Fatwa ID: 07849

 

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

 

Question:

 

If someone wants to offer a mandatory Salah but he/she can’t learn Al-Fatiha by heart and experiences some difficulties with Arabic letters. Is it permissible to recite other short verses instead of Al-Fatiha?

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

 

Answer:

 

For the one praying in congregation, no recitation is required, rather the recitation of the Imam suffices on their behalf [1]. As for the one praying individually, reciting Al-Fatiha is obligatory during the first two Rak’ah of every Fardh Salah and is also required for every Rak’ah of Sunnah and Nafl prayers [2].

 

Only if one is unable to speak, mentally incapable of learning or hasn’t yet had sufficient time to do so might they be excused from reciting Al-Fatiha. In this case, no substitute is required [3], although some have advised reciting ‘Allahu Akbar’ or some other short Azhkar thrice to ensure one remains standing for the required time.

 

This, however, would only apply to the new Muslim, the mute or the one diagnosed with extreme learning difficulties, although such an inability would normally accompany a level of mental incapacity that would classify one as Majnun, which would itself exempt them from the need to perform Salah [4].

 

Otherwise, anyone who can learn to perform Salah should be able to learn Al-Fatiha eventually and should endeavour to do so. Until they do, they should aim to pray their Fardh Salah in congregation where their recitation is not required, seek out a qualified teacher to support them in learning Al-Fatiha, whether that is at their local Masjid or online, and make Du’a to Allah s.w.t for Taufeeq. Finding it difficult is not a sufficient excuse to abandon learning it altogether.

 

 

Only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 446, Darul Fikr:

وَأُورِدَ أَنَّ قِرَاءَةَ الْإِمَامِ خَلَفٌ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ الْمُقْتَدِي، لِقَوْلِهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ إمَامٌ فَقِرَاءَةُ الْإِمَامِ لَهُ قِرَاءَة»

 

Sunan Abi Dawud 604:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ الْمَصِّيصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ زَادَ ‏”‏ وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا ‏”‏

 

 

[2] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 446, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ وَمِنْهَا الْقِرَاءَةُ) أَيْ قِرَاءَةُ آيَةٍ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ، وَهِيَ فَرْضٌ عَمَلِيٌّ فِي جَمِيعِ رَكَعَاتِ النَّفْلِ وَالْوِتْرِ وَفِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ الْفَرْضِ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي مَتْنًا فِي بَابِ الْوِتْرِ وَالنَّوَافِلِ. وَأَمَّا تَعْيِينُ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ الْفَرْضِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ، وَقِيلَ سُنَّةٌ لَا فَرْضٌ كَمَا سَنُحَقِّقُهُ فِي الْوَاجِبَاتِ، وَأَمَّا قِرَاءَةُ الْفَاتِحَةِ وَالسُّورَةِ أَوْ ثَلَاثِ آيَاتٍ فَهِيَ وَاجِبَةٌ أَيْضًا

 

 

[3] Surah Al-Baqarah 286:

{لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا}

 

 

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 481-482, Darul Fikr:

(وَلَا يَلْزَمُ الْعَاجِزَ عَنْ النُّطْقِ) كَأَخْرَسَ وَأُمِّيٍّ (تَحْرِيكُ لِسَانِهِ) وَكَذَا فِي حَقِّ الْقِرَاءَةِ هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ لِتَعَذُّرِ الْوَاجِبِ، فَلَا يَلْزَمُ غَيْرَهُ إلَّا بِدَلِيلٍ فَتَكْفِي النِّيَّةُ

 

 

[4] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 351-352, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ: عَلَى كُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ) أَيْ بِعَيْنِهِ؛ وَلِذَا سُمِّيَ فَرْضَ عَيْنٍ، بِخِلَافِ فَرْضِ الْكِفَايَةِ فَإِنَّهُ يَجِبُ عَلَى جُمْلَةِ الْمُكَلَّفِينَ كِفَايَةٌ، بِمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ لَوْ قَامَ بِهِ بَعْضُهُمْ كَفَى عَنْ الْبَاقِينَ وَإِلَّا أَثِمُوا كُلُّهُمْ. ثُمَّ الْمُكَلَّفُ هُوَ الْمُسْلِمُ الْبَالِغُ الْعَاقِلُ وَلَوْ أُنْثَى أَوْ عَبْدًا