Reciting Only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the Third and Fourth Rakʿah: Prophetic Sunnah and Scholarly Consensus
Compiled by: Tauheed.com
Ṣalāh is the pillar of Islam, and its correct performance must be learned from the practice of the Noble Prophet ﷺ. The method of recitation in the obligatory rakʿāt is clearly established in authentic aḥādīth. Specifically, in the last two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr, reciting only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah is proven from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. This article presents detailed evidence on the matter.
Arabic text:
«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ، وَفِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ، وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا»
Translation:
Abū Qatādah (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet ﷺ used to recite in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr with Umm al-Kitāb (Sūrat al-Fātiḥah) and two sūrahs, and in the last two rakʿāt he recited only Umm al-Kitāb, and sometimes he would make us hear a verse.
Reference:
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh,
Bāb: Yaqraʾu fī al-ukhrayayni bi-Fātiḥat al-Kitāb
Ḥadīth: 759 — Muttafaqun ʿalayh
Arabic text:
«وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ، وَفِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
Translation:
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr with Umm al-Kitāb and a sūrah, and in the last two rakʿāt only with Umm al-Kitāb.
Reference:
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh,
Bāb: al-Qirāʾah fī al-Ẓuhr wa al-ʿAṣr
Ḥadīth: 451 (narrations 152–155) — Ṣaḥīḥ
Arabic text:
«كَانَ يَأمُرُ أَنْ يُقْرَأَ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ، وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ خَلْفَ الإِمَامِ»
Translation:
ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) would instruct that in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr, Sūrat al-Fātiḥah and another sūrah should be recited, and in the last two rakʿāt, only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah.
Reference:
Sunan al-Dāraqutnī, Vol. 1, p. 320
Bāb: Yuqtaṣaru fī al-ukhrayayni ʿalā al-Fātiḥah
Imām al-Dāraqutnī said: “This is an authentic isnād from Shuʿbah.”
Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله) also declared it ṣaḥīḥ.
◈ The practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the instruction of the Companions clearly establish that:
◈ This applies equally to the imām, the individual praying alone, and the follower.
◈ If one recites an additional sūrah in the third or fourth rakʿah, the prayer remains valid, but the more virtuous and Sunnah-compliant practice is to limit the recitation to Sūrat al-Fātiḥah alone.
The authentic aḥādīth and the practice of the Companions establish that reciting only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the last two rakʿāt of obligatory prayers is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. For the Ummah, the preferred and superior way is to adhere to this Sunnah.
Compiled by: Tauheed.com
❖ Introduction
Ṣalāh is the pillar of Islam, and its correct performance must be learned from the practice of the Noble Prophet ﷺ. The method of recitation in the obligatory rakʿāt is clearly established in authentic aḥādīth. Specifically, in the last two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr, reciting only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah is proven from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. This article presents detailed evidence on the matter.
Ḥadīth One: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Arabic text:
«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ، وَفِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ، وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا»
Translation:
Abū Qatādah (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet ﷺ used to recite in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr with Umm al-Kitāb (Sūrat al-Fātiḥah) and two sūrahs, and in the last two rakʿāt he recited only Umm al-Kitāb, and sometimes he would make us hear a verse.
Reference:
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh,
Bāb: Yaqraʾu fī al-ukhrayayni bi-Fātiḥat al-Kitāb
Ḥadīth: 759 — Muttafaqun ʿalayh
Ḥadīth Two: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
Arabic text:
«وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ، وَفِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
Translation:
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr with Umm al-Kitāb and a sūrah, and in the last two rakʿāt only with Umm al-Kitāb.
Reference:
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh,
Bāb: al-Qirāʾah fī al-Ẓuhr wa al-ʿAṣr
Ḥadīth: 451 (narrations 152–155) — Ṣaḥīḥ
Athar of a Companion: ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه)
Arabic text:
«كَانَ يَأمُرُ أَنْ يُقْرَأَ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ، وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ خَلْفَ الإِمَامِ»
Translation:
ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) would instruct that in the first two rakʿāt of Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr, Sūrat al-Fātiḥah and another sūrah should be recited, and in the last two rakʿāt, only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah.
Reference:
Sunan al-Dāraqutnī, Vol. 1, p. 320
Bāb: Yuqtaṣaru fī al-ukhrayayni ʿalā al-Fātiḥah
Imām al-Dāraqutnī said: “This is an authentic isnād from Shuʿbah.”
Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله) also declared it ṣaḥīḥ.
❖ Scholarly Conclusion
◈ The practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the instruction of the Companions clearly establish that:
- In the first two rakʿāt: Sūrat al-Fātiḥah + another sūrah.
- In the third and fourth rakʿāt: only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah.
◈ This applies equally to the imām, the individual praying alone, and the follower.
◈ If one recites an additional sūrah in the third or fourth rakʿah, the prayer remains valid, but the more virtuous and Sunnah-compliant practice is to limit the recitation to Sūrat al-Fātiḥah alone.
❖ Conclusion
The authentic aḥādīth and the practice of the Companions establish that reciting only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the last two rakʿāt of obligatory prayers is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. For the Ummah, the preferred and superior way is to adhere to this Sunnah.
