Way of reciting the Ever-Glorious Qur'an during Salah
After Du’a’-ul-Istiftah
(opening supplication when starting the Prayer), a person should say: “A’udhu-Billahi mina
Al-Shaytan-ir-Rajim [I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan]”
“Bismillah Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim [In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful]” Then,they should recite the Fatihah: < In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.> < All the praises and
thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).> < The Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful.> < The Only Owner
(and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection) > < You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help
(for each and everything).> <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
(i.e. those who knew the Truth, but did not follow it) nor of those who went astray (i.e. those who did not
follow the Truth out of ignorance and
error).> Then they should say
Amen, which is not part of the
Fatihah, but it is Mustahab (desirable) to say it. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) used to say, after the Fatihah in
the Jahri Salah (Prayer recited out loud) and the Sirri Salah (Prayer with
subvocal recitation), Amen, which means
“O Allah answer our supplications.”
Then they should
recite whatever they know of the Qur’an after the Fatihah in the first and
second Rak’ahs (units of Prayer) of the Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer, ‘Asr (Afternoon)
Prayer, Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer, ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayer and the two Rak’ahs of
the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer, where one recites the Fatihah and then a short Surah (Qur’anic chapter) or
some ayas (Qur’anic verses). However, it is better to recite the medium length
Surahs of Mufassal (the last 65-70 chapters of the Qur’an), during Zhuhr
prayer, such as Surah Al-Ghashiyah: < Has there come to you the narration of
the overwhelming (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)? Or Surah Al-Layl: < By the
night as it envelops.> or Surah ‘Abasa: < (The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم) frowned and turned away. Or Surah Al-Shams: < When the sun
is wound round and its light is lost and
is overthrown.> or Surah Al-Infitar: < When the heaven is cleft
asunder.> And the like.
During ‘Asr Prayer, a
person may recite shorter Surahs as well as during the Maghrib Prayer, they may
recite, after the Fatihah, what they know of such Surahs or shorter, and if
they sometimes recite longer Surahs, it is better, for the Messenger (peace be
upon him)sometimes recited, during the Maghrib Prayer, the Surah of Al-Tur or
Al-Mursalat and he sometimes recited the Surah of Al-‘A’raf after dividing it
into two parts over the first two Rak’ahs.
However, the Prophet used to recite,
in the Maghrib Prayer, the shorter Surahs of Mufassal such as the Surah of
Al-Ghashiyah: < Has there come to you the narration of the overwhelming (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection)? Or Surah Al-Balad: < I swear by this city (Makkah);> or
Zurah Al-Zalzalah: < When the earth is shaken > or Surah Al-Qari’ah or
Al-‘Adiyat and he would sometimes recite longer surahs than that as we said
before.
During the ‘Isha’
Prayer, a person may recite the same as they did during the Zhuhr and the ‘Asr;
they should recite the Fatihah and, in
the first and second Rak’ahs, a short Surah such as Al-Buruj, < By the
heaven holding the big stars.>
Al-Tariq, < By the heaven, and At-Tariq (the night-comer, i.e. the bright
star);> Al-Ghashiyah, < Has there come to you the narration of the overwhelming (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection)?> ‘Abasa, < (The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم) frowned and turned away.> Al-Shams < When the sun is
wound round and its light is lost and is overthrown.> And similar Surahs or
some Ayahs adding up to the same number
in the first and second Rak’ahs.
Similarly, during the Fajr Prayer, a person
may recite, after the Fatihah, a Surah
much longer than that in the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Isha’. After the
Fatihah during the Fajr Prayer, a person may recite Surah Qaf: < Qâf. [These letters (Qâf,
etc.) are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows
their meanings]. By the Glorious Qur’ân.> Surah Al-Qamar: < The Hour has
drawn near > or a shorter Surah such as Al-Taghabun, Al-Saf or Tabarak: <
Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion > or Al-Muzzammil: < O you
wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم)!> During Fajr Prayer, it is
better to recite a longer than that recited during the Zhuhr, ‘Asr,
Maghrib and ‘Isha’, following the example
of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, there is nothing wrong if a person recites shorter or longer Surahs
sometimes, for it was authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) recited at times shorter Surah in the Fajr Prayer. However, to recite long
Surahs frequently during the Fajr is
better so as to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
As for the third and
fourth Rak’ahs in the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, ‘Isha’ and the third Rak’ah in the Maghrib,
one should recite only the Fatihah, then
say: “Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]” and perform Ruku ‘ (bowing).
However, it was reported that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) would sometimes recite, during the Zhuhr Prayer
after the Fatihah, a short Surah in the third and the fourth Rak’ahs.
Accordingly, if a person does the same, it is good as they would thus follow
the example of the Prophet (peace be
upon him). This is the way of reciting the Ever-Glorious Qur’an during Salah.
~
Source: Fatwas of Ibn
Baz,Volume 11- The Book of Salah: Section Two, Part No.11; Page No. 26-27,Chapter
on the Description of Salah| http://www.alifta.net/fatawa/fatawaDetails.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&PageID=1712&PageNo=1&BookID=14
