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Fatwa CenterWas prayer prescribed before the revelation of Al-Faatihah?
Question
What did Muslims recite in prayer before the revelation of the Soorah of Al-Faatihah? Thanks.
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars provided different opinions whether the Soorah of Al-Faatihah was revealed before or after Hijrah (i.e. emigration of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, from Makkah to Al-Madeenah). A third opinion suggests that one half of the Soorah was revealed in Makkah and the other half was revealed in Al-Madeenah. The soundest opinion, however, is that it was revealed before Hijrah, as Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We Have certainly Given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Quran.}[Quran 15: 87] The scholars unanimously agree that the Soorah of Al-Hijr, in which this verse is mentioned, was revealed before the Hijrah. According to Al-Qurtubi 
the preponderant opinion is that Al-Faatihah was revealed before the Hijrah. To support his opinion, he said: "There is no difference in opinions that the prayer was prescribed in Makkah. Meanwhile, it was never reported that a prayer was performed in Islam without {[All] praise is [due] to Allaah, Lord of the worlds …}, (meaning the Soorah of Al-Faatihah). It is also supported by the Hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, 'There is no prayer without Faatihat Al-Kitaab (the first Soorah of the Quran).' The report indicates the ruling of performing a prayer without Al-Faatihah, not the time of its revelation. This means that the preponderant opinion is that prayer was prescribed after the revelation of Al-Faatihah."
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