Alone Reciting in Loud-Prayer: Loud or Silent? A Complete Explanation
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Ṣalāh Section, Vol. 1, p.229
❖ Question
If a person is praying alone in loud-prayers (Jahri prayers), should he recite aloud or silently? Provide evidences.
Also, in the case of praying alone, is it necessary to say the Iqāmah? And what does "فَاَقِمْ" mean in the narration of Tirmidhi?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
For one praying alone, both methods are correct — he may recite aloud in loud-prayers or he may recite silently; both are permissible.
We find an example of this in the Tarāwīḥ and Tahajjud prayers of the Prophet ﷺ, which he sometimes performed with the congregation aloud (Jahran) and sometimes alone, silently (Sirran).
As a principle, the rulings of obligatory and voluntary prayers are the same, except in those matters where the Qur’an and Sunnah explicitly establish a difference.
In the present matter — that is, whether a person praying alone should recite aloud in Jahri prayers or not — the Qur’an and Sunnah make no distinction between obligatory and voluntary prayers, fīmā aʿlamu (to the best of my knowledge).
❖ Regarding "فَاَقِمْ" in the narration of Tirmidhi
Please provide the complete reference of the narration from Tirmidhi so that a detailed discussion can be given on this matter.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
