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Reciting Surah Al-Fatihah in Meetings

Answered as per Maliki Fiqh by BinBayyah.net

What is the ruling of reading Al-Fatihah before the beginning of public meetings? I hope you give the details and show the evidence so that we can have the Shari`ah proof.

And upon you be peace together with the mercy and blessings of Allah. Reading the Quran is absolutely commendable but not in a specific place or time. Almighty Allah said, “Read of the Quran, so much as may be easy [for you]” and “Read of it, so much as may be easy [for you]” [73:20] Hence, reading the Quran has a great reward because Almighty Allah gives you ten rewards for each letter, “I do not say that Alif Laam Meem is one letter, but Alif is one letter, Laam is one letter, and Meem is one letter” as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. [Reported by al-Termidhy (2910) on the authority of Ibn Mas`oud (may Allah be pleased with him)]
In the hadith reported by al-Termidhy (2926) on the authority of Abu Sa`eed al-Khudry (may Allah pleased with him) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He who keeps himself busy with the Quran and with My remembrance, I shall give him better than what I give to those who ask Me.” Thus, reading the Quran is one of the virtuous and recommendable deeds. As for doing this before, after, or during meetings, there is no specific text in this regard.
So, if a person does this believing that it is a sunnah or something obligatory, he will thus be contravening the Shari`ah. But if he reads it to seek the blessings of the Quran, there will be nothing wrong with this, insha’ Allah, according to the correct position we choose. The issue is based on the difference of opinion concerning what is called additional bid`ah (innovative religious practices). Many of the Malikites dislike the additional bid`ah, while, according to some other scholars, the issue pertains to the general rule. Thus, they are included under the evidence of general permissibility or recommendation, as viewed by the Safi`ites as well as al-`Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam and al-Qarafy from among the Malikites.
Hence, there is nothing wrong with this issue; in the sense that there should be no disagreement between Muslims regarding it, “Never harbor hatred to one another, never harbor envy to one another, never turn your backs on one another…” [Reported by al-Bukhary (6065) and Muslim (2559) on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)] Therefore, whoever wants to read al-Fatihah, we should not prevent him. But none should say that this is from the sunnah or that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to begin with it, for this is not correct. Nevertheless, if you read al-Fatihah to seek blessings from it and to seek reward from Allah, there will be nothing wrong with this, insha’ Allah.

This answer was collected from BinBayyah.net, which contains of feature articles and fatawa by world renowned ‘Alim, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, from Mauritania.

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