"I heard Abu Hurairah say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite Umm Al-Quran (Al Fatihah), it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, incomplete." I (Abu As-Sa'ib) said: 'O Abu Hurairah, sometimes I am behind the Imam.' He poked me in the arm and said: 'Recite it to yourself, O Persian! For I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Allah says: "I have divided prayer between Myself and My slave into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.'" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Recite, for when the slave says: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists, Allah says: 'My slave has praised Me.' And when he says: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Allah says: 'My slave has extolled Me.' And when he says: The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), Allah says: 'My slave has glorified Me' . And when he says: You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything), He says: 'This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.' And when he says: 'Guide us to the straight way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, He says: 'This is for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.'"
The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer - Sunan an-Nasa'i
This commentary examines the profound hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i 909 concerning the obligatory nature of reciting Al-Fatihah in prayer and its divine significance.
The Obligation of Al-Fatihah
The triple repetition of "deficient" emphasizes the grave incompleteness of prayer without Umm Al-Quran. Scholars agree this establishes Al-Fatihah as a fundamental pillar (rukn) of salah.
When praying behind an imam, the command "Recite it to yourself" indicates silent recitation during audible prayers, preserving both following the imam and fulfilling this essential obligation.
The Divine Dialogue
Allah's declaration "I have divided prayer between Myself and My slave" reveals the unique status of Al-Fatihah as direct communion with the Divine.
Each verse of Al-Fatihah corresponds to specific divine responses: "Alhamdulillah" elicits "My slave has praised Me," demonstrating how human speech becomes divine exchange.
The middle verse "You alone we worship" marks the precise division where the slave's devotion meets Allah's acceptance, creating sacred reciprocity.
Spiritual Implications
This hadith transforms ritual recitation into conscious conversation with Allah, requiring presence of heart and mind.
The guarantee "My slave shall have what he asked for" applies specifically to guidance sought in the final verses, affirming Allah's promise to answer this fundamental prayer.
Scholars note that the completeness of prayer depends not merely on verbal recitation but on understanding this divine exchange and maintaining proper intention throughout.