بَابٌ قِرَاءَةُ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا جَمِيعًا رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ : يَقْرَأُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ مِنَ الْأُولَيَيْنِ ، فَإِنْ تَرَكَ قِرَاءَةَ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، وَقَرَأَ غَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ أَسَاءَ ، وَيُجْزِيهِ صَلَاتُهُ .
A Chapter: The Recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab in the Prayer. All of our companions, may Allah have mercy on them, said: One recites Fatihat al-Kitab and a Surah in each of the first two rak’ahs. So if he omits the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab and recites something else, he has done wrong, and his prayer suffices him.
وَقَالَ مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ : إِذَا لَمْ يَقْرَأْ أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ أَعَادَ وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ : أَقَلُّ مَا يُجْزِي فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ ، فَإِنْ تَرَكَ مِنْهَا حَرْفًا وَخَرَجَ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ أَعَادَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : رَوَى الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ رِبْعِيٍّ ، قَالَ : قَالَ عُمَرُ : لَا تُجْزِي صَلَاةٌ لَا يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَآيَتَيْنِ فَصَاعِدًا .
And Malik ibn Anas said: If he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an in the two rak’ahs, he repeats [the prayer]. And al-Shafi’i said: The minimum that suffices is Fatihat al-Kitab, so if he omits a single letter from it and exits the prayer, he repeats [it]. Abu Bakr said: Al-A’mash narrated from Khaythamah from ‘Abbad ibn Rib’i, who said: ‘Umar said: A prayer does not suffice in which Fatihat al-Kitab and two verses or more are not recited.
وَرَوَى ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ عَنْ الْجَرِيرِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ، قَالَ : لَا تُجْزِي صَلَاةٌ لَا يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَآيَتَيْنِ فَصَاعِدًا وَرَوَى مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ ، قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ ، قَالَ : اقْرَأْ مِنْهُ مَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ وَلَيْسَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ شَيْءٌ قَلِيلٌ وَرُوِيَ عَنْ الْحَسَنِ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالشَّعْبِيِّ أَنَّ مَنْ نَسِيَ قِرَاءَةَ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَقَرَأَ غَيْرَهَا لَمْ يَضُرَّ ، وَتُجْزِيهِ .
And Ibn ‘Ulayyah narrated from al-Jariri from Ibn Buraydah from ‘Imran ibn Husayn, who said: A prayer does not suffice in which Fatihat al-Kitab and two verses or more are not recited. And Ma’mar narrated from Ayyub from Abu al-‘Aliyah, who said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbas about the recitation in every rak’ah. He said: Recite from it what is little or much, and nothing from the Qur’an is little. And it was narrated from al-Hasan, Ibrahim, and al-Sha’bi that whoever forgets to recite Fatihat al-Kitab and recites something else, it does not harm him, and it suffices him.
وَرَوَى وَكِيعٌ عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ عَنْ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى أَنَّ جَابِرَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ قَامَ يُصَلِّي ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَقَرَأَ : مُدْهَامَّتَانِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : وَمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ عُمَرَ وَعِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ فِي أَنَّهَا لَا تُجْزِي إِلَّا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَآيَتَيْنِ مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى جَوَازِ التَّمَامِ لَا عَلَى نَفْيِ الْأَصْلِ ؛ إِذْ لَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ فِي جَوَازِهَا بِقِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَحْدَهَا .
And Waki’ narrated from Jarir ibn Hazim from al-Walid ibn Yahya that Jabir ibn Zayd stood to pray one day and recited: “Mudhāmmatān” then he bowed. Abu Bakr said: And what was narrated from ‘Umar and ‘Imran ibn Husayn that it does not suffice except with Fatihat al-Kitab and two verses is to be interpreted as referring to the validity of completeness, not to the negation of the origin [of the prayer]; since there is no disagreement among the jurists regarding its validity with the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab alone.
وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى جَوَازِهَا مَعَ تَرْكِ الْفَاتِحَةِ ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيئًا ، قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى : أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ وَمَعْنَاهُ قِرَاءَةُ الْفَجْرِ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ ، لِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا فَرْضَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَقْتَ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ إِلَّا فِي الصَّلَاةِ ؛ وَالْأَمْرُ عَلَى الْإِيجَابِ حَتَّى تَقُومَ دَلَالَةُ النَّدْبِ ، فَاقْتَضَى الظَّاهِرُ جَوَازَهَا بِمَا قَرَأَ فِيهَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ ؛ إِذْ لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَخْصِيصٌ لِشَيْءٍ مِنْهُ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ .
And the proof for its validity with the omission of al-Fatihah, even if one has done wrong, is the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Establish the prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the Qur’an of the dawn.” And its meaning is the recitation of the dawn in the dawn prayer, due to the consensus of the Muslims that there is no obligation upon one for recitation at the time of the dawn prayer except in the prayer; and the command is for obligation until a proof for it being recommended is established. So the apparent meaning necessitates its validity with whatever thing one recites in it, since there is no specification in it of one thing from it over another.
وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ أَيْضًا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الْقِرَاءَةُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ بِدَلَالَةِ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى : إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَلَمْ تَخْتَلِفِ الْأُمَّةُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي شَأْنِ الصَّلَاةِ فِي اللَّيْلِ .
And also indicating it is the saying of Allah the Exalted: “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an.” And what is intended by it is the recitation in the prayer, by the indication of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] almost two-thirds of the night…” up to His saying, “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an.” And the Ummah has not differed that this is concerning the matter of prayer in the night.
وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عُمُومٌ عِنْدَنَا فِي صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَغَيْرِهَا مِنَ النَّوَافِلِ وَالْفَرَائِضِ لِعُمُومِ اللَّفْظِ وَيَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِهِ جَمِيعُ الصَّلَاةِ مِنْ فَرْضٍ وَنَفْلٍ حَدِيثُ [ ص: 21 ] أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَرِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ فِي تَعْلِيمِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْأَعْرَابِيَّ الصَّلَاةَ حِينَ لَمْ يُحْسِنْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ : ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ .
And the saying of Allah the Exalted, “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an,” is general according to us, for the night prayer and other than it of the supererogatory and obligatory prayers, due to the generality of the wording. And indicating that what is intended by it is all prayers, obligatory and supererogatory, is the hadith [p. 21] of Abu Hurayrah and Rifa’ah ibn Rafi’ regarding the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, teaching the Bedouin the prayer when he did not perform it well, so he said to him: “Then recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an.”
وَأَمْرُهُ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا إِنَّمَا صَدَرَ عَنِ الْقُرْآنِ ؛ لِأَنَّا مَتَى وَجَدْنَا لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمْرًا يُوَاطِئُ حُكْمًا مَذْكُورًا فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَجَبَ أَنْ يُحْكَمَ بِأَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا حَكَمَ بِذَلِكَ عَنِ الْقُرْآنِ ، كَقَطْعِهِ السَّارِقَ وَجَلْدِهِ الزَّانِيَ وَنَحْوِهَا ثُمَّ لَمْ يُخَصِّصْ نَفْلًا مِنْ فَرْضٍ فَثَبَتَ أَنَّ مُرَادَ الْآيَةِ عَامٌّ فِي الْجَمِيعِ فَهَذَا الْخَبَرُ يَدُلُّ عَلَى جَوَازِهَا بِغَيْرِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ :
And his command to do that, according to us, was issued based on the Qur’an; because whenever we find a command from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that corresponds to a ruling mentioned in the Qur’an, it is necessary to rule that he only ruled with that based on the Qur’an, like his cutting the hand of the thief and his flogging the fornicator and the like. Then he did not specify supererogatory from obligatory. Thus it is established that the intent of the verse is general for all. So this report indicates its validity without Fatihat al-Kitab from two aspects:
أَحَدُهُمَا : دَلَالَتُهُ عَلَى أَنَّ مُرَادَ الْآيَةِ عَامٌّ فِي جَمِيعِ الصَّلَوَاتِ .
One of them: Its indication that the intent of the verse is general for all prayers.
وَالثَّانِي أَنَّهُ مُسْتَقِلٌّ بِنَفْسِهِ فِي جَوَازِهَا بِغَيْرِهَا ، وَعَلَى أَنَّ نُزُولَ الْآيَةِ فِي شَأْنِ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ لَوْ لَمْ يُعَاضِدْهُ الْخَبَرُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْ لُزُومَ حُكْمِهَا فِي غَيْرِهَا مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ وَالنَّوَافِلِ مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ :
And the second is that it is independently sufficient in itself for its validity with other than it. And that the revelation of the verse concerning the matter of the night prayer, even if the report did not support it, would not prevent the necessity of its ruling in other than it of the obligatory and supererogatory prayers, from two aspects:
أَحَدُهُمَا : أَنَّهُ إِذَا ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَائِرُ الصَّلَوَاتِ مِثْلُهَا ، بِدَلَالَةِ أَنَّ الْفَرْضَ وَالنَّفْلَ لَا يَخْتَلِفَانِ فِي حُكْمِ الْقِرَاءَةِ ، وَأَنَّ مَا جَازَ فِي النَّفْلِ جَازَ فِي الْفَرْضِ مِثْلُهُ ، كَمَا لَا يَخْتَلِفَانِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَسَائِرِ أَرْكَانِ الصَّلَاةِ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : هُمَا مُخْتَلِفَانِ عِنْدَكَ ؛ لِأَنَّ الْقِرَاءَةَ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ غَيْرُ وَاجِبَةٍ عِنْدَكَ فِي الْفَرْضِ ، وَهِيَ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي النَّفْلِ إِذَا صَلَّاهَا قِيلَ لَهُ : هَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ النَّفْلَ آكَدُ فِي حُكْمِ الْقِرَاءَةِ مِنَ الْفَرْضِ ، فَإِذَا جَازَ النَّفَلُ مَعَ تَرْكِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَالْفَرْضُ أَحْرَى أَنْ يَجُوزَ .
One of them: That if that is established for the night prayer, then all other prayers are like it, by the indication that the obligatory and the supererogatory do not differ in the ruling of recitation, and that what is permissible in the supererogatory is permissible in the obligatory like it, just as they do not differ in the bowing, prostration, and all other pillars of the prayer. If a speaker says: They are different according to you, because the recitation in the last two [rak’ahs] is not required according to you in the obligatory prayer, while it is required in the supererogatory prayer if one prays it. It is said to him: This indicates that the supererogatory prayer is more emphasized in the ruling of recitation than the obligatory prayer. So if the supererogatory prayer is permissible with the omission of Fatihat al-Kitab, then the obligatory prayer is even more likely to be permissible.
وَالْوَجْهُ الْآخَرُ : أَنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يُفَرِّقْ بَيْنَهُمَا ، وَمَنْ أَوْجَبَ فَرْضَ قِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فِي أَحَدِهِمَا أَوْجَبَهَا فِي الْآخَرِ ، وَمَنْ أَسْقَطَ فَرْضَهَا فِي أَحَدِهِمَا أَسْقَطَهُ فِي الْآخَرِ فَلَمَّا ثَبَتَ عِنْدَنَا بِظَاهِرِ الْآيَةِ جَوَازُ النَّفْلِ بِغَيْرِهَا وَجَبَ أَنْ يَكُونَ كَذَلِكَ حُكْمُ الْفَرْضِ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : فَمَا الدَّلَالَةُ عَلَى جَوَازِ تَرْكِهَا بِالْآيَةِ ؟
And the other aspect: That no one has differentiated between them. Whoever made the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab obligatory in one of them made it obligatory in the other, and whoever dropped its obligation in one of them dropped it in the other. So when it was established for us by the apparent meaning of the verse that the supererogatory prayer is permissible with other than it, it is necessary that the ruling of the obligatory prayer be likewise. If a speaker says: Then what is the indication for the permissibility of omitting it from the verse?
قِيلَ لَهُ : لِأَنَّ قَوْلَهُ : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَقْتَضِي التَّخْيِيرَ ، وَهُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ قَوْلِهِ : اقْرَأْ مَا شِئْتَ أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّ مَنْ قَالَ لِرَجُلِ : بِعْ عَبْدِي هَذَا بِمَا تَيَسَّرَ ، أَنَّهُ مُخَيِّرٌ لَهُ فِي بَيْعِهِ لَهُ بِمَا رَأَى .
It is said to him: Because His saying, “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an,” necessitates choice, and it is at the level of saying, “Recite what you wish.” Do you not see that one who says to a man, “Sell this slave of mine for what is easy,” has given him the choice to sell him for what he sees fit.
وَإِذَا ثَبَتَ أَنَّ الْآيَةَ تَقْتَضِي التَّخْيِيرَ لَمْ يَجُزْ لَنَا إِسْقَاطُهُ وَالِاقْتِصَارُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مُعَيَّنٍ وَهُوَ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ ؛ لِأَنَّ فِيهِ نَسْخَ مَا اقْتَضَتْهُ الْآيَةُ مِنَ التَّخْيِيرِ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ قَوْلِهِ : فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ وَوُجُوبُ الِاقْتِصَارِ بِهِ عَلَى الْإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ مَعَ وُقُوعِ الِاسْمِ عَلَى غَيْرِهَا مِنْ سَائِرِ مَا يُهْدَى وَيُتَصَدَّقُ بِهِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ نَسْخُ الْآيَةِ .
And if it is established that the verse necessitates choice, it is not permissible for us to drop it and restrict it to a specific thing, which is Fatihat al-Kitab; because in that is an abrogation of what the verse necessitated of choice. If a speaker says: It is at the level of His saying, “whatever is easy of sacrificial animals,” and the obligation to restrict it to camels, cattle, and sheep, despite the name applying to other than them from all that is gifted and given in charity, and there was no abrogation of the verse in that.
قِيلَ لَهُ : إِنَّ خِيَارَهُ بَاقٍ فِي ذَبْحِهِ أَيَّهَا شَاءَ مِنَ الْأَصْنَافِ الثَّلَاثَةِ ، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ رَفْعُ حُكْمِهَا مِنَ التَّخْيِيرِ وَلَا نَسْخُهُ ، وَإِنَّمَا فِيهِ التَّخْصِيصُ ، وَنَظِيرُ ذَلِكَ مَا لَوْ وَرَدَ أَثَرٌ فِي قِرَاءَةِ آيَةٍ دُونَ مَا هُوَ أَقَلُّ مِنْهَا لَمْ يَلْزَمْ مِنْهُ نَسْخُ الْآيَةِ ؛ لِأَنَّ خِيَارَهُ بَاقٍ فِي أَنْ يَقْرَأَ أَيَّهَا شَاءَ مِنْ آيِ [ ص: 22 ] الْقُرْآنِ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : قَوْلُهُ : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يُسْتَعْمَلُ فِيمَا عَدَا فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ ، فَلَا يَكُونُ فِيهِ نَسْخٌ لَهَا ، قِيلَ لَهُ : لَا يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ :
It is said to him: Indeed, his choice remains in slaughtering whichever he wishes of the three categories, so there was no lifting of its ruling of choice nor its abrogation, but rather there was specification in it. The parallel of that is if a report came regarding the recitation of a verse, excluding what is less than it, it would not necessitate the abrogation of the verse; because his choice remains in reciting whichever he wishes of the verses [p. 22] of the Qur’an. If a speaker says: His saying, “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an,” is applied to what is besides Fatihat al-Kitab, so there is no abrogation of it in that. It is said to him: That is not permissible for several reasons:
أَحَدُهَا : أَنَّهُ جَعَلَ الْأَمْرَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ عِبَارَةً عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فِيهَا ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ تَكُونَ عِبَادَةً إِلَّا وَهِيَ مِنْ أَرْكَانِهَا الَّتِي لَا تَصِحُّ إِلَّا بِهَا .
One of them: That He made the command of recitation an expression for the prayer itself, so it is not permissible for it to be an act of worship unless it is one of its pillars by which it is not valid without it.
الثَّانِي : أَنَّ ظَاهِرُهُ يَقْتَضِي التَّخْيِيرَ فِي جَمِيعِ مَا يُقْرَأُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ تَخْصِيصُهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَا يُقْرَأْ فِيهَا دُونَ غَيْرِهَا .
The second: That its apparent meaning necessitates choice in all of what is recited in the prayer, so it is not permissible to specify it to some of what is recited in it to the exclusion of others.
الثَّالِثُ : أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ أَمْرٌ ، وَحَقِيقَتُهُ وَمُقْتَضَاهُ الْوَاجِبُ ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ صَرْفُهُ إِلَى النَّدْبِ مِنَ الْقِرَاءَةِ دُونَ الْوَاجِبِ مِنْهَا ، وَمِمَّا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ جِهَةِ الْأَثَرِ مَا حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَلَّادٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَرَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَقَالَ لَهُ : ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ فَرَجَعَ الرَّجُلُ فَصَلَّى كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي ثُمَّ جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ : ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ حَتَّى فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ : إِنَّهُ لَا تَتِمُّ صَلَاةُ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ فَيَضَعَ الْوُضُوءَ مَوَاضِعَهُ ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرَ وَيَحْمَدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَيُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهِ ، وَيَقْرَأَ بِمَا شَاءَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ، ثُمَّ يَقُولَ : اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ، ثُمَّ يَرْكَعَ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ مَفَاصِلُهُ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ .
The third: That His saying, “So recite what is easy,” is a command, and its reality and requirement is that which is required. So it is not permissible to divert it to the recommended part of the recitation, excluding the required part of it. And among what indicates what we have mentioned from the perspective of reports is what was narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Bakr, who said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, who said: Mu’ammal ibn Isma’il narrated to us, Hammad narrated to us from Ishaq ibn Abi Talhah from ‘Ali ibn Yahya ibn Khallad from his uncle, that a man entered the mosque and prayed, then he came and greeted the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, returned the greeting and said to him: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” So the man went back and prayed as he had been praying, then he came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he returned the greeting, then he said to him: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed,” until he had done that three times. Then he, peace be upon him, said: “Indeed, the prayer of any person is not complete until he performs ablution, putting the water of ablution in its places, then says the takbir and praises Allah the Exalted and extols Him, and recites what he wishes of the Qur’an, then says, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ then bows until his joints are at rest,” and he mentioned the hadith.
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ ، وَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : إِذَا قُمْتَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَكَبِّرْ ، ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ، ثُمَّ ارْكَعْ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : قَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْأَوَّلِ : " ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا شِئْتَ " وَفِي الثَّانِي : " مَا تَيَسَّرَ " فَخَيَّرَهُ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ بِمَا شَاءَ .
And Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, who said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us, Yahya ibn Sa’id narrated to us from ‘Abdullah, who said: Sa’id ibn Abi Sa’id narrated to me from his father from Abu Hurayrah, that a man entered the mosque and prayed, then came and greeted, and he mentioned something similar, then he said: “When you stand for prayer, say the takbir, then recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an, then bow,” and he mentioned the hadith. Abu Bakr said: He said in the first hadith, “then recite what you wish,” and in the second, “what is easy,” so he gave him the choice in recitation with what he wished.
وَلَوْ كَانَتْ قِرَاءَةُ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَرْضًا لَعَلَّمَهُ إِيَّاهَا مَعَ عِلْمِهِ بِجَهْرِ الرَّجُلِ بِأَحْكَامِ الصَّلَاةِ ؛ إِذْ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ الِاقْتِصَارُ فِي تَعْلِيمِ الْجَاهِلِ عَلَى بَعْضِ فُرُوضِ الصَّلَاةِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ ، فَثَبَتَ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ قِرَاءَتَهَا لَيْسَتْ بِفَرْضٍ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْبَاقِي بْنُ قَانِعٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجَزَّارُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَامِرُ بْنُ سَيَّارٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو شَيْبَةَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِقِرَاءَةٍ يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ أَوْ غَيْرُهَا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ . وَقَدْ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ عَنْ مَخْلَدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَلَّادٍ عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ بِهَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ ، [ ص: 23 ] قَالَ : فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا قُمْتَ فَتَوَجَّهْتَ إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ فَكَبِّرْ ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَبِمَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ وَذَكَرَ تَمَامَ الْحَدِيثِ ، فَذَكَرَ فِيهِ قِرَاءَةَ أُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرَهَا ، وَهَذَا غَيْرُ مُخَالِفٍ لِلْأَخْبَارِ الْأُخَرِ ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَقْرَأُ بِمَا تَيَسَّرَ ؛ إِذْ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ حَمْلُهُ عَلَى تَعْيِينِ الْفَرْضِ فِيهَا لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ نَسْخِ التَّخْيِيرِ الْمَذْكُورِ فِي غَيْرِهِ .
And if the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab were an obligation, he would have taught it to him, knowing the man’s ignorance of the rulings of the prayer; as it is not permissible to suffice in teaching the ignorant with some of the obligations of the prayer to the exclusion of others. Thus it is established by that that its recitation is not an obligation. And ‘Abd al-Baqi ibn Qani’ narrated to us, who said: Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Jazzar narrated to us, who said: ‘Amir ibn Sayyar narrated to us, who said: Abu Shaybah Ibrahim ibn ‘Uthman narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us from Abu Nadrah from Abu Sa’id, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is no prayer except with a recitation in which is recited Fatihat al-Kitab or something else from the Qur’an.” And Muhammad ibn Bakr has narrated to us, who said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, who said: Wahb ibn Baqiyyah narrated to us from Makhlad from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr from ‘Ali ibn Yahya ibn Khallad from Rifa’ah ibn Rafi’ with this story, [p. 23] he said: So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When you stand and face the qiblah, say the takbir, then recite Umm al-Qur’an and what Allah wills for you to recite,” and he mentioned the rest of the hadith. So he mentioned in it the recitation of Umm al-Qur’an and other than it, and this does not contradict the other reports; because it is to be interpreted as him reciting what is easy; as it is not permissible to interpret it as specifying the obligation in it because of what that entails of abrogating the choice mentioned in other than it.
وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ أَحَدَ الْخَبَرَيْنِ غَيْرُ مَنْسُوخٍ بِالْآخَرِ ؛ إِذْ كَانَا فِي قِصَّةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : لَمَّا ذَكَرَ فِي أَحَدِ الْخَبَرَيْنِ التَّخْيِيرَ فِيمَا يُقْرَأُ ، وَذَكَرَ فِي الْآخَرِ الْأَمْرَ بِقِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَخْيِيرٍ ، وَأَثْبَتَ التَّخْيِيرَ فِيمَا عَدَاهَا بِقَوْلِهِ : وَبِمَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ بَعْدَ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، ثَبَتَ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ التَّخْيِيرَ الْمَذْكُورَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ الْأُخَرِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ فِيمَا عَدَا فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، وَأَنَّ تَرْكَ ذِكْرِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِغْفَالٌ مِنْ بَعْضِ الرُّوَاةِ ، وَلِأَنَّ فِي خَبَرِنَا زِيَادَةً ، وَهُوَ الْأَمْرُ بِقِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ بِلَا تَخْيِيرٍ .
And it is known that one of the two reports is not abrogated by the other, as they were in a single incident. If a speaker says: Since he mentioned in one of the two reports choice in what is recited, and mentioned in the other the command to recite Fatihat al-Kitab without choice, and affirmed the choice in what is besides it by his saying, “and what Allah wills for you to recite” after Fatihat al-Kitab, it is established by that that the choice mentioned in the other reports is only in what is besides Fatihat al-Kitab, and that the omission of mentioning Fatihat al-Kitab is merely an oversight from one of the narrators, and because in our report there is an addition, which is the command to recite Fatihat al-Kitab without choice.
قِيلَ لَهُ : غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ حَمْلُ الْخَبَرِ الَّذِي فِيهِ التَّخْيِيرُ مُطْلَقًا عَلَى الْخَبَرِ الْمَذْكُورِ فِيهِ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ عَلَى مَا ادَّعَيْتَ ، لِإِمْكَانِ اسْتِعْمَالِهِمَا مِنْ غَيْرِ تَخْصِيصٍ ، بَلِ الْوَاجِبُ أَنْ نَقُولَ : التَّخْيِيرُ الْمَذْكُورُ فِي الْخَبَرِ الْمُطْلَقِ حُكْمُهُ ثَابِتٌ فِي الْخَبَرِ الْمُقَيَّدِ بِذِكْرِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، فَيَكُونُ التَّخْيِيرُ عَامًّا فِي فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَغَيْرِهَا ، كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ : اقْرَأْ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ إِنْ شِئْتَ وَبِمَا سِوَاهَا ، فَيَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ اسْتِعْمَالُ زِيَادَةِ التَّخْyِيرِ فِي فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، دُونَ تَخْصِيصِهِ فِي بَعْضِ الْقِرَاءَةِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ أَيْضًا مَا حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ الْبَصْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : اُخْرُجْ فَنَادِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ أَنَّهُ لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِقُرْآنٍ ، وَلَوْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَمَا زَادَ .
It is said to him: It is not permissible to interpret the report which contains absolute choice according to the report in which Fatihat al-Kitab is mentioned as you have claimed, due to the possibility of applying them both without specification. Rather, it is necessary that we say: The choice mentioned in the absolute report, its ruling is established in the restricted report with the mention of Fatihat al-Kitab, so the choice would be general for Fatihat al-Kitab and other than it, as if he said: “Recite Umm al-Qur’an if you wish, and with what is other than it.” So in that would be the application of the addition of choice regarding Fatihat al-Kitab, without specifying it to some of the recitation to the exclusion of some. And also indicating this is what Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, who said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, who said: Ibrahim ibn Musa narrated to us, who said: ‘Isa narrated to us from Ja’far ibn Maymun al-Basri, who said: Abu ‘Uthman al-Nahdi narrated to us from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: “Go out and announce in Madinah that there is no prayer except with Qur’an, even if with Fatihat al-Kitab and what is more.”
وَقَوْلُهُ : لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِالْقُرْآنِ يَقْتَضِي جَوَازَهَا بِمَا قَرَأَ بِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ .
And his saying, “There is no prayer except with the Qur’an,” necessitates its validity with whatever thing one recites.
وَقَوْلُهُ : وَلَوْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَمَا زَادَ يَدُلُّ أَيْضًا عَلَى جَوَازِهَا بِغَيْرِهَا لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ فَرْضُ الْقِرَاءَةِ مُتَعَيِّنًا بِهَا لَمَا قَالَ : وَلَوْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَمَا زَادَ وَلَقَالَ : بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ .
And his saying, “even if with Fatihat al-Kitab and what is more,” also indicates its validity with other than it, because if the obligation of recitation were specified to it, he would not have said, “even if with Fatihat al-Kitab and what is more,” but would have said, “with Fatihat al-Kitab.”
وَمِمَّا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّمَا صَلَاةٍ لَمْ يُقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ وَرَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ وَابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِي السَّائِبِ مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاخْتِلَافُهُمَا فِي السَّنَدِ عَلَى هَذَا الْوَجْهِ لَا يُوهِنُهُ ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِنْ أَبِيهِ وَمِنْ أَبِي السَّائِبِ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا قَالَ : فَهِيَ [ ص: 24 ] خِدَاجٌ وَالْخِدَاجُ النَّاقِصَةُ ، دَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى جَوَازِهَا مَعَ النُّقْصَانِ ؛ لِأَنَّهَا لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ جَائِزَةً لَمَا أَطْلَقَ عَلَيْهَا اسْمَ النُّقْصَانِ ؛ لِأَنَّ إِثْبَاتَهَا نَاقِصَةً يَنْفِي بُطْلَانَهَا ؛ إِذْ لَا يَجُوزُ الْوَصْفُ بِالنُّقْصَانِ لِمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ .
And among what indicates what we have mentioned is the hadith of Ibn ‘Uyaynah from al-‘Ala’ ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from his father from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Any prayer in which Fatihat al-Kitab is not recited, it is deficient (khidaj).” And it was narrated by Malik and Ibn Jurayj from al-‘Ala’ from Abu al-Sa’ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhrah, from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. And their difference in the chain of narration in this manner does not weaken it, because it has been narrated that he heard from his father and from Abu al-Sa’ib both. So when he said, “it is [p. 24] deficient (khidaj),” and khidaj means incomplete, that indicated its validity despite the incompleteness; because if it were not valid, he would not have applied the name of incompleteness to it; because affirming it as incomplete negates its invalidity, as it is not permissible to describe with incompleteness that of which nothing has been established.
أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ لَا يُقَالُ لِلنَّاقَةِ إِذَا حَالَتْ فَلَمْ تَحْمِلْ : إِنَّهَا قَدْ أَخَدَجَتْ ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالَ : أَخَدَجَتْ وَخَدَجَتْ ، إِذَا أَلْقَتْ وَلَدَهَا نَاقِصَ الْخِلْقَةِ أَوْ وَضَعَتْهُ لِغَيْرِ تَمَامٍ فِي مُدَّةِ الْحَمْلِ ؛ فَأَمَّا مَا لَمْ تَحْمِلْ فَلَا تُوصَفُ بِالْخِدَاجِ فَثَبَتَ بِذَلِكَ جَوَازُ الصَّلَاةِ بِغَيْرِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ؛ إِذِ النُّقْصَانُ غَيْرُ نَافٍ لِلْأَصْلِ ، بَلْ يَقْتَضِي ثُبُوتَ الْأَصْلِ حَتَّى يَصِحَّ وَصْفُهَا بِالنُّقْصَانِ وَقَدْ رَوَى أَيْضًا عَبَّادُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ : كُلُّ صَلَاةٍ لَا يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ فَأَثْبَتَهَا نَاقِصَةً ، وَإِثْبَاتُ النُّقْصَانِ يُوجِبُ ثُبُوتَ الْأَصْلِ عَلَى مَا وَصَفْنَا .
Do you not see that it is not said of a she-camel, if she is barren and does not conceive, that she has “akhdajat” (had a deficient birth)? Rather, it is said “akhdajat” or “khadajat” if she casts her offspring with an incomplete form or gives birth to it before completion of the gestation period. As for what she did not conceive, she is not described with deficiency (khidaj). Thus it is established by that the validity of the prayer without Fatihat al-Kitab, as incompleteness does not negate the origin, but rather necessitates the establishment of the origin so that it is correct to describe it with incompleteness. And ‘Abbad ibn ‘Abdillah ibn al-Zubayr also narrated from ‘A’ishah from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: “Every prayer in which Fatihat al-Kitab is not recited is deficient (khidaj).” So he affirmed it as incomplete, and the affirmation of incompleteness necessitates the establishment of the origin, as we have described.
وَقَدْ رُوِيَ أَيْضًا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ : إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُصَلِّي الصَّلَاةَ يُكْتَبُ لَهُ نِصْفُهَا خُمُسُهَا عُشْرُهَا فَلَمْ يَبْطُلْ جُزْءٌ بِنُقْصَانِهَا فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : قَدْ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِجْلَانَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي السَّائِبِ مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةً وَلَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا شَيْئًا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ يُعَارِضُ حَدِيثَ مَالِكٍ وَابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ فِي ذِكْرِهِمَا فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ دُونِ غَيْرِهَا ، وَإِذَا تَعَارَضَا سَقَطَا ، فَلَمْ يَثْبُتْ كَوْنُهَا نَاقِصَةً إِذَا لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ .
And it has also been narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him: “Indeed, a man may pray a prayer for which is written for him half of it, a fifth of it, a tenth of it.” So a part was not nullified by its incompleteness. If a speaker says: This hadith has been narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan from his father from Abu al-Sa’ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhrah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever prays a prayer and does not recite in it anything from the Qur’an, it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, not complete.” And this hadith contradicts the hadith of Malik and Ibn ‘Uyaynah in their mentioning of Fatihat al-Kitab to the exclusion of other than it, and if they contradict, they are both dropped, so it is not established that it is incomplete if one does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab in it.
قِيلَ لَهُ : لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعَارَضَ مَالِكٌ وَابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ بِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِجْلَانَ ، بَلِ السَّهْوُ وَالْإِغْفَالُ أَجْوَزُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُمَا ، فَلَا يُعْتَرَضُ عَلَى رِوَايَتِهِمَا بِهِ وَعَلَى أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَعَارُضٌ ؛ إِذْ جَائِزٌ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ قَالَهُمَا جَمِيعًا ، قَالَ مَرَّةً : وَذَكَرَ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ ، وَذَكَرَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى الْقِرَاءَةَ مُطْلَقَةً .
It is said to him: It is not permissible for Malik and Ibn ‘Uyaynah to be contradicted by Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan; rather, error and oversight are more possible for him than for them, so their narration is not objected to by his. And furthermore, there is no contradiction in it, as it is possible that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said both of them. One time he said it and mentioned Fatihat al-Kitab, and another time he mentioned recitation in absolute terms.
وَأَيْضًا فَجَائِزٌ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَادُ بِذِكْرِ الْإِطْلَاقِ مَا قَيَّدَهُ فِي خَبَرِ هَذَيْنِ فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : إِذَا جَوَّزْتَ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَدْ قَالَ الْأَمْرَيْنِ ، فَحَدِيثُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِجْلَانَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى جَوَازِ الصَّلَاةِ بِغَيْرِ قِرَاءَةٍ رَأْسًا ؛ لِإِثْبَاتِهِ إِيَّاهَا نَاقِصَةً مَعَ عَدَمِ الْقِرَاءَةِ رَأْسًا .
And also, it is possible that what is intended by the mention of the absolute is what he restricted in the report of these two. If a speaker says: If you permit that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said both things, then the hadith of Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan indicates the validity of the prayer without any recitation at all, because of his affirming it as incomplete despite the absence of any recitation at all.
قِيلَ لَهُ : نَحْنُ نَقْبَلُ هَذَا السُّؤَالَ ، وَنَقُولُ كَذَلِكَ : يَقْتَضِي ظَاهِرُ الْخَبَرَيْنِ ؛ إِلَّا أَنَّ الدَّلَالَةَ قَامَتْ عَلَى أَنَّ تَرْكَ الْقِرَاءَةِ يُفْسِدُهَا ، فَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى مَعْنَى الْخَبَرِ الْآخَرِ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : وَقَدْ رُوِيَتْ أَخْبَارٌ أُخَرُ فِي قِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ يَحْتَجُّ بِهَا مِنْ يَرَاهَا فَرْضًا فَمِنْهَا حَدِيثُ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَعَنْ أَبِي السَّائِبِ مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ : يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى : قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي [ ص: 25 ] وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ ، فَنِصْفُهَا لِي ، وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ : الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى : حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالُوا : فَلَمَّا عَبَّرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ دَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهَا مِنْ فُرُوضَهَا ، كَمَا أَنَّهُ لَمَّا عَبَّرَ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ بِالْقُرْآنِ فِي قَوْلِهِ : وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ وَأَرَادَ قِرَاءَةَ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ دَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهَا مِنْ فُرُوضِهَا ، وَكَمَا عَبَّرَ عَنْهَا بِالرُّكُوعِ فَقَالَ : وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ دَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ مِنْ فُرُوضِهَا .
It is said to him: We accept this question, and we say likewise: the apparent meaning of the two reports necessitates that; except that proof has been established that omitting recitation invalidates it, so we interpret it according to the meaning of the other report. Abu Bakr said: And other reports have been narrated regarding the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab which are used as evidence by those who see it as an obligation. Among them is the hadith of al-‘Ala’ ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from ‘A’ishah and from Abu al-Sa’ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhrah, from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: Allah the Exalted says: “I have divided the prayer between Myself [p. 25] and My servant into two halves. Half of it is for Me, and half of it is for My servant. So when the servant says, ‘All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds,’ Allah the Exalted says, ‘My servant has praised Me,’” and he mentioned the hadith. They said: So when He expressed the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab with the word “the prayer,” it indicated that it is one of its obligations, just as when He expressed the prayer with the word “the Qur’an” in His saying, “and the Qur’an of the dawn,” and He intended the recitation of the dawn prayer, it indicated that it is one of its obligations, and just as He expressed it with “bowing” and said, “and bow with those who bow,” it indicated that it is one of its obligations.
قِيلَ لَهُ : لَمْ تَكُنِ الْعِبَارَةُ عَنْهُمَا لِمَا ذَكَرْتَ مُوجِبًا لِفَرْضِ الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ فِيهَا دُونَ مَا تَنَاوَلَهُ مِنْ لَفْظِ الْأَمْرِ الْمُقْتَضِي لِلْإِيجَابِ ، وَلَيْسَ فِي قَوْلِهِ : قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي أَمْرٌ ، وَإِنَّمَا أَكْثَرُ مَا فِيهِ الصَّلَاةُ بِقِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، وَذَلِكَ غَيْرُ مُقْتَضٍ لِلْإِيجَابِ ؛ لِأَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى النَّوَافِلِ وَالْفُرُوضِ .
It is said to him: The expression for them for what you mentioned was not what necessitated the obligation of recitation and bowing in it, but rather what was encompassed by the wording of the command which necessitates obligation. And there is no command in His saying, “I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant.” Rather, the most that is in it is the prayer with the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab, and that does not necessitate obligation, because “the prayer” includes supererogatory and obligatory prayers.
وَقَدْ أَفَادَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ نَفْيَ إِيجَابِهَا ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ : فَمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ فَأَثْبَتَهَا نَاقِصَةً مَعَ عَدَمِ قِرَاءَتِهَا .
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, conveyed in this hadith the negation of its obligation, because he said at its end: “So whoever does not recite Umm al-Qur’an in it, it is deficient (khidaj).” So he affirmed it as incomplete despite the absence of its recitation.
وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرِدْ نَسْخَ أَوَّلِ كَلَامِهِ بِآخِرِهِ ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى " قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ " وَذِكْرُ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ لَا يُوجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قِرَاءَتُهَا فَرْضًا فِيهَا .
And it is known that he did not intend to abrogate the beginning of his speech with its end. So that indicated that the saying of Allah the Exalted, “I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves,” and the mention of Fatihat al-Kitab does not necessitate that its recitation be an obligation in it.
وَهَذَا كَمَا رَوَى شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ رَبِّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ بْنِ أَبِي أَنَسٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نَافِعِ ابْنِ الْعَمْيَاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ أَبِي وَادِعَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : الصَّلَاةُ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى ، وَتَشَهُّدٌ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، وَتَبَأُّسٌ وَتَمَسْكُنٌ وَتَقَنُّعٌ لِرَبِّكَ ، وَتَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ وَلَمْ يُوجِبْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَا سَمَّاهُ صَلَاةً مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَفْعَالِ فَرْضًا فِيهَا .
And this is like what Shu’bah narrated from ‘Abd Rabbihi ibn Sa’id from Anas ibn Abi Anas from ‘Abdullah ibn Nafi’ ibn al-‘Amya’ from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Harith from al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada’ah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The prayer is two by two, with a tashahhud in every two rak’ahs, and showing misery and humility and covering for your Lord, and you say ‘O Allah…’ So whoever does not do that, it is deficient (khidaj).” And that did not necessitate that what he named “prayer” from these actions be an obligation in it.
وَمِمَّا يَحْتَجُّ بِهِ الْمُخَالِفُونَ أَيْضًا حَدِيثُ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَبِمَا حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّ أُنَادِيَ أَنْ لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَمَا زَادَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : قَوْلُهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ : لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ يَحْتَمِلُ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ وَنَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ ، وَإِنْ كَانَ ظَاهِرُهُ عِنْدَنَا عَلَى نَفْيِ الْأَصْلِ حَتَّى تَقُومَ الدَّلَالَةُ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ نَفْيُ الْكَمَالِ .
And among what the opponents also use as evidence is the hadith of ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is no prayer for one who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab.” And with what Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, who said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, who said: Ibn Bashshar narrated to us, who said: Ja’far narrated to us from Abu ‘Uthman from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded me to announce that “there is no prayer except with Fatihat al-Kitab and what is more.” Abu Bakr said: His saying, peace be upon him, “There is no prayer except with Fatihat al-Kitab,” can mean the negation of the origin and the negation of the perfection, even if its apparent meaning according to us is the negation of the origin, until proof is established that what is intended is the negation of the perfection.
وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ إِرَادَةُ الْأَمْرَيْنِ جَمِيعًا ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَتَى أَرَادَ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ ، وَإِذَا أَرَادَ نَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ ، وَإِثْبَاتَ النُّقْصَانِ فَلَا مَحَالَةَ بَعْضُهُ ثَابِتٌ ، وَإِرَادَتُهُمَا مَعًا مُنْتَفِيَةٌ مُسْتَحِيلَةٌ .
And it is known that it is not permissible to intend both matters together; because whenever he intends the negation of the origin, nothing of it is established, and if he intends the negation of the perfection and the affirmation of incompleteness, then inevitably some of it is established. And intending them both together is negated and impossible.
وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرِدْ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ أَنَّ إِثْبَاتَ ذَلِكَ إِسْقَاطُ التَّخْيِيرِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى : فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَذَلِكَ نَسْخٌ ، وَغَيْرُ جَائِزٍ نَسْخُ الْقُرْآنِ [ ص: 26 ] بِأَخْبَارِ الْآحَادِ .
And the proof that he did not intend the negation of the origin is that establishing that would be to drop the choice in the saying of Allah the Exalted, “So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an,” and that is abrogation, and it is not permissible to abrogate the Qur’an [p. 26] with solitary reports.
وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ أَيْضًا مَا رَوَاهُ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ، قَالَ : لَا تَجْزِي صَلَاةٌ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ بِالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسُورَةٍ فِي الْفَرِيضَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا إِلَّا أَنَّ أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ قَالَ مَعَهَا غَيْرُهَا .
And also indicating it is what was narrated by Abu Hanifah, Abu Mu’awiyah, Ibn Fudayl, and Abu Sufyan from Abu Nadrah from Abu Sa’id from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: “A prayer does not suffice for one who does not recite in every rak’ah ‘Al-Hamdulillah’ and a Surah in the obligatory prayer and other than it,” except that Abu Hanifah said “and something else with it.”
وَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ لَا صَلَاةَ ، وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرِدْ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ وَإِنَّمَا مُرَادُهُ نَفْيُ الْكَمَالِ لِاتِّفَاقِ الْجَمِيعِ عَلَى أَنَّهَا مُجْزِيَةٌ بِقِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ مَعَهَا غَيْرَهَا فَثَبَتَ أَنَّهُ أَرَادَ نَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ وَإِيجَابَ النُّقْصَانِ ، وَغَيْرُ جَائِزٍ أَنْ يُرِيدَ بِهِ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ وَنَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ لِتَضَادِّهِمَا وَاسْتِحَالَةِ إِرَادَتِهِمَا جَمِيعًا بِلَفْظِ وَاحِدٍ .
And Mu’awiyah said “no prayer.” And it is known that he did not intend the negation of the origin, but rather his intent was the negation of the perfection, due to the consensus of all that it is sufficient with the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab, even if one does not recite anything else with it. So it is established that he intended the negation of the perfection and the affirmation of incompleteness. And it is not permissible that he intended by it the negation of the origin and the negation of the perfection due to their being contradictory and the impossibility of intending them both together with a single wording.
فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَيْرُ حَدِيثِ عُبَادَةَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، وَجَائِزٌ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَرَّةً لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَأَوْجَبَ بِذَلِكَ قِرَاءَتَهَا وَجَعْلَهَا فَرْضًا فِيهَا ، وَقَالَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى مَا ذَكَرَهُ سَعِيدٌ مِنْ قِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَشَيْءٍ مَعَهَا ، وَأَرَادَ بِهِ نَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ إِذَا لَمْ يَقْرَأْ مَعَ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ غَيْرَهَا .
If a speaker says: This hadith is different from the hadith of ‘Ubadah and Abu Hurayrah, and it is possible that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said one time, “There is no prayer except with Fatihat al-Kitab,” thereby making its recitation obligatory and an obligation in it, and said another time what Abu Sa’id mentioned of reciting Fatihat al-Kitab and something with it, and intended by it the negation of the perfection if one does not recite something else with Fatihat al-Kitab.
قِيلَ لَهُ : لَيْسَ مَعَكَ تَارِيخُ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ ، وَأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ فِي حَالَيْنِ ، وَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى دَلَالَةٍ فِي إِثْبَاتِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْخَبَرَيْنِ فِي الْحَالَيْنِ وَلِمُخَالِفِكَ أَنْ يَقُولَ : لَمَّا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ ذَلِكَ فِي وَقْتَيْنِ ، وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ اللَّفْظَانِ جَمِيعًا ، جَعَلْتُهُمَا حَدِيثًا وَاحِدًا سَاقَ بَعْضُ الرُّوَاةِ لَفْظَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ وَأَغْفَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضَ أَلْفَاظِهِ ، وَهُوَ ذِكْرُ السُّورَةِ ، فَهُمَا مُتَسَاوِيَانِ حِينَئِذٍ ، وَيَثْبُتُ الْخَبَرُ بِزِيَادَةٍ فِي حَالَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ، وَيَكُونُ لِقَوْلِ خَصْمِكَ مَزِيَّةٌ عَلَى قَوْلِكَ ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا لَمْ يُعْرَفْ تَارِيخُهُ فَسَبِيلُهُ أَنْ يُحْكَمَ بِوُجُودِهِمَا مَعًا .
It is said to him: You do not have the dating of the two hadiths, nor that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that in two different situations, and it requires proof to establish each one of the two reports in the two situations. And your opponent can say: Since it is not established that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that at two different times, and both wordings have been established, I consider them a single hadith, some of whose narrators transmitted its wording as it was, and some of them omitted some of its words, which is the mention of the Surah. So they are equal then, and the report is established with an addition in a single situation. And the statement of your adversary would have an advantage over your statement, which is that everything whose date is not known, its way is to be judged as them existing together.
وَإِذَا ثَبَتَ أَنَّهُ قَالَهُمَا فِي وَقْتٍ وَاحِدٍ بِزِيَادَةِ السُّورَةِ ، فَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ مَعَ ذِكْرِ السُّورَةِ لَمْ يُرِدْ نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ ، وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادَ إِثْبَاتَ النَّقْصِ ، حَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ، وَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ كَقَوْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ : لَا صَلَاةَ لِجَارِ الْمَسْجِدِ إِلَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَمَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ ، وَلَا إِيمَانَ لِمَنْ لَا أَمَانَةَ لَهُ وَكَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى : إِنَّهُمْ لا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنْتَهُونَ أَلا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ فَنَفَاهَا بَدْءًا وَأَثْبَتَهَا ثَانِيًا ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَرَادَ نَفْيَ الْكَمَالِ لَا نَفْيَ الْأَصْلِ ، أَيْ : لَا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ وَافِيَةً فَيَفُونَ بِهَا فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ : فَهَلَّا اسْتَعْمَلْتَ الْأَخْبَارَ عَلَى ظَوَاهِرِهَا وَاسْتَعْمَلْتَ التَّخْيِيرَ الْمَذْكُورَ فِي الْآيَةِ فِيمَا عَدَا فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ قِيلَ لَهُ : لَوِ انْفَرَدَتِ الْأَخْبَارُ عَنِ الْآيَةِ ، لَمَا كَانَ فِيهَا مَا يُوجِبُ فَرْضَ قِرَاءَةِ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ، لِمَا بَيَّنَّا مِنْ أَنَّ فِيهَا مَا لَا يَحْتَمِلُ إِلَّا إِثْبَاتَ الْأَصْلِ مَعَ تَرْكِهَا ، وَاحْتِمَالُ سَائِرِ الْأَخْبَارِ الْأُخَرِ لِنَفْيِ الْأَصْلِ وَنَفْيِ الْكَمَالَ .
And if it is established that he said them at one time with the addition of the Surah, then it is known that with the mention of the Surah he did not intend the negation of the origin, but rather he intended to establish deficiency. We interpret it according to that. And that would be like his saying, peace be upon him: “There is no prayer for the neighbor of the mosque except in the mosque,” and “Whoever hears the call and does not respond, there is no prayer for him,” and “There is no faith for one who has no trustworthiness.” And like the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Indeed, there are no oaths for them that they might cease… Will you not fight a people who broke their oaths?” So He negated them at first and affirmed them secondly, because He intended the negation of perfection, not the negation of the origin, i.e., they have no fulfilling oaths that they would abide by. If a speaker says: Why did you not apply the reports according to their apparent meanings and apply the choice mentioned in the verse to what is besides Fatihat al-Kitab? It is said to him: If the reports were separate from the verse, there would not be in them what necessitates the obligation of reciting Fatihat al-Kitab, because of what we have explained that in them is what cannot be interpreted except as affirming the origin despite its omission, and the possibility of all other reports meaning the negation of the origin and the negation of the perfection.
وَعَلَى أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَخْبَارَ لَوْ كَانَتْ مُوجِبَةً [ ص: 27 ] لِتَعْيِينِ فَرْضِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِيهَا لَمَا جَازَ الِاعْتِرَاضُ بِهَا عَلَى الْآيَةِ وَصَرْفُهَا عَنِ الْوَاجِبِ إِلَى النَّفْلِ فِيمَا عَدَا الْكِتَابَ ؛ لِمَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي أَوَّلِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِ فَإِنَّكَ تَجِدُهُ كَافِيًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى .
And furthermore, if these reports were to necessitate [p. 27] the specification of the obligation of recitation in it, it would not be permissible to oppose the verse with them and divert it from the required to the supererogatory in what is besides the Book, because of what we mentioned at the beginning of the issue. So refer back to it, for you will find it sufficient, if Allah the Exalted wills.
فَصْلٌ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : وَقِرَاءَةُ فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ مَعَ مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ حُكْمِهَا تَقْتَضِي أَمْرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِيَّانَا بِفِعْلِ الْحَمْدِ ، وَتَعْلِيمٌ لَنَا كَيْفَ نَحْمَدُهُ وَكَيْفَ الثَّنَاءُ عَلَيْهِ وَكَيْفَ الدُّعَاءُ لَهُ ؟ وَدَلَالَةٌ عَلَى أَنَّ تَقْدِيمَ الْحَمْدِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى الدُّعَاءِ أَوْلَى وَأَحْرَى بِالْإِجَابَةِ ؛ لِأَنَّ السُّورَةَ مُفْتَتَحَةٌ بِذِكْرِ الْحَمْدِ ثُمَّ بِالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى اللَّهِ ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ : الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِلَى مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ثُمَّ الِاعْتِرَافِ بِالْعِبَادَةِ لَهُ وَإِفْرَادِهَا لَهُ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ : إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ ثُمَّ الِاسْتِعَانَةِ بِهِ فِي الْقِيَامِ بِعِبَادَتِهِ فِي سَائِرِ مَا بِنَا الْحَاجَةُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أُمُورِ الدُّنْيَا وَالدِّينِ ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ : وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ثُمَّ الدُّعَاءِ بِالتَّثْبِيتِ عَلَى الْهِدَايَةِ الَّتِي هَدَانَا لَهَا مِنْ وُجُوبِ الْحَمْدِ لَهُ وَاسْتِحْقَاقِ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ ؛ لِأَنَّ قَوْلَهُ : اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ هُوَ دُعَاءٌ لِلْهِدَايَةِ وَالتَّثْبِيتِ عَلَيْهَا فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ ، إِذْ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ ذَلِكَ فِي الْمَاضِي ؛ وَهُوَ التَّوْفِيقُ عَمَّا ضَلَّ عَنْهُ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ اللَّهِ وَحَمْدِهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ ، فَاسْتَحَقُّوا لِذَلِكَ غَضَبَهُ وَعِقَابَهُ .
Section. Abu Bakr said: And the recitation of Fatihat al-Kitab, along with what we have mentioned of its ruling, necessitates the command of Allah the Exalted to us to perform praise, and is a teaching for us on how to praise Him, how to extol Him, and how to supplicate to Him. And it is an indication that preceding supplication with praise and extolment of Allah the Exalted is more fitting and more likely to be answered; because the Surah is opened with the mention of praise, then with extolment of Allah, which is His saying, “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds,” up to “Master of the Day of Judgment.” Then the acknowledgement of worship for Him and singling it out for Him alone with His saying, “You alone we worship.” Then seeking His help in carrying out His worship in all other matters of this world and the religion that we are in need of, which is His saying, “and You alone we ask for help.” Then the supplication for steadfastness upon the guidance to which He guided us, of the necessity of praising Him and His deserving of extolment and worship; because His saying, “Guide us to the straight path,” is a supplication for guidance and steadfastness upon it in the future, as that is not possible for the past. And it is success in what the disbelievers were misguided from of the knowledge of Allah, His praise, and His extolment, for which they deserved His anger and His punishment.
وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى : الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ مَعَ أَنَّهُ تَعْلِيمٌ لَنَا الْحَمْدَ ، هُوَ أَمْرٌ لَنَا بِهِ ، قَوْلُهُ : إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِقَوْلِ الْحَمْدِ مُضْمَرٌ فِي ابْتِدَاءِ السُّورَةِ ، وَهُوَ مَعَ مَا ذَكَرْنَا رُقْيَةٌ وَعَوْذَةٌ وَشِفَاءٌ ، لِمَا حَدَّثَنَا بِهِ عَبْدُ الْبَاقِي ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُعَلَّى ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِيَاسٍ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ، قَالَ : كُنَّا فِي سَرِيَّةٍ فَمَرَرْنَا بِحَيٍّ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَقَالُوا : سَيِّدٌ لَنَا لَدَغَتْهُ الْعَقْرَبُ ، فَهَلْ فِيكُمْ رَاقٍ ؟ قَالَ : قُلْتُ : أَنَا ، وَلَمْ أَفْعَلْ حَتَّى جَعَلُوا لَنَا جُعْلًا ، جَعَلُوا لَنَا شَاةً قَالَ : فَقَرَأْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ ، فَبَرَأَ ؛ فَأَخَذْتُ الشَّاةَ ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ : حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ ، فَقَالَ : عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةُ حَقٍّ اضْرِبُوا لِي مَعَكُمْ بِسَهْمٍ .
And the proof that His saying, “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds,” despite being a teaching for us of praise, is a command to us to do it, is His saying, “You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.” So know that the command to say the praise is implicit at the beginning of the Surah. And it is, along with what we have mentioned, an incantation, a refuge, and a cure, because of what ‘Abd al-Baqi narrated to us, who said: Mu’adh ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us, who said: Sa’id ibn al-Mu’alla narrated to us, who said: Abu Mu’awiyah narrated to us from al-A’mash from Ja’far ibn Iyas from Abu Nadrah from Abu Sa’id, who said: We were in a military expedition and we passed by a tribe of the Arabs, and they said: A leader of ours has been stung by a scorpion, is there an incantor among you? He said: I said: I am, but I will not do it until you set a payment for us. They set a sheep for us. He said: So I recited Fatihat al-Kitab over him seven times, and he was cured. So I took the sheep, then I said: [We will wait] until we come to the Prophet, peace be upon him. So we came to him and informed him, and he said: “Did you know that it is a true incantation? Set aside a share for me with you.”
وَلِهَذِهِ السُّورَةِ أَسْمَاءٌ مِنْهَا أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ ؛ لِأَنَّهَا ابْتِدَاؤُهُ قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ :
الْأَرْضُ مَعْقِلُنَا وَكَانَتْ أُمَّنَا
فَسَمَّى الْأَرْضَ أُمًّا لَنَا ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مِنْهَا ابْتَدَأَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ، وَهِيَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ ، وَإِحْدَى الْعِبَارَتَيْنِ تُغْنِي عَنِ الْأُخْرَى ؛ لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا قِيلَ : أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ فَقَدْ عُلِمَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى الَّذِي هُوَ الْقُرْآنُ ؛ فَقِيلَ تَارَةً أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَتَارَةً أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ ، وَقَدْ رُوِيَتِ الْعِبَارَةُ بِاللَّفْظَيْنِ جَمِيعًا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَكَذَلِكَ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ وَهِيَ السَّبْعُ [ ص: 28 ] الْمَثَانِي ، قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ : سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ السَّبْعِ الْمَثَانِي ، فَقَالَ : السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي هِيَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادَ بِالسَّبْعِ أَنَّهَا سَبْعُ آيَاتٍ ، وَمَعْنَى الْمَثَانِي أَنَّهَا تُثَنَّى فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ ، وَذَلِكَ مِنْ سُنَنِهَا ، وَلَيْسَ مِنْ سُنَّةِ الْقُرْآنِ إِعَادَتُهُ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ .
And this Surah has names, among them Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book), because it is its beginning. The poet said:
The earth is our fortress and was our mother.
So he named the earth a mother for us because from it Allah the Exalted began us. And it is Umm al-Qur’an (Mother of the Qur’an), and one of the two expressions suffices for the other, because if it is said “Umm al-Kitab,” it is known that what is intended is the Book of Allah the Exalted which is the Qur’an. So it was said at times “Umm al-Qur’an” and at times “Umm al-Kitab,” and the expression has been narrated with both wordings from the Prophet, peace be upon him. And likewise Fatihat al-Kitab (The Opening of the Book). And it is the Seven [p. 28] Oft-Repeated (al-Mathani). Sa’id ibn Jubayr said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbas about the Seven Oft-Repeated. He said: The Seven Oft-Repeated is Umm al-Qur’an. And he only intended by “the Seven” that it is seven verses, and the meaning of “al-Mathani” is that it is repeated (tuthanna) in every rak’ah, and that is from its sunnahs, and it is not from the sunnah of the Qur’an to repeat it in every rak’ah.