listening; because he is in the same position as the one who is far away. Recitation is not recommended for him if it causes confusion for those near him, so that it does not prevent them from listening and paying attention. If he hears the murmur of the Imam but does not understand, then, according to the narration of the group, he said: He does not recite because he hears the Imam's recitation. And he said in the narration of Abdullah: He recites if he hears one letter after another.
Section: (20) If he recites part of al-Fatiha during the Imam's pause, then the Imam recites, he should listen (21) to him, [stop his own recitation] (22), and then recite the remainder of al-Fatiha in the next pause. [This is valid and his recitation is not broken, because it is a prescribed act, so it is similar to a brief silence. Furthermore, because if that were to break the recitation] (23) he would not gain any benefit, for he does not recite in the second pause anything more than what he recited in the first.
185 - Issue: He said: (If he does not do so, his prayer is complete; because whoever has an Imam, the Imam's recitation is a recitation for him).
[This is the view of the majority of scholars, according to what we recounted in the previous issue. It is also the view of al-Zuhri, al-Aswad, Ibrahim, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Thawri] (1), Ibn Uyayna, Malik, [the proponents of 'Ra'y'] (2), and Ishaq. Al-Shafi'i and Dawud said: It is obligatory, due to the generality (3).
(20) This section appears in M after the statement coming up in Issue 185. (21) In M: "then he listened". (22) Omitted from M. (23) In M: "the second, for the apparent meaning of Ahmad's statement is that this is good, and the recitation is not broken by his silence; because it is a commanded silence, so it is not invalidating like his recitation, and because if it were to invalidate it..." (1) In M: "The summary of this is that recitation is not obligatory upon the follower in what the Imam recites aloud, nor in what he recites silently. Ahmad stated this in the narration of the group. Al-Zuhri and al-Thawri held this view." (2) In M: "and Abu Hanifa." (3) From here to the end of the section, the text in M is: "His statement (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'There is no prayer for one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (al-Fatiha),' except that it is specified in the case of audible prayer by the command to listen, so in other than that, it remains on its generality. Our evidence is what Imam Ahmad narrated from Waki', from Sufyan, from Musa ibn Abi 'Aisha, from Abdullah ibn Shaddad, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Whoever has an Imam, then the Imam's recitation is a recitation for him.' Al-Khallal narrated it with his chain of transmission from Shu'bah, from Musa, in an extended form. Abu al-Fath ibn al-Batti informed us of it, in the hadith of Ibn al-Buhturi, with his chain of transmission from Mansur, from Musa, from Abdullah ibn Shaddad, who said: A man was reciting behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and a man began to gesture to him not to recite, but he refused except to recite. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) finished, the man said to him: Why do you recite behind the Imam? He replied: Why do you forbid me from reciting? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'If you have an Imam who recites, then his recitation is a recitation for you.' We have already mentioned the hadith of Jabir: 'except behind the Imam.' Al-Khallal and al-Daraqutni narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: 'The Imam's recitation is sufficient for you, whether he recites silently or aloud.' And because if recitation were obligatory upon him, it would not be dropped, just like the rest of its pillars." And see: the following footnote.
