Assalamu alaykum, shaykh, i have a question regarding a fatwa. It was said if you fail to finish the recitation of Surah al-Faatihah behind an imaam then you are excused for that, because you have to follow the imaam. Means it, that you don't have to do sujood as-sahw in this case, although the recitation of Surah al-Faatihah is a pillar of prayer? I am asking because today i was praying behind an imaam and i had some problems during my recitation of Surah al-Faatihah (anyhow it seemed to me that my recitation of the Aayah "الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ wasn't correct so i tried it a few times but i didn't manage it to speak the shadda of "ra" properly wallahu a'lam. Then i was under pressure because i didn't want that the brothers around me hear it that i repeat this Aayah a few times, then i stopped a while and after that i recited this Aayah to get ahead although i think i had not recited it correctly. Finally i didn't manage it to recite the complete Surah al-Faatihah and i think that i didn't recited one Aayah correctly. Such cases happen regrettably often, in these situations i don't know how i should react (do sujood as-sahw, leave this matter) and at last i get doubts whether my salaah was valid or not. So my questions concerning it are: Was this prayer today valid? What should i do if that happens a second time? And especially what is the solution to solve these problems for the future in sha Allah? I am a bit distressed because i don't know how i should act correctly. On the one hand i don't want to follow the waswasah of shaytan and on the other hand i don't want to be neglectful so that my prayers would be invalid. Jazaakum Allahu khayran.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

What you are experiencing is nothing but whispers, so you should not take it into consideration, rather you should avoid it and neglect it. So, if you recite Al-Faatihah behind the Imaam, you should not repeat the letter or the word or the verse, but you should read it once only no matter how much the devil whispers to you that your prayer is not complete or that your recitation is not correct.

Besides, you are not obliged to prostrate for forgetfulness; rather, your prayer is valid and you are not required to do anything.

On the other hand, some scholars are of the view that the recitation of Al-Faatihah by the Imaam is sufficient for the people led in prayer, and that the recitation of the Imaam is a recitation for them and that they are not obliged to recite it at all.

Allaah Knows best.