Imam Sahib narrates the hadith of Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hanzaliyah (may Allah be pleased with him) from his two respected teachers, Muhammad bin Yahya and Fahd bin Salman.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace be upon him) said: "The prayer of that person is not valid who does not recite Surah Al-Fatihah." This is the narration of Makhzumi. Hasan bin Muhammad, in his narration, says that Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this hadith as marfu’ from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Ahmad and Abdul Jabbar narrate from Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) with «‏‏‏‏عن» ‏‏‏‏. Whereas in the narration of Muhammad bin Al-Waleed, it is stated: "There is no prayer without the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah."

On this basis, one sect has claimed that if a person omits the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, the prayer becomes deficient but is not invalid, nor is it obligatory for him to repeat that prayer.

Hazrat Abu Saib (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that he heard Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) saying that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever offered a prayer and did not recite Umm al-Qur'an (Surah al-Fatihah) in it, then that prayer is incomplete, that prayer is incomplete, that prayer is incomplete, it is not complete." So I submitted, "O Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), sometimes I am behind the Imam (so how should I recite)?" He said, so he pressed my arm and said, "O Farsi, (at that time) you should recite it in your heart."

Because there are two types of deficiencies in prayer: one deficiency is such that, if present, the prayer is not sufficient; the other deficiency is such that, with it, the prayer becomes valid, and repeating it is not obligatory, and this is not the deficiency that, along with the prayer being valid, makes two prostrations of forgetfulness obligatory.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Any prayer in which Surah Al-Fatihah is not recited is not sufficient." (Abdur Rahman) says: I asked, "If I am praying behind the Imam?" So he (the Prophet) took my hand and said, "O Persian, (at that time) recite it in your heart."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that indeed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them) used to begin the recitation from «‏‏‏‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ» ‏‏‏‏.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that indeed the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them) used to begin the recitation from «‏‏‏‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ» ‏‏‏‏.

Lady Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited «‏‏‏‏بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ» ‏‏‏‏ in prayer, he counted it as one verse, and with «‏‏‏‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ» ‏‏‏‏ he counted two verses. And after reciting «‏‏‏‏وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ» ‏‏‏‏, he gathered all five of his fingers together (meaning he counted it as the fifth verse).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and I did not hear any of them reciting «‏‏‏‏بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ» ‏‏‏‏. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I have mentioned the chains of narration and their wordings of this hadith in Kitab al-Salat, Kitab al-Kabir, and Ma‘ani al-Qur’an, and I have dictated proofs equal to two parts regarding the issue that «‏‏‏‏بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ» ‏‏‏‏ is a surah of the Book of Allah at the beginning of the surahs of the Noble Qur’an.