Description

Reciting Surah Al-Fātiḥah is one of the most important parts of the prayer (ṣalāh).

The Quran calls it “the Opening,” and the Prophet Muhammad said:

> “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fātiḥah).”

Because of this hadith, the majority of Islamic scholars consider reciting Al-Fātiḥah in each rak’ah to be essential for the validity of the prayer, although there are differences among the major schools of Islamic law about exactly who must recite it (for example, someone praying behind an imam). The details vary by school, but all agree that Al-Fātiḥah has a central place in ṣalāh.