Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite « سورة الأعراف » in both rak‘ahs of Maghrib prayer. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I do not know of any narrator in this chain who has followed Muhazir bin Mowari‘. The students of Hisham narrate this chain with doubt; they say it is narrated from Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) or Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him). This doubt occurred to Hisham.

Hisham narrates from his respected father that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) or Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) (Hisham is in doubt) said to Marwan when he was the governor of Madinah Munawwarah, "Indeed, you recite very little in both rak‘ahs of Maghrib prayer. By Allah, indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the complete « سورة الأعراف » in both these rak‘ahs." (Hisham) says that I asked my respected father, "What did Marwan use to recite in both these rak‘ahs?" He replied, "He used to recite from the long mufassal (the longer surahs)." Waki‘ and Shu‘aib bin Ishaq have narrated from Hisham in the same way, both narrating with doubt, saying that it is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd or Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with them).

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates from his respected mother, Sayyidah Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting « سورة المرسلات » in the Maghrib prayer. These are the words of the narration of Durraqi. However, (the respected teacher of the Imam), Abdul Jabbar, did not narrate these words: "in the Maghrib prayer" (this surah was heard).

Sulaiman bin Yasar narrates that he heard Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: I have not seen anyone who performed prayer more similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) than such-and-such governor of Madinah. Sulaiman says: So I also prayed behind this governor (and he used to pray in such a way that) in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr he would recite at length, and in the last two rak‘ahs he would recite briefly. And he would make the ‘Asr prayer short. In the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib prayer, he would recite the short surahs of al-Mufassal, and in the first two rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’ prayer, he would recite the medium-length surahs of al-Mufassal, and in the Fajr prayer, he would recite the long surahs of al-Mufassal.

Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Regarding recitation, this difference is of the permissible type. It is permissible for the one praying to recite whichever surah of the Qur’an he likes in Maghrib prayer and all other prayers in which recitation beyond Surah al-Fatihah is done; it is not prohibited for him to recite any surah of the Qur’an according to his wish. Except in the case when he is an imam, then it is better for him to recite briefly and not to recite at length and put people to trial (so that they abandon congregational prayer), as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Mu‘adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) for reciting at length: “Do you want to become a source of tribulation?” And as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has commanded the imams to lead light and brief prayers, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever among you leads the people in prayer should make it light (i.e., should lead a brief prayer).” Soon I will mention all these ahadith or some of them in the Book of Imamah, because the original place for these ahadith is that book.