Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … By similar surahs are meant those surahs whose subject matter, in terms of admonition, advice, stories, and wisdom, is of the same kind. There is no doubt that if a person recites with pauses, he can recite the detailed (mufassal) surahs in one rak‘ah, because this amount is somewhat more than four juz’, and it is established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he recited even more than this amount in one rak‘ah. For indeed, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once recited Surah al-Baqarah, Surah al-Nisa’, and Surah Aal ‘Imran in a single rak‘ah, and this amount is more than five juz’. The purpose of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu is that one should follow the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam exactly.