✦ Ruling on Reciting a Sūrah After Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the 3rd and 4th Rak‘ahs ✦
❖ Question:
Is it necessary to avoid reciting a Sūrah after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the third and fourth rak‘ahs of Salah?
❖ Answer by:
Fadhilat al-Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir ḥafiẓahullāh
Fadhilat al-‘Ālim Ikramullah Wahidi ḥafiẓahullāh
✦ Flexibility Exists in This Matter
This issue allows for Shar‘i flexibility, as clarified through the following points:
✦ Recitation in Silent (Sirrī) Prayers – Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr
① According to a narration in Ibn Mājah, some of the Salaf (pious predecessors) would recite additional Sūrahs in all four rak‘ahs of the silent prayers (Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr).
② Therefore, if one adds another Sūrah after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the third and fourth rak‘ahs of silent prayers, it is permissible and without any objection.
✦ Recitation in Audible (Jahrī) Prayers – Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, and Fajr
① In the audible prayers, it is preferable not to recite another Sūrah after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the third and fourth rak‘ahs.
② This is because in audible prayers, the first two rak‘ahs are recited aloud, while the last two are recited silently.
③ Hence, it is considered better to recite only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the last two rak‘ahs of such prayers.
✦ General Principle
① Both approaches are valid:
◈ One may recite only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, or
◈ Add another Sūrah after it.
② There is no strictness in this matter; both options are permissible according to Sharī‘ah.
✦ Conclusion
✔ In silent prayers (Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr), it is permissible to recite another Sūrah after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the third and fourth rak‘ahs.
✔ In audible prayers (Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, and Fajr), it is better not to recite another Sūrah in the third and fourth rak‘ahs, but it is still permissible.
✔ There is Shar‘i leniency in this matter, and either practice is acceptable.
