Fatwaa ID: 1456

Question:
Assalamualaikum. Is it better to do wasl or fasl between the first three ayahs of surah fatihah when reciting in salah?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

In principle, the scholars advise that it is from the sunnah to stop at the end of every ayah. This is applicable to Surah al-Faatihah as well. Consider the following hadith,

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقطعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ يَقْرَأُ: (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ) ، ثُمَّ يَقِفُ، (الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ) ، ثُمَّ يَقِفُ.
Sayyidah Umm Salamah (R) narrates that Rasulullah ﷺ would separate his recitation. He would recite الحمد لله رب العالمين and then pause. Then he would recite الرحمن الرحيم and then pause. [Tirmidhi 2927]

Furthermore, Surah al-Faatihah is a conversation between Allaah Ta’aala and the servant wherein Allaah Ta’aala responds after every verse. See the footnotes for the hadith. Accordingly, it is better to make fasl between the verses in al-Faatihah as well as in other surahs. If someone does join them, then there is no sin or reprehension.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

12/21/1444 AH – 07/09/2023 CE | AMG3-3946

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

https://sunnah.com/malik/3/41

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏”‏ مَنْ صَلَّى صَلاَةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ هِيَ خِدَاجٌ هِيَ خِدَاجٌ غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ إِنِّي أَحْيَانًا أَكُونُ وَرَاءَ الإِمَامِ قَالَ فَغَمَزَ ذِرَاعِي ثُمَّ قَالَ اقْرَأْ بِهَا فِي نَفْسِكَ يَا فَارِسِيُّ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏”‏ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى قَسَمْتُ الصَّلاَةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ اقْرَءُوا يَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ ‏{‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ‏}‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ ‏{‏الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏}‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ أَثْنَى عَلَىَّ عَبْدِي وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ ‏{‏مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ‏}‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي يَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ ‏{‏إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ‏}‏ فَهَذِهِ الآيَةُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ يَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ ‏{‏اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ ‏}‏ فَهَؤُلاَءِ لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ ‏”‏

Yahya related to me from Malik from al-Ala ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ya’qub that he heard Abu’s-Sa’ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhra, say he had heard Abu Hurayra say, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘Whoever prays a prayer without reciting the umm al-Qur’an in it, his prayer is aborted, it is aborted, it is aborted, incomplete.’ So I said, ‘Abu Hurayra, sometimes I am behind the imam.’Hepulled my forearm and said, ‘Recite it to yourself, O Persian, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said, “I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my slave. One half of it is for Me and one half of it is for IVly slave, and My slave has what he asks.” ‘ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Recite.” The slave says, ‘Praise be to AIIah, the Lord of theWorlds.’ Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ The slave says, ‘The Merciful, the Compassionate.’ Allah says, ‘My slave has spoken well of Me.’ The slave says, ‘Master of the Day of the Deen.’ Allah says, ‘My slave has glorified Me.’ The slave says, ‘You alone we worship and You alone we askforhelp.’Allahsays,’This ayat is between Me and My slave, and for My slave is what he asks. ‘The slave says, ‘Guide us in the straight Path, the Path of those whom You have blessed, not of those with whom You are angry, nor those who are in error. ‘ Allah says, ‘These are for My slaves, and for my slave is what he asks . ‘ ” ‘ “

مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح (4/1503)
(ﻳﻘﻄﻊ ﻗﺮاءﺗﻪ) ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻘﻄﻴﻊ ، ﺃﻱ: ﻳﻘﺮﺃ ﺑاﻟﻮﻗﻒ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺭﺅﻭﺱ اﻵﻳﺎﺕ

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