Is the recitation of Al-Fatiha obligatory in prayer?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The recitation of Al-Fatiha is obligatory and a pillar of the prayer, without which the prayer is invalid, according to the well-known position of Ahmad, which is also the view of Malik, Al-Thawri, and Al-Shafi'i. Evidence for this includes the narration from Ubadah ibn al-Samit: 'There is no prayer for one who does not recite the Umm al-Kitab (Al-Fatiha),' which is agreed upon. Since recitation is a pillar of prayer, it must be a specific prescribed recitation, like bowing and prostration.
Supporting text
There is another narration from Ahmad, aligning with Abu Hanifa's view, that recitation of any amount of the Quran, even a single verse, suffices, based on the Prophet's instruction to the one who prayed badly: 'Then recite what is easy for you of the Quran.' However, the evidence that Al-Fatiha is specifically intended outweighs this, as the reports supporting the sufficiency of any verse are addressed by explaining that the instruction to recite what is easy may have predated the revelation of Al-Fatiha or referred to reciting additional verses after Al-Fatiha.