Ruling 964. In the first and second rakʿahs of the daily obligatory prayers, one must recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd followed by another surah; and based on obligatory precaution, [the second surah] must be a complete surah. Also based on obligatory precaution, ‘Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā’ and ‘Sūrat al-Sharḥ’, and similarly ‘Sūrat al-Fīl’ and ‘Sūrah Quraysh’, are counted as one surah in prayers.

Ruling 965. If the time for prayers is short or one is compelled to not recite the other surah – for example, he fears that if he recites the other surah, a thief, predatory animal, or something else will harm him – or if one has some urgent matter to attend to, then in these cases, he can leave out reciting the other surah. In fact, when time is short and in some cases where a person is fearful, he must not recite the other surah.

Ruling 966. If a person intentionally recites the other surah before Sūrat al-Ḥamd, his prayers are invalid. If he mistakenly recites the other surah before Sūrat al-Ḥamd and realises his mistake while he is reciting it, he must stop reciting it, recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd, and then recite the other surah from the beginning.

Ruling 967. If a person forgets to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, or one of them, and realises this after going into rukūʿ, his prayers are valid.

Ruling 968. If before bending for rukūʿ one realises that he has not recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, he must recite them. If he realises that he has [recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd but] not the other surah, he must recite only the other surah. However, if he realises that he has not recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd only, he must first recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and then the other surah again. Similarly, if one bends forward but before getting into the rukūʿ position he realises that he has not recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, or only the other surah, or only Sūrat al-Ḥamd, he must stand up straight and act according to what has been mentioned earlier in this ruling.

Ruling 969. If during obligatory prayers one intentionally recites one of the four surahs that contain an obligatory sajdah – as mentioned in Ruling 354 – it is obligatory that he perform sajdah after reciting the verse of sajdah. However, based on obligatory precaution, by performing the sajdah his prayer becomes invalid, and it is obligatory that he perform the prayer again unless he performed the sajdah forgetfully. If he does not perform the sajdah, he can continue with the prayer but he will have sinned for not performing the sajdah.

Ruling 970. If a person starts to recite a surah that contains an obligatory sajdah – whether he does so intentionally or inadvertently – in the event that he realises this before reciting the verse that contains the obligatory sajdah, he can stop reciting that surah and recite another surah instead. If he realises after reciting the verse that contains the obligatory sajdah, he must act according to the instructions mentioned in the previous ruling.

Ruling 971. If one listens to a verse that contains an obligatory sajdah during prayers, his prayer is valid. And based on obligatory precaution, if this happens during an obligatory prayer, he must make an indication for sajdah, and after the prayer he must perform the sajdah.

Ruling 972. In recommended prayers, it is not necessary to recite the other surah even if that prayer has become obligatory on account of a vow. However, in some recommended prayers, such as the prayer of loneliness (ṣalāt al‑waḥshah), that require a specific surah to be recited, if one wants to act according to the rules of that prayer, he must recite the specified surah.

Ruling 973. It is recommended that in the Friday prayer, and in ṣubḥ, ẓuhr, and ʿaṣr prayers on Friday, and in ʿishāʾ prayers on Thursday night, one should recite Sūrat al-Jumuʿah in the first rakʿah after Sūrat al-Ḥamd, and Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn in the second rakʿah after Sūrat al-Ḥamd. If a person begins reciting one of these surahs in prayers on Friday, then based on obligatory precaution, he cannot leave it and recite another surah.

Ruling 974.* If after Sūrat al-Ḥamd one begins reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ or Sūrat al-Kāfirūn, he cannot leave it and recite another surah instead. This rule applies to the nāfilah prayers as well based on obligatory precaution. However, in the Friday prayer and the prayers on Friday, if one forgetfully recites one of these two surahs instead of Sūrat al-Jumuʿah and Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn, he can leave it and recite Sūrat al-Jumuʿah and Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn instead; however, the recommended precaution is that one should not leave it [i.e. Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ or Sūrat al-Kāfirūn] after having recited half of it.

Ruling 975. If in the Friday prayer or prayers on Friday one intentionally recites Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ or Sūrat al-Kāfirūn, then even if he has not reached half of it, he cannot, based on obligatory precaution, leave it and recite Sūrat al-Jumuʿah and Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn instead.

Ruling 976.* If in the obligatory or nāfilah prayers a person recites a surah other than Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ and Sūrat al-Kāfirūn, and if he has not recited up to half of it, he can leave it and recite another surah instead. However, if he has recited half of it, then based on obligatory precaution, it is not permitted for him to leave it and change to another surah.

Ruling 977. If a person forgets a part of the other surah or is unable to complete it due to some compelling reason, such as shortness of time, he can leave that surah and recite another surah instead even if he has reached half of it and even if the surah he is reciting is al-Ikhlāṣ or al-Kāfirūn. In the case of forgetfulness, he can suffice with the amount he has recited [and he does not need to recite another full surah].

Ruling 978. Based on obligatory precaution, it is obligatory for a man to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah aloud (jahr) in ṣubḥ, maghrib, and ʿishāʾ prayers. And based on obligatory precaution, it is obligatory for a man and a woman to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah in ẓuhr and ʿaṣr in a whisper (ikhfāt).

Ruling 979. Based on obligatory precaution, in ṣubḥ, maghrib, and ʿishāʾ prayers, a man must be careful that he recites all the words of Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah aloud, even their last letters.

Ruling 980. A woman can recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah in ṣubḥ, maghrib, and ʿishāʾ prayers aloud or in a whisper. However, if someone who is not her maḥram is able to hear her voice and the situation is such that it would be unlawful for her to make her voice heard by a non-maḥram man, then she must recite them in a whisper. And if she intentionally recites them aloud, her prayer will be invalid based on obligatory precaution.

Ruling 981. If when one must recite aloud he intentionally recites in a whisper, or when one must recite in a whisper he intentionally recites aloud, his prayer is invalid based on obligatory precaution. However, his prayer is valid if he does this due to forgetfulness or not knowing the ruling. While reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd or the other surah, if he realises that he has made a mistake [in not reciting aloud or in a whisper as per his duty], it is not necessary for him to repeat what he has already recited.

Ruling 982. While reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, if one raises his voice higher than what is normal, as if he is shouting, his prayer is invalid.

Ruling 983. One must correctly recite qirāʾah of the prayer. If someone cannot in any way recite the whole of Sūrat al-Ḥamd correctly, he must recite it in the way he can, provided that the amount he recites correctly is significant. However, if that amount is insignificant, then based on obligatory precaution, he must add to it an amount of the Qur’an that he can recite correctly. If he cannot do this, he must add to it tasbīḥ [i.e. saying ‘subḥānal lāh’]. However, if someone cannot recite the other surah correctly at all, it is not necessary for him to recite something else in its place. In all the above cases, the recommended precaution is that such a person should perform prayers in congregation.

Ruling 984. One who does not know Sūrat al-Ḥamd well must try to perform his duty, whether by learning it, inculcating it in himself, following in congregational prayers, or repeating the prayer whenever he doubts the correctness of his recitation. If time is short and he performs the prayer as stated in the previous ruling, his prayer is valid. However, if he has been negligent in learning and if possible, he must perform his prayers in congregation to escape punishment.

Ruling 985. Based on obligatory precaution, taking wages for teaching obligatory acts of the prayer is unlawful. However, taking wages for teaching recommended acts of the prayer is permitted.

Ruling 986. If a person intentionally or on account of culpable ignorance (al‑jahl al‑taqṣīrī) does not recite one of the words of Sūrat al-Ḥamd or the other surah, or in place of one of the letters he utters another letter – for example, instead of ‘ض’, he says ‘ذ’ or ‘ز’, or he does not correctly observe the fatḥah [ــَـ] and kasrah [ــِـ] of words such that his recitation is considered wrong, or he does not pronounce with tashdīd [ــّـ] [when he is supposed to] – then in these cases, his prayer is invalid.

Ruling 987. If a person considers a word that he has learned to be correct and recites it in the same way in prayers, and he later realises that it was wrong, it is not necessary for him to repeat his prayers.

Ruling 988.* If a mukallaf does not know the fatḥah and kasrah of a particular word, or, for example, he does not know whether a particular word is spelt with a ‘ه’ or a ‘ح’, then he must perform his duty in some way; for example, he must learn it, or perform prayers in congregation, or recite it in two or more ways so that he is certain that he has recited it correctly. However, in such a case, his prayer is deemed to be valid only if that wrong sentence can be commonly considered part of the Qur’an or a dhikr.

Ruling 989. The scholars of tajwīd have said that if a word contains the letter wāw [و], and the letter before the wāw has a ḍammah [ــُـ], and the letter after the wāw is a hamzah [ء] – as in the word سُوء [sūʾ] – then the wāw must be given a madd [~]; i.e. its recitation must be prolonged. Similarly, if a word contains the letter alif [ا], and the letter before the alif has a fatḥah, and the letter after the alif is a hamzah – as in the word جَآءَ[jāʾa] – then the recitation of the alif must be prolonged. Furthermore, if a word contains the letter yāʾ [ي], and the letter before the yāʾ has a kasrah, and the letter after the yāʾ is a hamzah – as in the word جِيءَ [jīʾa] – then the yāʾ must be pronounced with a madd. If after these letters (wāw, alif, and yāʾ) there is a letter other than hamzah that has a sākin [ـْ], i.e. it does not have a fatḥah, kasrah, or ḍammah, then again these letters must be recited with a madd. However, apparently, the validity of the qirāʾah in such cases does not depend on reciting such words with a madd, so in the event that one does not follow the above rules, his prayer is still valid. However, in a case like وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ [wa laḍ ḍāllīn] where correctly pronouncing the tashdīd and the alif is dependent on prolonging to some extent, the alif must be prolonged to that extent.

Ruling 990. The recommended precaution is that in prayers one should not stop on a letter that has a vowel nor join a letter that has a sukūn. The meaning of stopping on a letter that has a vowel is that one pronounces the fatḥah, kasrah, or ḍammah of the last letter in a word and then pauses between that word and the next. For example, when he recites الرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيْمِ [arraḥmānir rahīm], he pronounces the kasrah of the letter mīm [م] in الرَّحِيْمِ [arraḥīm, so that it is pronounced ‘arraḥīmi’], and then pauses briefly before reciting the next verse مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ [māliki yawmid dīn]. The meaning of joining a letter that has a sukūn is that one does not pronounce the fatḥah, kasrah, or ḍammah of the last letter in a word and then joins that word with the next. For example, when he recites الرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيْمِ [arraḥmānir rahīm], he does not pronounce the kasrah of the letter mīm [م] in الرَّحِيْمِ [arrahīm], and then immediately recites مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ [māliki yawmid dīn].

Ruling 991. In the third and fourth rakʿahs of prayers, a person can either recite one Sūrat al-Ḥamd or say one al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah, i.e. he can say once:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ

subḥānal lāhi wal ḥamdu lillāhi wa lā ilāha illal lāhu wallāhu akbar

I declare emphatically that Allah is free from imperfections, and all praise is for Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is greater [than what He is described as].

...and it is better that he says this three times. A person can recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd in one rakʿah and say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah in the second rakʿah, although it is better that he says al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah in both the rakʿahs.

Ruling 992. If time is short, one must say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah once. If one does not have time for even that, it is sufficient to say subḥānal lāh once.

Ruling 993. Based on obligatory precaution, it is obligatory for men and women to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and to say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah in a whisper in the third and fourth rakʿahs of the prayer.

Ruling 994. If a person recites Sūrat al-Ḥamd in the third and fourth rakʿahs, it is not obligatory for him to also recite its bismillāh in a whisper except if he is a follower in congregational prayers, in which case the obligatory precaution is that he must also recite bismillāh in a whisper.

Ruling 995. A person who cannot learn al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah or cannot say it correctly must recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd in the third and fourth rakʿahs.

Ruling 996. If a person says al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah in the first two rakʿahs of prayers thinking that he is performing the last two rakʿahs, in the event that he realises this before rukūʿ, he must recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah. If he realises this during or after rukūʿ, his prayer is valid.

Ruling 997. If a person recites Sūrat al-Ḥamd in the last two rakʿahs of prayers thinking that he is performing the first two rakʿahs, or if one recites it in the first two rakʿahs supposing that he is performing the last two rakʿahs, his prayer is valid whether he realises this before or after rukūʿ.

Ruling 998. If a person wants to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd in the third or fourth rakʿahs but happens to say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah instead, or if one wants to say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah but happens to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd instead, then in the event that he did not have the intention of prayers at all, not even subconsciously, he must leave whatever it was he was saying and recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd or say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah again. However, if it was not the case that he did not have the intention of prayers, rather it was his habit to say that thing, then he can complete what he was saying and his prayer will be valid.

Ruling 999. With regard to someone who has a habit of saying al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah in the third and fourth rakʿahs, if he ignores his habit and with the intention of performing his duty starts reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd, it will suffice and it is not necessary for him to recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd or to say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah again.

Ruling 1000. In the third and fourth rakʿahs, it is recommended that after al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah one seeks forgiveness by saying, for example:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ رَبِّيْ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ

astaghfirul lāha rabbī wa atūbu ilayh

I seek forgiveness from Allah, My Lord, and I turn to Him in repentance.

...or:

اَللّٰهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِيْ

allāhummagh fir lī

O Allah! Forgive me.

If before seeking forgiveness and bending for rukūʿ one doubts whether or not he has recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd or said al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah, he must recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd or say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah. If he doubts it while seeking forgiveness or after it, then again he must, based on obligatory precaution, recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd or say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah.

Ruling 1001. If in the rukūʿ of the third or fourth rakʿahs or while going into rukūʿ one doubts whether or not he has recited Sūrat al-Ḥamd or said al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah, he must not heed his doubt.

Ruling 1002. Whenever one doubts whether or not he has pronounced a verse or a word correctly – for example, he doubts whether or not he recited قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ [qul huwal lāhu aḥad][1] correctly – he can ignore his doubt. However, if he repeats that verse or word in a correct manner as a precautionary measure, there is no problem; and even if he doubts it several times, he can repeat it several times. However, if it becomes obsessive, it is better not to repeat it.

Ruling 1003. It is recommended that in the first rakʿah before reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd, one says:

أَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ

aʿūdhu billāhi minash shayṭānir rajīm

I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Satan.

And [it is recommended that] in the first and second rakʿahs of ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers, one recites ‘bismillāh’ aloud, and recites Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah distinctly, and pauses at the end of every verse – i.e. he does not join it with the next verse – and while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, [it is recommended that] he pays attention to the meaning of the verses. Furthermore, if he is performing prayers in congregation, then after the imam has completed the recitation of Sūrat al-Ḥamd, or if he is performing prayers on his own, after he has completed the recitation of Sūrat al-Ḥamd, [it is recommended that] he says:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ

alḥamdu lillāhi rabbil ʿālamīn

All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.

...and after completing the recitation of Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, [it is recommended that] he either says:

كَذٰلِكَ اللهُ رَبِّيْ

kadhālikal lāhu rabbi

Such is Allah my Lord.

...or:

كَذٰلِكَ اللهُ رَبُّنَا

kadhālikal lāhu rabbunā

Such is Allah our Lord.

...once, twice, or three times. And [it is also recommended that] after reciting the other surah, he should pause for a short while and then say the takbīr before rukūʿ or qunūt.

Ruling 1004. It is recommended that in all the prayers, one should recite Sūrat al-Qadr[2] in the first rakʿah and Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ in the second.

Ruling 1005. It is disapproved for one not to recite Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ [at least once] in any of the daily prayers.

Ruling 1006. Reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ in one breath is disapproved.

Ruling 1007. It is disapproved to recite the same surah in the second rakʿah that one has recited in the first rakʿah; however, it is not disapproved if one recites Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ in both rakʿahs.