the previous reports. It is narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "No prayer is valid except with the Opening of the Book and something along with it." A man said to him: "O Commander of the Faithful, what if I am behind the Imam?" He replied: "Recite it to yourself." Al-Hasan said: "Recite the Mother of the Book to yourself in every prayer behind the Imam." This is because he is a person praying who does not hear the recitation, so it becomes obligatory upon him, just like the one praying alone. Our evidence is the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever has an Imam, the Imam's recitation is a recitation for him." This was narrated by al-Hasan ibn Salih from Labib ibn Abi Sulaym, and by Jabir from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir ibn Abdullah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It has been narrated through five other chains besides this one. It is also narrated from Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Ali, Imran ibn Husayn, and Abu al-Darda from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Al-Daraqutni recorded them (4). Abdullah ibn Shaddad also narrated it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and it was recorded by Imam Ahmad (5), Sa'id ibn Mansur, and others. The responses to their reports have already been provided. The statement of Umar is to be interpreted as referring to perfection, as evidenced by his words: "and something along with it," whereas by consensus, nothing is obligatory other than the Fatiha. If it were established that he intended it as a requirement, many of the Companions would have opposed him in that. It is narrated from Ali, peace be upon him, that he said: "He who recites behind the Imam is not on the Fitra (the natural way)." Ibn Mas'ud said: "I would love for the one who recites behind the Imam to have his mouth filled with dirt." Furthermore, if recitation were obligatory upon the follower, it would be obligatory upon the one who misses part of the prayer (masbuq), just like all other pillars. Also, since he is a follower, recitation is not obligatory upon him, as in the case of a loud prayer. It is not correct to compare the follower to the one praying alone, because the one praying alone does not have...
= [Batti], 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." See: the following footnote. (4) See: what al-Daraqutni recorded in the chapter on the mention of his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever has an Imam, the Imam's recitation is a recitation for him," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/323-325, 331. And what Imam Ahmad recorded in: Al-Musnad 2/49. (5) Previously mentioned on page 267.
