides me. He recited behind the Imam. When the salat was over, I asked him, ‘Why, when the Imam was reciting loudly, did you recite behind him?’ He told me about the hadith that has been mentioned above”
[Abu Dawud, Bab Qira’at Khalf al-Imam]
From this we can see that Naf’i (who is the narrator of the hadith)
did not recite behind the Imam, and nor did the other people who were
there. Secondly, it is proved that ‘Ubada was reciting al-Fatiha loud
enough so that the next person could hear him. So the people who use
this hadith as evidence should only recite loud enough so that the next
person can hear them. If everyone recites loudly behind the Imam it
would sound like similar to the “Amin” said in unison. So these are the
reasons why this narration cannot be used as evidence. We also know that
there are authentic ahadith that exhort one to listen to the Imam when
he is reciting. So how can we leave the authentic hadith and follow the
weak hadith?Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes :
“To listen to the recitation of the Imam is mentioned in the Qur’an and the authentic ahadith. The whole Umma agrees on this. All the Companions say that when the Imam recites al-Fatiha or any other Sura it is fard to listen and to stay quiet. Imam Shafi’i saying is also like this. This is the reason that the knowledgeable Shafi’i scholars, like Imam Qadri and Imam Abu Muhammad, say that if the Imam is reciting loudly, and someone recites behind him, that person would be denying the Qur’an, Sunna and the opinion of all the Companions”
[Ibn Taymiyya, Tanaw al-‘Ibadat, p. 87]
After Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya’s statement no-one can say that recitation
behind the Imam is fard and that the one who recites behind the Imam
risks his salat beingnot accepted.Evidence From the Qur’an For Not Reciting Behind the Imam
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“When the Qur’an is being recited, listen to it and be silent”
[Sura A’raf, verse 204]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir explains the meaning of this verse as follows:“You should remain quiet when the Imam is reciting Qur’an loudly in the fard salat. There is a hadith in which the Prophet said, ‘When offering salat behind the Imam you should recite takbir. When he recites takbir, and when he recites qira’at you should remain quiet
“There is also another narration:
‘ ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud heard some people reciting Qira’at behind the Imam and said to them, “What is wrong with you? Why are you not obeying the Qur’an?” ‘
“This implies that when the Qur’an is being recited one should remain quite. Imam Zuhri states that this verse was revealed because one man used to recite behind the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Abu Hurayra said that before this verse was revealed people were in the habit of reading behind the Imam aloud in salats Fajr, Maghrib and Isha and when this verse was revealed they stopped this practice.
“Imam Zuhri says that in the salat, where the Imam recites loudly, you should not recite behind him because the Imam’s recitation is sufficient for you, even if you cannot hear. But there were some people who thought that they could recite behind the Imam if his voice did not reach them, but I [Ibn Kathir] say that this is wrong; no-one should recite behind the Imam, whether his voice reaches them or not. This is because Allah says in the Qur’an:
‘When the Qur’an is being recited, listen to it and remain quiet.’
“A group of scholars say the following:
‘Imam Ahmad and Abu Hanifa say that a person should not recite qira’at behind the Imam in any salat because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated that the Imam’s reciting is sufficient for the followers.
“Imam ash-Shafi’i has two opinions on this subject:
1) A person should recite qira’at behind the Imam
2) A person should not recite qira’at behind the Imam
“I [Ibn Kathir] say that the second opinion is corr
ect as it corresponds with the Qur’an.
“Imam al-Bukhari states that a person is entitled to recite qira’at in every salat behind the Imam whether the Imam recites quietly or loudly, but the Sahaba and Tabi’un say that it is essential to listen to the Imam and remain quiet. This is the opinion held by Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Mas’ud, and many other great Sahaba and Tabi’un”
[Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Sura A’raf, verse 204]
Imam at-Tabari writes:“This verse was revealed about salat, but some scholars say that the verse is not for salat but is also for the Jumu’a and ‘Id Khutba. The Companions agree with this. Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Hanifa, Imam Zuhri, Zayd, Ibn Musayb, Hasan al-Basri, ‘Ubaydh, Ata, Dhahak, Ibrahim, an-Nakhai, Qatada, Shabi (who had seen 500 of the Prophets Companions) and Sadai all hold this opinion”
[at-Tabari, Tafsir Tabari, Sura A’raf, verse 204]
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:“Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal says that the whole Umma has agreed upon the fact that when the verse: ‘When the Qur’an is recited, listen and remain quiet’ was revealed for salat all scholars agreed that it is not essential for the muqtadi [follower] to recite but he should stay quite and listen. This opinion is authentic because it is in line with the Qur’an”
[Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 2, p. 143, 168 and 412]
From the tafsirs of Hafiz Ibn Kathir and Imam at-Tabari it is clear
that the verse from Sura al-A’raf was revealed for salat.The Sahaba and
Tabi’un also agreed on this. It may still be said that the Sahaba and
Tabi’un, who say that this aya was revealed for salat, made a mistake.
To remove this doubt, Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kathir were quoted.
These are the names of the people who along with other great scholars
have passed the Din down to us. When these people interpret any verse of
the Qur’an, they say that their interpretation is authentic and any
other opinion is useless. This is because of their knowledge in the
Islamic Sciences.Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:
“The Tabi’un gained knowledge from the Sahaba and settled in different places. The people of Makka had the most knowledge in Qur’anic Tafsir because Ibn ‘Abbas once lived there and his students gained knowledge of Tafsir from him. An example is Mujahid who was the most knowledgeable in interpreting the Qur’an. Imam ash-Shafi’i, Ahmed and al-Bukhari used to prefer the Tafsir of Mujahid over others. Indeed, Mujahid was the ‘sign of Allah on this earth.’ Students of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas were Ata ibn Rubah, ‘Ikrimah, and Sa’id ibn Jubayr
“In Kufa ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud taught the people the knowledge of the Qur’anic Tafsir. They and their students had great knowledge in the field of Tafsir.
“In Madina, Zayd ibn Aslam had the most knowledge of the Qur’anic Tafsir. This is the reason why Imam Malik’s quotations of Tafsir are from Zayd ibn Aslam. Hasan al-Basri, Musruq, Qatada, and Abu ‘Aliya were also great scholars of Tafsir”
[Ibn Taymiyya, Usul at-Tafsir, p 21]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:“Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, Ata, Hasan al-Basri, Musruq, Sa’id and Abu ‘Aliya had great knowledge of Tafsir but Mujahid was the ‘Proof of Allah on this earth.’ Sufyan ath-Thawri used to say that if Mujahid’s Tafsir had said such and such a thing then futher research is useless as his Tafsir is sufficient”
[Muqaddima Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Therefore, if anyone should state that Sura al A’raf’s verse was not
revealed for salat, his statement can be ignored. This is because this
opinion would be against the Sahaba and Tabi’un. This is proved from the
above statements.Evidence From Hadith For Not Reciting Behind the Imam
Imam Muslim writes :
“Abu Musa al-Ash’ari reported, ‘The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught us how to perform salat, and said, “First straighten the rows, then one person should become Imam, then follow him; when he says takbir say takbir and when he recites, remain quiet”
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Salat, Chapter on ‘Tashahhud'; also reported in: Abu Dawud; Ibn Majah; Musnad Ahmad; Nayl al-Awtar, Kitab al-Qira’at; Muhallah Ibn Hazm, Chapter on ‘Salat’]
Imam Muslim writes:“My student, Abu Nasr, asked me if the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra in which it says ‘…when he [the Imam] recites, remain quiet’ is authentic. I [Imam Muslim] replied, ‘Yes, it is authentic”
[Sahih Muslim, Chapter on ‘Tashahhud’]
Imam Muslim writes:“Zayd ibn Thabit was asked if a person should recite behind the Imam and he in reply said, ‘Behind the Imam there is no qira’at’ “
[Sahih Muslim, Chapter on ‘Sujudi Tilawa]
Imam Malik writes:“Jabir reported that if a person performs salat and fails to read Sura al-Fatiha, his salat is nullified, but if he is behind the Imam then his salat is valid”
[Muwatta Imam Malik, Majati Umal Qur’an]
Imam Malik further writes:“Nafi’ [who was a famous student of Ibn ‘Umar] reported that when anyone asked Ibn ‘Umar, ‘Should a person recite Sura Al-Fatiha behind the Imam?’ he used to reply that the Imam’s reciting of Sura al-Fatiha is sufficient for you. Ibn ‘Umar did not read Sura al-Fatiha behind the Imam”
[Muwatta Imam Malik, Book of Salat, chapter on ‘Qira’at Khalf al-Imam]
Imam Ahmad writes:“Ibn Sirin asked Ibn ‘Umar, ‘Should I recite al-Fatiha behind the Imam?’ He replied, ‘The Imam’s recitation is sufficient for you’ “
[Musnad Ahmad, Narrations of Ibn ‘Umar]
Imam Ahmad writes:“Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Prophet (may Allahbless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The Imam’s recitation is the person’s recitation who is reading behind him’ “
[Musnad Ahmad, Narrations of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah]
Ibn Majah also wrote this hadith in his book of salat. In Ibn Majah’s
narrative chain there is a person called Ja’far who is considered weak.Imam Ahmad writes:
“Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The Imam is selected to be followed and when he says takbir, you say takbir; when he goes into ruku’, you go into ruku'; when he goes into sajda, you go into sajda, but when he reads qira’at, you remain quiet”
[Musnad Ahmad, Narrations of Abu Hurayra; also see: an-Nasa’i, Nayl al-Awtar, Muhalla Ibn Hazm, Chapter of salat; Ibn Taymiyya, Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Kitab al-Qira’at, vol. 2 p.144]
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal writes:“Abu Darda reported, ‘One day the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us (and I was the closest to the Prophet) about recitation behind the Imam. He said, ‘The Imam’s recitation is sufficient for the muqtadi’ “
[Musnad Ahmad, Narrations of Abu Darda]
Imam at-Tirmidhi writes:“Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said that instruction from the hadith that states, ‘…salat is not accepted if Sura al-Fatiha is not read…’ is for that person who is reading alone”
[at-Tirmidhi, Qira’at Khalf al-Imam]
Imam ‘Abd ar-Razzaq (who was a great teacher of Imam Bukhari and Muslim) writes:” ‘Ali said that he who recites qira’at behind the Imam goes against nature. One person asked Ibn Mas’ud whether he should recite behind the Imam. Ibn Mas’ud replied, ‘No.’ Zayd ibn Aslam reported that the Prophet had prohibited a person from reading Qqra’at behind the Imam.
“Abu Ishaq said that Ibn Mas’ud’s students did not recite behind the Imam. ‘Ubaydullah asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah whether he recited behind the Imam at Zuhr and ‘Asr? He replied ‘No?’ “
[Musannaf ‘Abd ar-Razzaq, Qira’at Khalf al-Imam]
Imam ‘Abd ar-Razzaq, who died in 221AH, was neither a Hanafi nor Abu Hanifa’s student. No-one can say that Imam ‘Abd ar-Razzaq made up the narration to support the Hanifi position, so it should be accepted that this narration is not fabricated.
Imam Ibn Abi Shayba writes :
“The Prophet (may Allahbless him and grant him peace) said, ‘For any person who recites behind the Imam, my wish is that fire should be placed in his mouth.’
Nafi’, Zayd ibn Aslam, Ibn ‘Umar, Jubayr and Sa’id ibn Jubayr all hold that there is no qira’at behind the Imam whether he reads aloud or reads quiet”
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba, Qira’at Khalf al-Imam]
Imam Ibn Abi Shayba, who strongly opposed Abu Hanifa, had written a
full chapter against Abu Hanifa. In the same book he wrote the above
narration without criticism. If this narration had not been true then he
would have rejected it or at least criticised it. Also, because he has
not criticised these reports, it is proof in itself that the narration
had taken place. No-one can say that he had fabricated these narrations
in order to support Abu Hanifa.Imam Daraqutni writes:
“The Prophet said that there is no recitation behind the Imam. ‘Ali says that a person who recites qira’at behind the Imam has gone against the Sunna”
[Daraqutni, chapter on ‘Qira’at’]
Daraqutni was also opposed to Imam Abu Hanifa and even tried to
tamper with ahadiths which supported the Hanafi school. He did not
critisise the above true narrations, which supports the contention that
the above narrations are authentic.Imam adh-Dhahabi writes :
“One man was performing salat behind the Prophet (may Allahbless him and grant him peace) and was reciting. The person next to him tried to stop him with certain signals or signs. When the prayer had finished, they went to the Prophet (may Allahbless him and grant him peace) and told their case. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The Imam’s qira’a is sufficient for the followers’ “
[adh-Dhahabi, Talqis Mustadrak, chapter on ‘Salat’]
The book Mustadrak, is written by al-Hakim. In this book
there are all sorts of narrations both authentic and fabricated. Imam
adh-Dhahabi has, in his book, examined every hadith to see whether it is
authentic. Imam adh-Dhahabi’s above hadith has been recorded as
authentic.Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:
“When the Imam recites loudly it means that the Muqtadi should listen. This is the reason that the Imam recites loudly so the Muqtadi can say Amin with him. When the Imam recites quietly, they do not say Amin with him. If the Imam should recite and the Muqtadis also recite, this will mean that the Imam has been given the order to recite to people who do not want to listen to the qira’at [as if they wanted to listen they would remain quiet]. This is the same as saying to a person to do a speech to a nation that does not want to listen to it. This is such nonsense that Islam does not permit it. There is a hadith which states that when a Khutba is being read and a person is talking, it is as though a pile of books is loaded onto a donkey. This is similar to a person reciting qira’at behind the Imam in the audible prayers”
[Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 2, p. 147]
So now, with all that has been mentioned and all the evidence cited,
it should be clear that when the Imam recites qira’at the Muqtadi should
stay quiet and listen – for the Imam’s recitation is sufficient for the Muqtadi.