[Machine] I prayed behind Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman. They used to begin their recitation with "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin" (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds) [Surah Al-Fatiha, verse 2]. This is the narration of the congregation from Humaid, and some of them mentioned that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also recited it in this manner. However, they mentioned the phrase of the beginning as "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin" [Surah Al-Fatiha, verse 2]. Harmala said that Shafi'i mentioned this, and in another narration from Malik, he contradicts it, as did Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, Al-Fazari, Al-Thaqafi, and a number of others whom I met, seven or eight of them, unanimously disagreeing with him. And the greater number of narrators is more likely to preserve it than one. Then he favored their narration with the narration of Ayyub from Qatadah from Anas, and it has already passed.  

صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ ؓ فَكَانُوا يَفْتَتِحُونَ قِرَاءَتَهُمْ بِ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] هَكَذَا رِوَايَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ وَذَكَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ ذَكَرُوا بِلَفْظِ الِافْتِتَاحِ بِ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] قَالَ حَرْمَلَةُ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ خَالَفَهُ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ وَالْفَزَارِيُّ وَالثَّقَفِيُّ وَعَدَدٌ لَقِيتُهُمْ سَبْعَةٌ أَوْ ثَمَانِيَةٌ مُتَّفِقِينَ مُخَالِفِينَ لَهُ وَالْعَدَدُ الْكَثِيرُ أَوْلَى بِالْحِفْظِ مِنْ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ رَجَّحَ رِوَايَتَهُمْ بِرِوَايَةِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ وَقَدْ مَضَى