What is the ruling on reciting the Basmalah in prayer according to the four schools of thought, and is it considered a verse from Al-Fatihah, and what is the effect of not reciting it on the validity of the prayer, especially regarding what has been narrated about its non-recitation invalidating the prayer?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A was previously issued stating that the sender of the email is ignorant of Fiqh, and the issue of the Basmalah is a matter of scholarly disagreement. The majority of scholars hold that it is not a verse from Al-Fatihah, and the prayer of one who does not recite the Basmalah is valid if he believes it is not a verse from Al-Fatihah.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/106577
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 106577
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy