Should I Say the Taʿawwudh Before Reciting al-Fatiha in Prayer?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Should one say “aʿudhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim” before reciting Surat al-Fatiha in the prayer, in the Shafiʿi school?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Yes. In the Shafiʿi school, it is sunna to seek refuge before the Fatiha in every rakʿa of the prayer, and it is most emphasized in the first. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin; Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
This follows the command of Allah Most High: “So when you recite the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed.” [Quran 16:98]
It follows the opening supplication and precedes the Fatiha. Being a sunna, leaving it does not harm the prayer and calls for no forgetfulness prostration; keep to it and say it with your heart present in what you are asking for.
And Allah knows best.
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Related Answers
- Can I Recite a Different Dua of Istiftah before the Fatiha in My Prayer? — The Opening Supplication has one prescribed wording, and once the taʿawwudh has begun, you cannot go back to recite it.
- What Are the Rulings on Seeking Refuge (Al-Istiʿadha) and the Basmala? — Seeking refuge is a recommended practice before reciting the Quran, and the basmala opens every sura but one.
- Can I Recite the Basmalah Quietly When Leading the Prayer to Avoid Discord? [Shafiʿi] — Preserving unity with those you lead outweighs the individual sunna of reciting the basmala aloud.
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan. Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others. He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town. Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
