Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman said: The Imam has two pauses, so seize the opportunity to recite the Opening of the Book (al-Fatiha) during them: when he enters the prayer and when he says: {nor of those who go astray}. Urwa ibn al-Zubayr said: As for me, I seize two opportunities from the Imam: when he says: {not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who go astray}, I recite at that moment, and when he concludes the surah, I recite before he bows.
A group said: One should not recite behind the Imam in either silent or audible prayers. Sa'id narrated in his "Sunan": Ismail ibn Ayyash informed us, from Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd, from one who narrated to him: Nine of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to not recite behind the Imam in what he recited aloud, nor in what he recited silently; they were Ali, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Sa'id, Zayd ibn Thabit, Uqba ibn Amir, Jabir, Ibn Umar, and Hudhayfa ibn Yaman. Ibrahim al-Nakha'i said: People only initiated recitation behind the Imam during the time of al-Mukhtar (12), because he would lead them in the daytime prayer but not in the nighttime prayer, so they became suspicious of him and recited behind him. Ibn Sirin said: I do not know of any Sunnah regarding recitation behind the Imam. Ibn Mas'ud and al-Aswad said: I wish that whoever recites behind the Imam had his mouth filled with dust. Ibrahim disliked reciting behind the Imam and said: The Imam's recitation is sufficient for you. This is the view of al-Thawri, Ibn Uyayna, and the proponents of 'Ra'y' (reasoning); because of what Jabir narrated,
(10) In the original: "fa-ightanim". (11) From here to the end of the chapter, the text in M differs from the original. It states in M: "Al-Thawri, Ibn Uyayna, and Abu Hanifa said: The Imam does not recite under any circumstances, for the reasons we mentioned in the issue preceding this. Our argument is the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'If I recite silently, then you recite.' Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Daraqutni. Furthermore, the generality of the reports requires recitation for every praying person, so we specified them with the evidence we mentioned, which is restricted to the state of audible recitation; in all other cases, it remains general. The specification of the audible state by the fact that people refrained from reciting during it indicates that they used to recite in other than that. Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said regarding an Imam who recites but is not heard: He should recite. It was said to him: Has Allah the Exalted not said: {So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention}? He replied: To what should he listen? It is recommended for him to recite a surah along with al-Fatiha in its appropriate places." (12) Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi, a Tabi'i (though his companionship of the Prophet is debated), a brave rebel who was killed in the year 67. Al-Isaba, 6/349-353; Siyar A'lam al-Nubala', 3/538-544.
