Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."
The Obligation of Reciting Al-Fatiha
This hadith establishes the fundamental ruling that the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha is an essential pillar (rukn) of the prayer. Without it, the prayer is rendered invalid, as explicitly stated by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Scholarly Commentary
According to the majority of scholars, including Imam al-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad, this obligation applies to every rak'ah of the prayer, whether one is praying alone or behind an imam. The recitation must be audible to oneself in silent prayers and in the audible prayers of the imam.
Imam al-Bukhari included this hadith in his chapter on the Call to Prayer to emphasize that just as the Adhan calls people to prayer, the Fatiha is what validates the prayer itself. It is the essence of communication with Allah in salah.
Spiritual Significance
Al-Fatiha is called "Umm al-Kitab" (Mother of the Book) and contains the core themes of the Quran: praise of Allah, acknowledgment of His sovereignty, seeking guidance, and distinguishing between the straight path and paths of misguidance.
The invalid prayer without Fatiha indicates that the essence of communication with Allah is missing, as this surah establishes the proper relationship between the servant and the Lord.
Juridical Exceptions
The Hanafi school holds that reciting Fatiha is obligatory (wajib) rather than a pillar, making the prayer deficient but not invalid if omitted unintentionally. However, the stronger opinion based on this hadith is that of invalidation.
For those unable to memorize Al-Fatiha, they should recite what they can of the Quran or glorify Allah until they learn it.