English Translation

He said: I read to Abd al-Rahman: Malik - he said, and Ishaq narrated to us, he said: Malik informed us, from al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'qub, that he heard Abu al-Sa'ib, the freedman of Hisham ibn Zuhrah, say: I heard Abu Hurayrah say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever prays a prayer in which he does not recite the Mother of the Qur'an (al-Fatihah), it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, incomplete." I said, "O Abu Hurayrah, sometimes I am behind the imam." He pinched my forearm and said, "Recite it to yourself, O Persian, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: Allah, Mighty and Sublime, said: 'I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves; half of it is for Me and half of it is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks.'" The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Recite: the servant says, 'All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,' and Allah, Mighty and Sublime, says, 'My servant has praised Me.' The servant says, 'The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' and Allah says, 'My servant has extolled Me.' The servant says, 'Master of the Day of Judgment,' and Allah says, 'My servant has glorified Me.' The servant says, 'You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help,' and Allah says, 'This verse is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks.' The servant says, 'Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray,' and these are for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks."