Prayer is the second pillar of Islam, in which the Muslim seeks to get closer to Allah SWT by performing prayer as the Prophet, PBUH, performed it, therefore, this question may come to the mind of a Muslim: Can you recite part of a surah in salah instead of a complete surah?
In this article, Sheikh Saleh Academy provides a detailed answer to this question: Can you recite part of a surah in salah, so that the Muslim can perform his prayer in the best possible way as it was performed by the Messenger of Allah Muhammad, PBUH, while mentioning the evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Can you recite part of a surah in salah?
There is no text in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet specifying a specific part of the Quran that must be read in prayer after Al-Fatihah, but what is recommended is to read something from the Quran after Al-Fatihah, whether from the beginning of the surah, from the middle, or from the end, therefore, if you are asking: can you recite part of a surah in salah? Prayer, the answer will be yes of course, but reading a complete surah is better and has the greatest reward.
There are some prayers in which it is recommended to prolong the recitation of the Qur’an more than others, so for the morning prayer, it is recommended to read a long part of the Qur’an, followed by the noon prayer and then the evening prayer.
All of this is recommended and not obligatory, but the imam must take into account the mitigation of the prayers by the imam, especially if there are sick people or old people, and thus we have answered the question: can you recite part of a surah in salah?
Read more: islamic prayer steps
What surahs can you read in salah?
After we answered the question: can you recite part of a surah in salah, we must know that a Muslim has the freedom to choose the surah that he recites in prayer, whether it is a long surah or a short surah, but the imam must take into account those who are being led in prayer and not be too long with them, as for the individual who prays alone, he lengthens the prayer as he wants.
The Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, didn’t specify specific surahs that must be recited during prayer, except in Friday prayers and the two Eid prayers, during which he would pray with surahs Al-Ala and Al-Ghashiya, in order to remind the worshipers of the horrors of the afterlife and the promise and threat contained in these surahs.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “إذا استقبلتَ القبلةَ فكبِّرْ ثم اقرأْ بأمِّ القرآنِ ثم اقرأْ بما شئتَ
The prophet Peace Be Upon Him said: “When you face the Qibla, say the Takbir (Allahu Akbar), then recite the Umm al-Qur’an (Al-Fatiha), and then recite whatever you wish”
How many verses to recite in salah?
There is no disagreement among scholars that reciting a complete surah after reciting Al-Fatihah is better because it is greater in reward, but the difference among scholars is in the number of verses that are performed this year after reciting Al-Fatihah.
The Maliki Madhab is that reciting anything after Al-Fatihah, even if it is one verse or part of it fulfills the Sunnah and the praying person gets the reward of reciting the surah, while the Hanafi, Shafi’i and Hanbali Madhabs are that one complete verse is sufficient, but Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal believed that the verse should be long in order to be like a complete surah.
The Maliki doctrine is considered the closest to the truth, because Allah SWT said:
“فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ” (سورة المزمل، الآية 20)
“So recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’an.” (Surah Al-Muzzammil, Verse 20)
Can we recite the same surah in each rakat?
It is permissible to recite the same surah in salah, whether it is in the obligatory prayer or in the Sunnah prayer, as this doesn’t affect the validity of the prayer, but it is desirable for the praying person to vary his reading and recite different verses, and the evidence that this is permissible is the hadith that the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, recited a surah in the two rak’ahs Al Zalzalah.
Whatever verses or surahs a Muslim recites in his prayer, he should choose verses that he is proficient in reciting in order to avoid mistakes, so that he can be humble in his prayer and increase his contemplation, taking into account the lengthening of some prayers, as the Prophet, PBUH, used to prolong some prayers more than others, as we mentioned.
Read more: Can I Recite Out Loud When I Pray Alone
Can I receive ayatul kursi in salah?
Ayat Al-Kursi is considered one of the verses of the Holy Quran, therefore, it is permissible to recite it in any rakah of prayer, indeed, it is one of the best verses that is recommended to be recited. It is also recommended to recite it after finishing the prayer to obtain a great reward.
فقد ورد عن النبيِّ صلَّى الله عليه وسلم أنَّه قال: “مَن قرأَ آيةَ الكرسيِّ دُبُرَ كلِّ صلاةٍ مكتوبةٍ لم يمنعْهُ من دخولِ الجنَّةِ إلَّا الموتُ”
“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death.’”
Do you have to recite surahs in order to salah?
Can you recite part of a surah in salah? After answering this question Can you recite part of a surah in salah, you must know that Surah Al-Fatihah is the surah that must be read at the beginning of every prayer and in every rak’ah of the prayer, after that, it is permissible for any Muslim to read the surahs he wishes to read, but he must read the ayat in the order they are found in the Qur’an, because this order came from the Prophet, PBUH, as it was revealed to him.
As for the order of the surahs, it is desirable to read them in order, but it is not forbidden not to do so, because the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, once read Surat Al-Baqarah, then Al-Nisa’, then Al-Imran, and this is contrary to the order of the Quran in which there is Al-Baqarah, then Al-Imran, then Al-Nisa’.
What surahs to recite in salah and Can you recite part of a surah in salah?
The only surah that must be read in prayer is Surat Al-Fatiha because it is considered one of the pillars of prayer, and if it is not read, the prayer is invalid, otherwise, there are no specific surahs, as the praying person can recite any part of the Qur’an after Al-Fatiha, so the answer of this question “Can you recite part of a surah in salah?” Is yes.
Which surah to recite in fajr prayer?
Can you recite part of a surah in salah? It was mentioned in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, recited Surat Al-Kafirun and Surat Al-Ikhlas in the two rak’ahs of Fajr, in the Sunnah of Fajr, which is performed before the obligatory prayer.
As for the obligatory dawn prayer, it is desirable to lengthen it because the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, used to prolong the recitation of any surah from the Quran in the Fajr prayer, and at dawn on Friday it is recommended to read Surah Al-Sajdah in the first rak’ah and Surah Al-Insan in the second rak’ah.
Why Is It Important to Recite Part of a Surah in Salah?
Can you recite part of a surah in salah? Reciting part of the surah in prayer is of great importance in Islam because it complies with the orders of Allah SWT, who commanded reading whatever is available from the Qur’an, as well as following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, who used to recite part of the Qur’an after Al-Fatihah.
Likewise, a Muslim gets a great reward when he recites part of the Qur’an after Al-Fatihah in prayer, and tis increases faith in the Muslim’s heart and increases his closeness to Allah SWT.
These Ayat remind the Muslim of Allah and make him more humble in his prayer, so there is no difference between reciting the surah in the obligatory prayer or reciting the surah in sunnah prayer.
