Authored by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri (حفظه الله)
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ، فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ ﴿الٓمّٓ * تَنْزِيْلُ السَّجْدَةَ﴾ ، وَ ﴿هَلْ أَتٰي عَلَي الْإِنْسَانِ حِيْنٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ﴾ .
“The Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Ad-Dahr during the Fajr prayer on Friday.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 891, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 880]
This is the Masnoon (prescribed) recitation for the Fajr prayer on Fridays. Some Imams suffice with reciting portions of these Surahs, but this is incorrect. The Sunnah is to recite both Surahs in full in each rak‘ah, as this is what is authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ.
اَلسُّنَّةُ أَنْ يَّقْرَأَ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ، يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، بَعْدَ الْفَاتِحَةِ، فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولٰي ﴿الٓمّٓ * تَنْزِيلُ﴾ بِكَمَالِهَا، وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ ﴿هَلْ اَتٰي عَلَي الْاِنْسَان﴾ بِكَمَالِهَا .
“The Sunnah is to recite after Surah Al-Fatihah in the first rak‘ah the complete Surah As-Sajdah, and in the second rak‘ah the complete Surah Ad-Dahr.”
[At-Tibyān fī Ādāb Ḥamalat al-Qur’ān, p. 178]
He also stated:
وَلْيَجْتَنِبِ الاِقْتِصَارَ عَلَي الْبَعْضِ .
“One should avoid sufficing with a portion of the Surah.”
[ibid.]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Thani, the devout scholar, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (691–751 AH) said:
وَلَا يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يُّقْرَأَ مِنْ كُلِّ سُورَةٍ بَعْضُهَا، أَوْ يُقْرَأَ إِحْدَاهُمَا فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهٗ خِلَافُ السُّنَّةِ، وَجُهَّالُ الْأَئِمَّةِ يُدَاوِمُونَ عَلٰي ذٰلِكَ .
“It is not recommended to recite only parts of each Surah, or to split a single Surah between the two rak‘ahs. This is against the Sunnah. Ignorant Imams persist in doing so.”
[Zād al-Ma‘ād fī Hadī Khayr al-‘Ibād: 1/369]
It becomes evident that reciting the complete Surah As-Sajdah in the first rak‘ah and the complete Surah Ad-Dahr in the second rak‘ah during the Fajr prayer on Friday is the established Sunnah. Refraining from this practice or reciting only portions of these Surahs contradicts the authentic tradition.
❖ Question:
What is the prescribed recitation (Masnoon Qira’ah) for the Fajr prayer on Friday?❖ Answer:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ، فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ ﴿الٓمّٓ * تَنْزِيْلُ السَّجْدَةَ﴾ ، وَ ﴿هَلْ أَتٰي عَلَي الْإِنْسَانِ حِيْنٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ﴾ .
“The Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Ad-Dahr during the Fajr prayer on Friday.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 891, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 880]
This is the Masnoon (prescribed) recitation for the Fajr prayer on Fridays. Some Imams suffice with reciting portions of these Surahs, but this is incorrect. The Sunnah is to recite both Surahs in full in each rak‘ah, as this is what is authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Commentary of the Scholars:
◈ Imam Nawawi رحمه الله (631–676 AH) stated:اَلسُّنَّةُ أَنْ يَّقْرَأَ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ، يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، بَعْدَ الْفَاتِحَةِ، فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولٰي ﴿الٓمّٓ * تَنْزِيلُ﴾ بِكَمَالِهَا، وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ ﴿هَلْ اَتٰي عَلَي الْاِنْسَان﴾ بِكَمَالِهَا .
“The Sunnah is to recite after Surah Al-Fatihah in the first rak‘ah the complete Surah As-Sajdah, and in the second rak‘ah the complete Surah Ad-Dahr.”
[At-Tibyān fī Ādāb Ḥamalat al-Qur’ān, p. 178]
He also stated:
وَلْيَجْتَنِبِ الاِقْتِصَارَ عَلَي الْبَعْضِ .
“One should avoid sufficing with a portion of the Surah.”
[ibid.]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Thani, the devout scholar, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (691–751 AH) said:
وَلَا يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يُّقْرَأَ مِنْ كُلِّ سُورَةٍ بَعْضُهَا، أَوْ يُقْرَأَ إِحْدَاهُمَا فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهٗ خِلَافُ السُّنَّةِ، وَجُهَّالُ الْأَئِمَّةِ يُدَاوِمُونَ عَلٰي ذٰلِكَ .
“It is not recommended to recite only parts of each Surah, or to split a single Surah between the two rak‘ahs. This is against the Sunnah. Ignorant Imams persist in doing so.”
[Zād al-Ma‘ād fī Hadī Khayr al-‘Ibād: 1/369]
Conclusion:
