An Adaptation from Ash-Shaykh Ahmad Bazmool's Sharh Sifatis Salatin Nabiyy [pp.176-176 and pp.178-179]
Question: Should "BismiLlaahir Rahmaanir Raheem" be said aloud?
Answer: I say, the scholars have difference of opinions on voicing out Al-Basmalah in prayer; some among them said: it should be said aloud, and this is the opinion of Shaafi'i School-of-Thought. And some said: it should not be said aloud; this is the opinion of the majority of the scholars.
Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah [in his book Zaad al Ma'aad]said:
He -sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam- used to say "BismiLlaahir Rahmaanir Raheem aloud at times, while say it silently more than how he say it loudly. Surely, he didn't say it loudly always, every day and night, five times a day, at home and on journey and hidden to the four rightly guided successors, the majority of his companions and the people of his town of the best epoch. This is impossible until it needs severe adherence [to the texts].It contains some outlined wordings and weak reports. The authentic among these reports are not explicit, while the explicit ones are not authentic. This issue even needs a voluminous work.
Aboo Shaamah [in Kitaab Al Basmalah Al Kabeer] opined: It is legislated to voice out "BismiLlaahir Rahmaanir Raheem" unconstrained. He established this with what was authentically reported from the companions-radiyyaLlaahu 'anhum- that some of them used to say it aloud in the Salaah.
Upon it we say: This companion will not say the Basmalah aloud, except from his basic knowledge from the Messenger - sallaLlahu 'alayhi wa sallam - and the action of the companion is evidence that he used to say it aloud.
The Sunnah is in both not from one of them. It is legislated to say it aloud once in a while and say it silently most of the time. Because many reports on it [say] the Messenger - sallaLlahu 'alayhi wa sallam- used to say it silently, but if an individual says the Basmalah aloud to educate people once in a while, while he predominantly say it silently has really acted upon the Sunnah.
Question: Is it enough to read [sooratul faatihah] once in the whole Salaah or it is must to read it in each of the rak’ah?
Answer: What was understood from the report "There is no Salaah for who does not recite the opening of the book"; the recitation of Al Faatihah is an obligation in each of the rak’ah. The evidence for it is when the Messenger of Allah -sallaLlahu 'alayhi wa sallam- taught the one who prayed badly how to pray, he then taught him to recite al faatihah then said at the end of the hadeeth: "do this in every of your Salaah" it means: do exactly what I taught you in each rak’ah of the Salaah, this indicates that, recitation of al faatihah is a pillar in each of the rak’ah of the prayer.
Question: What should an individual who is incapacitated to recite al faatihah do?
Answer: The Sunnah guides who is incapacitated to recite al faatihah to do what the Messenger - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam - taught the one who prayed badly; to thank Allah the Sublime and praise Him.
He said to the one who prayed badly:
"If you memorize anything in the Qur'an recite it, otherwise praise Allah, exalt Him and glorify Him" It means say: AlhamduliLlaahi, Allaahu Akbar, wa Laa illaha illa-llaah. Or say what was reported in another narration: he said to who doesn't memorize it:
"say; SubhaanaLlahi wa Alhamdulillah wa Laa ilaha illa-llaah Allaahu Akbar wa laa Hawla wa laa quwwah ilaa biLlahi."
