The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who said his prayer, but did not recite the opening chapter of al-Kitab, his prayer is incomplete. He repeated it thrice.
The Book of Prayers - Sahih Muslim 395c
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who said his prayer, but did not recite the opening chapter of al-Kitab, his prayer is incomplete. He repeated it thrice.
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes the fundamental obligation of reciting Surah al-Fatihah in every rak'ah of the obligatory prayer. The repetition thrice emphasizes the severity of omitting it, indicating its status as a pillar (rukn) without which the prayer is invalid.
Al-Kitab here refers specifically to the Qur'an, with "the opening chapter" being Surah al-Fatihah. Classical scholars unanimously agree that reciting al-Fatihah is obligatory for both the imam and individual praying alone in every rak'ah.
The term "incomplete" (khabith) in this context means invalid or unacceptable, not merely deficient. This ruling applies to all prayers where recitation is required, highlighting al-Fatihah's unique status as the essential core of Qur'anic recitation in salah.
Legal Implications
Whoever deliberately omits al-Fatihah must repeat their prayer. If forgotten, they must perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw).
The recitation must be audible to oneself in silent prayers and audible to others where required. This obligation remains regardless of one's memorization status - one must learn al-Fatihah to validate their prayers.