The beginning of Surat Al-Fatihah contains Allah's praise for Himself by His most beautiful Attributes and indicates to His servants that, they too, should praise Him in the same manner. Hence, the prayer is not valid unless one recites Al-Fatihah, if he is able. The Two Sahihs recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah said,

آ«ظ„ظژط§ طµظژظ„ظژط§ط©ظژ ظ„ظگظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ‚ظ’ط±ظژط£ظ’ ط¨ظگظپظژط§طھظگط­ظژط©ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژط§ط¨ظگآ»

(There is no valid prayer for whoever does not recite Al-Fatihah of the Book.)

Also, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

آ«ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ طھظژط¹ظژط§ظ„ظژظ‰ : ظ‚ظژط³ظژظ…ظ’طھظڈ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژظ„ظژط§ط©ظژ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظ†ظگطµظ’ظپظژظٹظ’ظ†ظگطŒ ظپظژظ†ظگطµظ’ظپظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظگظٹ ظˆظژظ†ظگطµظ’ظپظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظگط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظ…ظژط§ ط³ظژط£ظژظ„ظژطŒ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظڈ:

آ«ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ…ظ’ط¯ظڈ ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط؛ظگط´ظژظ€ظˆظژط©ظŒ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط¶ظڈظˆط¨ظگ ظٹظڈظ†ظپظگظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط³ظژظˆظژط¢ط، ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ طھظڈظ†ط°ظگط±ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظڈظˆظ‚ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط¨ظگ ط³ظژظ…ظ’ط¹ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ طھظڈظ†ط°ظگط±ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظ‘ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈطھظ‘ظژظ‚ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط¢ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط¶ظڈظˆط¨ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظگآ»

طŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظڈ: ط£ظژط«ظ’ظ†ظ‰ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظپظژط¥ط°ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ:

﴿ظ…ظژظ€ظ„ظگظƒظگ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظگ ﴾طŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظڈ: ظ…ظژط¬ظ‘ظژط¯ظژظ†ظگظٹ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹطŒ ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ:

﴿ط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈ ظˆظژط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظƒظژ ظ†ظژط³ظ’طھظژط¹ظگظٹظ†ظڈ ﴾طŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ: ظ‡ط°ظژط§ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹطŒ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظ…ظژط§ ط³ظژط£ظژظ„ظژطŒ ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ:

﴿ط§ظ‡ظ’ط¯ظگظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظگط±ظژط§ط·ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظژ ﴾

﴿طµظگط±ظژط§ط·ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¹ظژظ…ظ’طھظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط¶ظڈظˆط¨ظگ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ط§ظ„ط¶ظ‘ظژط¢ظ„ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾طŒ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ: ظ‡ط°ظژط§ ظ„ظگط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹطŒ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ظ…ظژط§ ط³ظژط£ظژظ„ظژآ»

(Allah said, `I divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant, one half is for Me and one half for My servant. My servant shall have what he asks for.' When the servant says,

﴿ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ…ظ’ط¯ظڈ ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,

﴿ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظگ ﴾

(The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,

﴿ظ…ظژظ€ظ„ظگظƒظگ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظگ ﴾

(The Owner of the Day of Recompense), Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' If the servant says,

﴿ط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈ ظˆظژط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظƒظژ ظ†ظژط³ظ’طھظژط¹ظگظٹظ†ظڈ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help), Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.' If the servant says,

﴿ط§ظ‡ظ’ط¯ظگظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظگط±ظژط§ط·ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظژ - طµظگط±ظژط§ط·ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¹ظژظ…ظ’طھظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط¶ظڈظˆط¨ظگ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ط§ظ„ط¶ظ‘ظژط¢ظ„ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (that) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.')