Nasai

953. Commentary:

➊ By "Mu'awwidhatayn" are meant the last two surahs of the Noble Qur'an: «﴿قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ﴾» and «﴿قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ﴾». They are called "Mu'awwidhatayn" because they provide refuge to a person from the evil of magic, jinn, etc., and in fact, the very reason for their revelation is this.

➋ From this hadith, it is also understood that these two surahs are a part of the Noble Qur'an and can be recited in prayer, contrary to the opinion of Ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu, who thought, "These are only for ruqyah (incantation) and amulets; their recitation is not correct, nor are they a part of the Qur'an." Further details of this hadith will come in the next chapter. The fact that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited these surahs in the morning prayer indicates their greatness.

➌ The usual practice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was to recite long passages in the morning prayer, but sometimes, to show permissibility, he would also recite short surahs. For example, regarding Surah Az-Zalzalah, it is mentioned that he recited it in the Fajr prayer. See: [سنن أبي داود ، الصلاة ، حدیث : 816]