Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Qatadah (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite Surah Al-Fatiha and two other Surahs in the first two rak‘ahs of the Zuhr prayer, and in the last two rak‘ahs, he recited only Surah Al-Fatiha.”
[Bukhari: 776, Muslim: 155, Abu Dawood: 798, Nasa’i: 2/166, Ibn Majah: 729, Ahmad: 5/295, Ibn Khuzaymah: 503]
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Sa‘id (رضي الله عنه):
“We were commanded to recite Surah Al-Fatiha and whatever else (from the Qur’an) is easy (to recite).”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 732, Abu Dawood: 818]
➌ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me to announce: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha and something more...”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 733, Abu Dawood: 820]
➍ Narrated by Hazrat ‘Ubadah bin Samit (رضي الله عنه):
“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha and something beyond it.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 735, Abu Dawood: 822, Nasa’i: 911]
Narrated by Hazrat Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite the equivalent of thirty verses in each of the first two rak‘ahs of the Zuhr prayer, and in the last two rak‘ahs, the equivalent of fifteen verses—or he said half of that. In the ‘Asr prayer, he would recite the equivalent of fifteen verses in each of the first two rak‘ahs, and in the last two rak‘ahs, half of that.”
[Ahmad: 2/3, Muslim: 452, Abu Dawood: 804, Nasa’i: 1/237, Bayhaqi: 2/66]
① The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite between sixty to one hundred verses.
[Bukhari: 599]
② Surah Qāf: وَالْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِيدِ
[Ahmad: 5/91, Muslim: 458, Bayhaqi: 2/389]
③ Surah Takwīr: إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
[Muslim: 456, Nasa’i: 2/157]
① The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى in both of these prayers.
[Ahmad: 5/101, Muslim: 459]
② In the first rak‘ah of Zuhr, he would recite سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى, and in the second rak‘ah, هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ.
[Nasa’i: 2/163]
① The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite Surah Ṭūr.
[Bukhari: 765, Muslim: 463]
② He would also recite Surah Al-Kāfirūn and Surah Al-Ikhlās.
[Tirmidhi: 417, Ibn Majah: 1149]
① The Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه) to recite سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى, وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا, and وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى in ‘Ishā’.
[Bukhari: 700, Muslim: 465]
② Surah At-Tīn: وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ
[Bukhari: 768, Muslim: 175–176]
③ Surah Inshiqāq: إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْشَقَّتْ
[Bukhari: 768]
④ Surah Ash-Shams: وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا
[Ahmad: 5/354, Tirmidhi: 309]
All these authentic Ahadith indicate that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to recite additional portions of the Qur’an along with Surah Al-Fatiha during prayers. This highlights that it is Sunnah to recite more than just Al-Fatiha in Salah, especially in the first two rak‘ahs.
➤ Reciting Another Surah Along with Al-Fatiha is Sunnah
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Qatadah (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite Surah Al-Fatiha and two other Surahs in the first two rak‘ahs of the Zuhr prayer, and in the last two rak‘ahs, he recited only Surah Al-Fatiha.”
[Bukhari: 776, Muslim: 155, Abu Dawood: 798, Nasa’i: 2/166, Ibn Majah: 729, Ahmad: 5/295, Ibn Khuzaymah: 503]
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Sa‘id (رضي الله عنه):
“We were commanded to recite Surah Al-Fatiha and whatever else (from the Qur’an) is easy (to recite).”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 732, Abu Dawood: 818]
➌ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me to announce: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha and something more...”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 733, Abu Dawood: 820]
➍ Narrated by Hazrat ‘Ubadah bin Samit (رضي الله عنه):
“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha and something beyond it.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 735, Abu Dawood: 822, Nasa’i: 911]
➤ Reciting a Surah Along with Al-Fatiha in the Third and Fourth Rak‘ah is Permissible
Narrated by Hazrat Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite the equivalent of thirty verses in each of the first two rak‘ahs of the Zuhr prayer, and in the last two rak‘ahs, the equivalent of fifteen verses—or he said half of that. In the ‘Asr prayer, he would recite the equivalent of fifteen verses in each of the first two rak‘ahs, and in the last two rak‘ahs, half of that.”
[Ahmad: 2/3, Muslim: 452, Abu Dawood: 804, Nasa’i: 1/237, Bayhaqi: 2/66]
➤ Recitation of Qur’anic Verses Other Than Al-Fatiha in Different Prayers
➊ Fajr:
① The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite between sixty to one hundred verses.
[Bukhari: 599]
② Surah Qāf: وَالْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِيدِ
[Ahmad: 5/91, Muslim: 458, Bayhaqi: 2/389]
③ Surah Takwīr: إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
[Muslim: 456, Nasa’i: 2/157]
➋ Zuhr & ‘Asr:
① The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى in both of these prayers.
[Ahmad: 5/101, Muslim: 459]
② In the first rak‘ah of Zuhr, he would recite سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى, and in the second rak‘ah, هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ.
[Nasa’i: 2/163]
➌ Maghrib:
① The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite Surah Ṭūr.
[Bukhari: 765, Muslim: 463]
② He would also recite Surah Al-Kāfirūn and Surah Al-Ikhlās.
[Tirmidhi: 417, Ibn Majah: 1149]
➍ ‘Ishā’:
① The Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه) to recite سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى, وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا, and وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى in ‘Ishā’.
[Bukhari: 700, Muslim: 465]
② Surah At-Tīn: وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ
[Bukhari: 768, Muslim: 175–176]
③ Surah Inshiqāq: إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْشَقَّتْ
[Bukhari: 768]
④ Surah Ash-Shams: وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا
[Ahmad: 5/354, Tirmidhi: 309]
❖ Conclusion ❖
All these authentic Ahadith indicate that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to recite additional portions of the Qur’an along with Surah Al-Fatiha during prayers. This highlights that it is Sunnah to recite more than just Al-Fatiha in Salah, especially in the first two rak‘ahs.
