Short answer
Not in the Hanafi school. The follower stays silent and listens, in loud and silent prayers alike, because the imam's recitation counts for him; reciting behind the imam is makruh tahrimi. The Shafi'i school holds the opposite: every follower must recite al-Fatiha in every rakah.
The follower does not recite al-Fatiha or anything else behind the imam, in any prayer; doing so is makruh tahrimi. He says the thana at the start (if the imam is not yet reciting aloud) and the tasbihs and tashahhud as usual.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Al-Fatiha is a pillar for the follower too, in every rakah of loud and silent prayers.
- Maliki
- The follower recites in silent prayers (recommended) and stays silent in loud ones.
- Hanbali
- The imam's recitation suffices; reciting is recommended in the silent prayers and the imam's pauses, and disliked while the imam recites aloud.
Explanation
Allah says: when the Quran is recited, listen to it and pay attention, so that you may receive mercy. Many early commentators said this was revealed about recitation in the prayer. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the imam is there to be followed: when he says the takbir, say it, and when he recites, be silent. Hanafi scholars also rely on reports that the imam's recitation counts for those behind him, and on Companions such as Jabir and Ibn Mas'ud who did not recite behind the imam.
The Shafi'i view rests on the hadith "There is no prayer for one who does not recite al-Fatiha", which they apply to the follower too. The Hanafi school reads it as addressed to the imam and the one praying alone, with the follower's recitation carried by the imam. Both are based on sound hadith, and the difference is old and respected.
- Loud prayers (Fajr, Maghrib, Isha): listen silently.
- Silent prayers (Dhuhr, Asr): stand silently. Many Hanafi teachers advise reflecting on the meaning of al-Fatiha in your heart without moving your tongue.
- The thana: say it after the opening takbir, unless the imam has started reciting aloud.
- A latecomer who stands to complete missed rakats recites al-Fatiha and a surah, because he is now praying alone.
Hanafis praying behind a Shafi'i imam do not recite in his pauses. See praying behind an imam of another madhhab, joining the prayer late and Hanafi vs Shafi'i.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-A'raaf 7:204
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥ وَأَنصِتُوا۟ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿٢٠٤﴾
So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
The follower listens silently when the imam recites.
Sunan an-Nasa'i 921
Grading to be checked... إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به فإذا كبر فكبروا وإذا قرأ فأنصتوا ...
"The imam is appointed to be followed: when he says the takbir, say the takbir, and when he recites, be silent."
The follower is told to stay silent during the imam's recitation.
Sahih al-Bukhari 756
Sahih... لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب ...
"There is no prayer for one who does not recite the Opening of the Book."
The evidence the Shafi'i school applies to the follower.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the imamate. The follower does not recite behind the imam.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the description of the prayer. Reciting behind the imam is makruh tahrimi in the relied-upon view.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the description of the prayer. Al-Fatiha is obligatory on the follower in every rakah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.