Whether the Basmalah Is Part of al-Fātiḥah, and the Ruling on Saying It Aloud
Is the basmalah a verse of al-Fātiḥah, and is it said aloud or silently in the prayer?
The basmalah is not a verse of al-Fātiḥah; reciting it silently before al-Fātiḥah in every unit is a sunnah for the imam and one praying alone, and it is said silently even in the audible prayer.
Reciting the basmalah and the taʿawwudh before al-Fātiḥah or the sūrah in the obligatory prayer is disliked, whether silently or aloud, for the imam, the follower and one praying alone; in voluntary prayer it is permissible.
The basmalah is a full verse of al-Fātiḥah, so reciting it with the sūrah is obligatory for the prayer's validity; it is said aloud in the audible prayer and silently in the silent one.
The basmalah is not part of al-Fātiḥah; reciting it silently before it in every unit is a sunnah for the imam and one praying alone, and saying it aloud is not a sunnah.