How can one reconcile the statement of the majority of scholars that the opening supplication (Du'a al-Istiftah) is a Sunnah, with the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Hadith of the one who prayed badly: "The prayer of none of you is complete until he glorifies Allah, praises Him, extols Him, and recites from the Qur'an what is easy for him"? And does this Hadith imply a condition of perfection, not validity, so that one who omits it does not incur sin?

The opening supplication (Du'a al-Istiftah) is considered Sunnah by the majority of jurists, while some scholars hold the view that it is obligatory. Those who argue against its obligation interpret the negation of perfection mentioned in the Hadith as a negation of completeness, not of validity, and that the meaning of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) statement "and praises Allah" refers to reciting Al-Fatiha. As for those who argue for its obligation, they interpret the negation of perfection as a negation of validity, and that "praises and extols Him" refers to the opening supplication. This issue is among the subsidiary jurisprudential matters about which scholars of ijtihad differ.