Source: Extracted from Hudiyyat al-Muslimīn – Namāz ke Aham Masāʾil maʿ Maqmal Namāz al-Nabawiyyah ﷺ by Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Zai رحمه الله
From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite in the Fajr prayer on Friday: ﴿الٓمّٓ تَنْزِيلُ﴾ (Sūrah al-Sajdah) and ﴿هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ﴾ (Sūrah al-Dahr)."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1/122, Ḥadīth 891; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/288, Ḥadīth 880]
① This ḥadīth establishes the principle of specific recitations in certain prayers.
② Imāms of all masājid should follow this Sunnah and recite Sūrah al-Sajdah in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Dahr in the second rakʿah of Fajr on Friday.
③ In the Friday Jumuʿah prayer, it is Sunnah to recite Sūrah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah in the second.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/288, Ḥadīth 878]
④ If ʿEid falls on Friday, it is Sunnah to recite Sūrah al-Aʿlā and Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah in both ʿEid and Jumuʿah prayers.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/287, Ḥadīth 878]
⑤ In ʿEid prayer, it is also Sunnah to recite Sūrah Qāf and Sūrah al-Qamar.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/291, Ḥadīth 891]
⑥ It is permissible to recite a shorter sūrah in the first rakʿah and a longer sūrah in the second, such as Sūrah al-Aʿlā first, then Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah.
⑦ Changing the order of sūrahs is also permissible, for example reciting Sūrah al-Nisāʾ before Āl ʿImrān.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/264, Ḥadīth 772]
⑧ Repeating a single verse multiple times in prayer is permissible.
[Sunan al-Nasāʾī: 1/156–157, Ḥadīth 1011; authenticated by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī: 1/241, Ḥadīth 879; al-Būṣayrī]
⑨ These specific sūrahs are consistently recited only by those who give due importance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and whom Allah grants the ability to act upon it.
Ḥadīth Evidence
From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite in the Fajr prayer on Friday: ﴿الٓمّٓ تَنْزِيلُ﴾ (Sūrah al-Sajdah) and ﴿هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ﴾ (Sūrah al-Dahr)."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1/122, Ḥadīth 891; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/288, Ḥadīth 880]
Benefits and Rulings
① This ḥadīth establishes the principle of specific recitations in certain prayers.
② Imāms of all masājid should follow this Sunnah and recite Sūrah al-Sajdah in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Dahr in the second rakʿah of Fajr on Friday.
③ In the Friday Jumuʿah prayer, it is Sunnah to recite Sūrah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah in the second.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/288, Ḥadīth 878]
④ If ʿEid falls on Friday, it is Sunnah to recite Sūrah al-Aʿlā and Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah in both ʿEid and Jumuʿah prayers.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/287, Ḥadīth 878]
⑤ In ʿEid prayer, it is also Sunnah to recite Sūrah Qāf and Sūrah al-Qamar.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/291, Ḥadīth 891]
⑥ It is permissible to recite a shorter sūrah in the first rakʿah and a longer sūrah in the second, such as Sūrah al-Aʿlā first, then Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah.
⑦ Changing the order of sūrahs is also permissible, for example reciting Sūrah al-Nisāʾ before Āl ʿImrān.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1/264, Ḥadīth 772]
- However, maintaining the order is better, as supported by general aḥādīth.
⑧ Repeating a single verse multiple times in prayer is permissible.
[Sunan al-Nasāʾī: 1/156–157, Ḥadīth 1011; authenticated by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī: 1/241, Ḥadīth 879; al-Būṣayrī]
- For more details, see Mukhtaṣar Qiyām al-Layl by al-Marwazī (p. 130).
⑨ These specific sūrahs are consistently recited only by those who give due importance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and whom Allah grants the ability to act upon it.
- The Sunnah is universal, while bidʿah is regional — visit a Sunnah-following masjid on Friday and you will hear these sūrahs; visit other masājid and you may find various other selections.
