Question:
Is it permissible to recite the Fatihah in a low voice when the imam is reciting the Fatihah?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Answering the above issue, if a person is forgetful then it is permissible. [1] However, the evidence state that a person should stay silent when the imam is reciting the Fatihah. This is in accordance with a hadith from Abu Hurairah RA who said:
صَلَّى النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- بِأَصْحَابِهِ صَلاَةً نَظُنُّ أَنَّهَا الصُّبْحُ فَقَالَ : هَلْ قَرَأَ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ. قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا. قَالَ : إِنِّى أَقُولُ مَا لِى أُنَازَعُ الْقُرْآنَ.
“The Prophet (ﷺ) led his Companions in a prayer; we think it was the Subh. He said: “Did anyone among you recite?” A man said: “I did.” He said: “I was saying to myself, what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me?”
Sunan Abu Daud (826), Sunan Ibn Majah (848), Sunan al-Nasa’ie (919) and SUnan al-Tirmizi (195)
In another hadith, the Prophet PBUH said:
وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا
“When the imam recites (the Fatihah), keep silent.”
Sahih Muslim (932)
This is in accordance with the statement of Allah SWT:
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“So, when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.”
Surah al-A’raf (204)
However, the scholars state that if the imam’s recitation of the Fatihah is fast, for example in tarawih prayer, while the makmum’s recitation of the Fatihah is slow, then it is permissible to recite it to avoid from being left.
Thus, the situation and circumstance should be considered. This situation often happens when the tarawih prayer is performed in our villages.
May Allah SWT give us understanding in obeying all His commandments. Amin.
Endnotes:
[1] In Fath al-Mu’in, it is stated:
ﻭﺇﻥ ﺳﺒﻘﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺎﺗﺤﺔ ﺃﻭ اﻟﺘﺸﻬﺪ ﺑﺄﻥ ﻓﺮﻍ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺣﺪﻫﻤﺎ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺷﺮﻭﻉ اﻹﻣﺎﻡ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻀﺮ
“If a makmum precede the imam in the recitation of al-Fatihah or tasyahhud, which means completing any one of the recitations, then it does not affect his prayer.” (See Fath al-Mu’in, 2/48. Also see Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1/255)