IMPORTANCE OF SURAL FATIHA IN EVERY RAKAH

Reference: Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayers, The reciting of al-fatiha in every rak'ah of prayer is obligatory:- Book 004, Number 0771: 'Ubada b. as-Samit reported from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him ): He who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab is not credited with having observed the prayer. Book 004, Number 0772: Ubada b. as-Samit reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who does not recite Umm al-Qur'an is not credited with having observed the prayer. Book 004, Number 0773: Mahmud b. al-Rabi', on whose face the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) squirted water from the well, reported on the authority of 'Ubada b. as- Samit that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who does not recite Umm al-Qur'an is not credited with having observed prayer. Book 004, Number 0774: This hadith has also been transmitted by Ma'mar from al-Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters with the addition of these words:" and something more". Book 004, Number 0775: Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: If anyone observes prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur'an, It is deficient [he said this three times] and not complete. It was said to Abu Huraira: At times we are behind the Imam. He said: Recite it inwardly, for he had heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) declare that Allah the Exalted had said: I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks. When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: My servant has praised Me. And when he (the servant) says: The Most Compassionate, the Merciful, Allah the Most High says: My servant has lauded Me. And when he (the servant) says: Master of the Day of judg- ment, He remarks: My servant has glorified Me. and sometimes He would say: My servant entrusted (his affairs) to Me. And when he (the worshipper) says: Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help, He (Allah) says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. Then, when he (the worshipper) says: Guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou hast been Gracious not of those who have incurred Thy displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray, He (Allah) says: This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. Sufyan said: 'Ala b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Ya'qub narrated it to me when I went to him and he was confined to his home on account of illness, and I asked him about it. Book 004, Number 0776: It is naratted on the authority of Abu Huraira that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: He who observed prayer but he did not recite the Umm al-Qur'an in it, and the rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by Sufyan, and in this hadith the words are:" Allah the Most High said: the prayer is divided into two halves between Me and My servant. The half of it is for Me and the half of it is for My servant." Book 004, Number 0777: Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who said his prayer, but did not recite the opening chapter of al-Kitab, his prayer is incomplete. He repeated it thrice. Book 004, Number 0778: Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: One is not credited with having observed the prayer without the recitation (of al-Fatiha). So said Abu Huraira: (The prayer in which) the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited in a loud voice, we also recited that loudly for you (and the prayer in which) he recited inwardly we also recited inwardly for you (to give you a practical example of the prayer of the Holy Prophet). Book 004, Number 0779: 'Ata' narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira who said that one should recite (al-Fatiha) in every (rak'ah of) prayer. What we heard (i. e. recitation) from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), we made you listen to that. And that which he (recited) inwardly, we (recited) inwardly for you. A person said to him: If I add nothing to the (recitation) of the Umm al Qur'an (Surat al-Fatiha), would it make the prayer incomplete? He (AbuHuraira) said: If you add to that (if you recite some of verses of the Qur'an along with Surat at-Fatiha) that is better for you. But if you are contented with it (Surat al-Fatiha) only, it is sufficient for you. Book 004, Number 0780: 'Ata' reported it on the authority of Abu Huraira who said: Recitation (of Surat al-Fatiha) in every (rak'ah) of prayer in essential. (The recitation) that we listened to from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) we made you listen to it. And that which he recited inwardly to us, we recited it inwardly for you. And he who recites Umm al-Qur'an, it is enough for him (to complete the prayer), and he who adds to it (recites some other verses of the Holy Qur'an along with Surat al-Fatiha), it is preferable for him. Book 004, Number 0781: Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) entered the mosque and a person also entered therein and offered prayer, and then came and paid salutation to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). The Mes- senger of Allah (may peace be upon him) returned his salutation and said: Go back and pray, for you have not offered the prayer. He again prayed as he had prayed before, and came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon. him) and saluted him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) returned the salutation and said: Go back and say prayer, for you have not offered the prayer. This (act of repeating the prayer) was done three times. Upon this the person said: By Him Who hast sent you with Truth, whatever better I can do than this, please teach me. He (the Holy Prophet) said: When you get up to pray, recite takbir, and then recite whatever you conveniently can from the Qur'an, then bow down and remain quietly in that position, then raise your- self and stand erect; then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that attitude; then raise yourself and sit quietly; and do that throughout all your prayers. Book 004, Number 0782: Abu Huraira reported: A person entered the mosque and said prayer while the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was sitting in a nook (of the mosque), and the rest of the hadith is the same as mentioned above, but with this addition:" When you get up to pray, perform the ablution completely, and then turn towards the Qibla and recite takbir (Allah o Akbar =Allah is the Most Great)."