Hadith of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه
Hadith:عن أبى سعيد (الخدري) رضى الله عنه: أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقرأ فى صلاة الظهر فى الركعتين الأولين فى كل ركعة قدر ثلاثين آية، وفي الأخريين قدر خمس عشرة آية أو قال نصف ذلك . وفي العصر فى الركعتين الأولين فى كل ركعة قدر خمس عشرة آية وفي الأخريين قدر نصف ذلك
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ used to recite in the first two rak‘ahs of the Ẓuhr prayer the equivalent of thirty verses in each rak‘ah, and in the last two, the equivalent of fifteen verses or, as he said, half of that.
And in the ʿAṣr prayer, he would recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs the equivalent of fifteen verses, and in the last two rak‘ahs, half that amount.”
[Sahih Muslim]
Reference: Muslim: 452❖ Key Benefits and Rulings
➊ In the first two rak‘ahs of Ẓuhr, an estimated thirty verses should be recited in each, while in the last two rak‘ahs, about fifteen verses or half that may be recited.➋ In the ʿAṣr prayer, around fifteen verses should be recited in each of the first two rak‘ahs, and seven to eight verses in the remaining two.
➌ This Hadith shows us that recitation during prayers was calculated in terms of verses. Although this was the Prophet’s regular practice, shortening the prayer depending on circumstances is also valid.
➍ The number of rak‘ahs in obligatory and optional prayers for Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, ʿIshā’, etc., are not explicitly found in the Qur'an, but are explained through the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Hadith of Abū Huraira رضي الله عنه
Hadith:عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه ، قال: ما صليت وراء أحد أشبه صلاة برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من يوم من فلان قال سليمان ، هو ابن يسار ، كان يطيل الركعتين الأوليين من صلاة الظهر ، ويخفف الأخيرتين ، ويخفف العصر ، ويقرأ فى المغرب بقصار المفصل، ويقرأ فى العشاء بوسط المفصل ، ويقرأ فى الصبح بطوال المفصل
Abū Huraira رضي الله عنه said:
“I have not prayed behind anyone whose prayer resembled that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ more than so-and-so (Sulaimān ibn Yasār). He would lengthen the first two rak‘ahs of Ẓuhr and lighten the last two, shorten the ʿAṣr prayer, recite from the short chapters of al-Mufaṣṣal in Maghrib, from the middle of al-Mufaṣṣal in ʿIshā’, and from the long chapters of al-Mufaṣṣal in Fajr.”
[Sunan al-Nasā’ī]
References: Nasā’ī: vol. 2, p. 167 | Ibn Khuzaymah: 520 | Ibn Mājah: 827- Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal: Sūrah al-Ḥujurāt to al-Burūj
- Awsāṭ al-Mufaṣṣal: al-Burūj to al-Bayyinah
- Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣal: al-Ḍuḥā to al-Nās
❖ Key Benefits
➊ The Qur’an is categorized into three sections:① Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal
② Awsāṭ al-Mufaṣṣal
③ Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣal
➋ In Maghrib, recitation should be from short chapters (Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣal),
In ʿIshā’, from medium chapters (Awsāṭ al-Mufaṣṣal),
In Fajr, from long chapters (Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal).
➌ One should strive to pray behind an Imam who follows the Sunnah in his method of Salah. Every Imam should try to lead prayer in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
➍ Praising an Imam for performing Salah correctly and beautifully is permissible and praiseworthy.
The Prophet’s ﷺ Recitation in Maghrib
It is authentically reported in Sahih Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ recited Sūrah al-Mursalāt and Sūrah al-Ṭūr in Maghrib prayer. References: Bukhari: 4429, 763, 765 | Muslim: 462, 463❖ Additional Benefit
➊ If the Imam recites a slightly longer Surah in Maghrib, it is not objectionable, as it is established that the Prophet ﷺ himself did so on occasion.
This content is derived from the book "Ḍiyā’ al-Islām fī Sharḥ al-Imām bi-Aḥādīth al-Aḥkām" by Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn Abī al-Fatḥ, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.
