What is the ruling on imitating the Hanafi madhhab regarding the non-pillar status of Al-Fatiha, and reciting it with some errors? And is the prayer valid with an error in reciting Al-Fatiha, such as reciting "Ihdina" with a hamzat qat' (instead of hamzat wasl)?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
"Ihdina al-sirat al-mustaqim" is read with a kasra on thel hamzat al-wasl when starting with it. Dropping it while moving the letter 'ha' does not alter the meaning and is considered a subtle mistake (lahn khafi) that does not invalidate the prayer or the recitation; rather, it is disliked (makrooh). Your prayer is valid, and there is no need to imitate the Hanafis regarding the Fatiha not being a pillar of prayer. It is permissible for a lay Muslim to follow any recognized school of thought, and we advise you to disregard obsessive whispers ().
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/167579
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