Question:
Assalam-u-Alaikum. I enterd in congregational prayer while Imam was reciting Quran after Fatiha in first Rakah should I have to listen the Qiraat of Imam or should I say first al-Fatiha, cause I read no prayer done without reading al-Fatiha. now in this case what will be my position should I perform another Rakah after Imam fishes the prayer or else may ALLAH bless you wassalam
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.
If you join the prayer with the Imaam at any Rak'ah while he is standing and before he bows down, then you should recite Al-Faatihah (chapter one), because according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars a person led in prayer is required to recite Al-Faatihah as the Prophet said to his companions: “It seems that you are reciting the Quran while being led by an Imaam? They replied: “Yes.” Thereupon, the Prophet said: “Do not do so except Al-Faatihah as there is no prayer [the prayer of a person is not accepted] for whoever does not recite it.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood].
Nonetheless, if a person does not recite Al-Faatihah acting according to the view of the majority of the scholars then his prayer is correct and he is not obliged to make up one Rak'ah if he misses the recitation of Al-Faatihah by the Imaam. Similarly, the person led in prayer who is not able to recite Al-Faatihah or if he recites it, he misses the Rukoo' (bowing down) with the Imaam, then he should bow down with the Imaam and count it as one Rak'ah and he is not required to do anything else [his Rak'ah is correct and acceptable and he does not have to make it up].
Allah Knows best.
Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb