Sahih Muslim Book - 4, Hadith - 878

و حَدَّثَنَاه إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ ثَلَاثًا غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ فَقِيلَ لِأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ إِنَّا نَكُونُ وَرَاءَ الْإِمَامِ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ بِهَا فِي نَفْسِكَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ { الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَإِذَا قَالَ { الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ } قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَثْنَى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي وَإِذَا قَالَ { مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ } قَالَ مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي وَقَالَ مَرَّةً فَوَّضَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ { إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ } قَالَ هَذَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ{ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ}قَالَ هَذَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ. قَالَ سُفْيَانُ: حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ الْعَلَاءُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مَرِيضٌ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنَا عَنْهُ.

It was narrated from Al - 'Ala bin 'Abdur-Rahman, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: "Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite the Essence of the Qur'an (Al-Fatihah), it is deficient," (repeating it) three times, "not complete." It was said to Abu Hurairah: "We are behind the Imam." He said: "Recite it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) say: 'Allah, Most High, says: "I have divided As-Salat (the prayer) in half between Myself and My slave, and My slave will have that which he asks for. When the slave says: 'Al-hamdu Lillahi Rabbil- 'Alamin (All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)),' Allah says: 'My slave has praised Me.' When he says: 'Ar-Rahman ar-Rahim (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful),' Allah says: 'My slave has extolled Me.' When he says: 'Maliki yawmid-din (The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)),' Allah says, 'My slave has glorified Me - and one occasion he said: My slave has entrusted his affairs to Me.' When he says: 'Iyyaka na'budu wa Iyyaka nasta'in (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)),' Allah says: 'This is between Me and My slave, and he will have what he asked for.' When he says, 'Ihdinas-sirat al-mustaqim, sirat alladina an'amta 'alayhim, ghayril-maghdubi 'alayhim wa lad-dallin (Guide us to the Straight Way, The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray),' Allah says: 'This is for My slave, and he will have what he asked for."' Sufyan said: "Al-'Ala bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin Ya'qub narrated it to me, I entered upon him while he was sick, in his house, and I asked him about it."