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Fatwa CenterReciting Chapter Al-Faatihah for those led in congregational prayers
Question
When the Imaam reads Chapter Al-Faatihah in the ‘Ishaa’ (night) prayer and follows it with another chapter, what should I read? Should I remain silent after reading Al-Faatihah?
I hope from Allah and you that I receive a detailed answer.
Answer
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
Before answering the question, we would like to draw your attention to a mistake that many people make. Saying, “I hope from Allah and you such and such,” constitutes minor Shirk (polytheism). Ibn ‘Abbaas 
narrated that a man said to the Prophet “What Allah and you willed.” The Prophet told the man that "by saying so, he had associated him with Allah The Almighty." He educated him to say the correct form: “What Allah alone willed (Maa shaa’a Allah wahdah).” [An-Nasaa’i: in his Saheeh]
Saying, “Maashaa’ Allah wahdah” ascribes perfection to Allah, The Almighty, as mentioned by the author of Fat'h Al-Majeed ‘ala Sharh Kitaab At-Tawheed. It is permissible to say, “Allah willed then you willed” and “I hope from Allah then from you…”
Qutaylah bint Safiyy Al-Ansaariyyah narrated that a Jew once told the Prophet that Muslims committed Shirk by saying, “Allah and you willed” and, “By the Ka‘bah.” The Prophet therefore ordered Muslims to say whenever they wanted to swear: “By the Lord of the Ka‘bah” and: “Allah willed, then you willed.” [An-Nasaa’i: Saheeh (Authentic). Ahmad: in his Musnad. Al-Albaani: Saheeh (Authentic)]
The rationale behind using the conjunction “then” instead of “and” is to indicate subordination of man’s will to the will of Allah, according to the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa‘ah (the Sunni mainstream). Allah, The Almighty, says (what means): {For whoever wills among you to take a right course. And you do not will except that Allah wills - Lord of the worlds.} [Quran 81: 28-29]
According to the opinion that suggests that the person led in prayer reads Al-Faatihah, then after reading it, he should listen to the Imaam's recitation and read nothing more. However, in a silent prayer the person led in prayer may read Al-Faatihah and as much of the Quran as he would like to.
Allah knows best.
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