1. The Ruling on the Imām Pausing After Reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāh
2. The Ruling on Reciting Another Sūrah After al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāh
3. Recommended Aspects When Reciting Sūrahs After Sūrah al-Fātiḥah
4. The Ruling on Repeating Recitation of the Same Sūrah Within the Same Ṣalāh
5. Rulings on Changing the Order of the Qurʾān
   

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The Ruling on the Imām Pausing After Reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāh

What Is the Duration of this Pause?

It is the position of the Ḥanbalī madh`hab that the imām pauses for some time after reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.

[Q]: What is the duration of this pause?

[A]: Some scholars say: It should be equal to the time taken for those being led to recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. In consideration of this, it should be a slightly extended period. While others say: It should only be a sufficient amount of time to allow the imām to catch his breath and make a decision as to what sūrah he will recite. This also allows those being led to begin their recitation of al-Fātiḥah, finishing after the imām has begun his recitation. As, if the imām was to begin reciting immediately, they would not have the opportunity to begin their recitation of al-Fātiḥah which may cause them to miss reciting it completely.

Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn: The Pause Should Be Brief

The correct opinion in this issue is that the duration of this pause should be brief, not extended so much that those being led are able to recite al-Fātiḥah completely. In actuality, remaining silent for such a duration is closer to being considered an innovation than a practice from the Sunnah. This is because it necessitates an extended period of silence and—had the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) done so—the companions would have definitely enquired regarding it. Just as Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) asked him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning his silence between the takbīrat al-iḥrām and his recitation of al-Fātiḥah, saying: “What do you say?”¹ Therefore, the correct opinion is that it should be a brief pause which proffers several benefits:

1. Clear distinction between the obligatory [al-Fātiḥah] and recommended recitations [any other sūrah] within the ṣalāh.
2. Allowing the imām to catch his breath.
3. Allowing those being led to begin their recitation of al-Fātiḥah.
4. Facilitating an opportunity for the imām to decide what sūrah to recite.

The Ruling on Reciting Another Sūrah After al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāh

According to the majority of scholars, recitation of a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah is from the Sunnah. However, it is not obligatory. The only obligatory recitation attributable to the performance of ṣalāh is Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.²

Recommended Aspects When Reciting Sūrahs After Sūrah al-Fātiḥah

Recite Complete Chapters

It is also most befitting that the imām recites a complete sūrah after al-Fātiḥah (not a portion or verses from the middle of one). This is because such a practice has not been narrated from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As Ibn al-Qayyim said in ‘Zād al-Maʿād’: “As for reciting the middle or ends of specific chapters of the Qurʾān, it has not been authentically narrated to be from among his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) practices”. Although it has been confirmed that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would recite verses from certain chapters in some prayers. For example, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would recite verses [not a complete surah] in the Sunnah prayer before Fajr. In the first rakʿah, he would sometimes recite:

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ‎

“Say (O Muslims), “We believe in Allāh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrāhīm (Abraham), Ismāʿīl (Ishmael), Ishāq (Isaac), Yaʿqūb (Jacob), and to al-Asbāṭ [the twelve sons of Yaʿqūb (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Mūsá (Moses) and ʿĪsá (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islām).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:136)

And in the second rakʿah, he would recite:

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Say (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)): “O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allāh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allāh. Then, if they turn away, say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
(Āli-ʿImrān, 3: 64)³

Fundamentally, whatever practice is permissible when performing supererogatory prayers [here, the Sunnah prayer before Fajr] will be considered similarly permissible when performing that which is obligatory, provided no evidence proves otherwise. This principle may be deduced from the ḥadīth in which the companions related that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to pray Witr on his mount, however, he would not pray the obligatory prayers while riding.⁴ They qualified this statement by exclusion of obligatory prayers which proves that the established, fundamental state of actions that are permissible when performing supererogatory prayers is that they are considered similarly permissible in obligatory prayers [unless stated otherwise as is the case here]. Also, because both supererogatory and obligatory prayers are acts of worship that fall under the same category of ṣalāh. Fundamentally, all rulings that apply to one should similarly apply to the other.

Otherwise, it is our opinion that it is permissible to recite a single verse from a complete sūrah regardless of whether supererogatory or obligatory prayers are being performed. We may also support this stance using the general meaning of the verse:

فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ

“So, recite of the Quran as much as may be easy for you.”
(Al-Muzammil, 73:20)

Although reciting a complete sūrah is considered superior and from the Sunnah. It is also better if an entire sūrah is recited in every rakʿah [i.e., the first two units of prayer]. If one finds difficulty in this, then there is nothing wrong if he splits the recitation of a single sūrah between the first and second rakʿah. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) once recited Sūrah al-Muʾminūn and upon reaching the story of Mūsá and Hārūn, he began coughing so he performed rukūʿ.⁵ This proves the permissibility of dividing a sūrah among the units of prayer, especially when there is a clear necessity.

Repeating the Basmalah

Regarding the recommendation of reciting an entire sūrah in every rakʿah, one must also recite the basmalah (bismillāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm) before it. As such, the praying person should have recited the basmalah twice; once before al-Fātiḥah and once before the start of the (following) sūrah. If, instead, a person chooses to begin his recitation from the middle of a sūrah then he should not say the basmalah. This is because Allāh has ordered one to say only the istiʿādhah upon beginning the recitation of the Qurʾān.⁶ As for the basmalah, it should not be recited when starting from the middle of a sūrah, regardless of whether one is performing ṣalāh or otherwise.

Reciting Specific Sūrahs in Ṣalāt al-Fajr

In Ṣalāt al-Fajr, it is Sunnah to recite specific sūrahs from the Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal, which is from Sūrah Qāf to Sūrah al-Nabaʾ. Awṣāt al-Mufaṣṣal is inclusive of all the surahs from al-Nabaʾ [i.e., starting with al-Nāziʿāt] until al-Ḍuḥá and Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣal refers to all the chapters from al-Ḍuḥá (starting with Sūrah al-Sharḥ) until the end of the Qurʾān. These sūrahs are collectively referred to using the word ‘al-Mufaṣṣal’ [that which is detached, disjointed, or separated from one another] due to the relatively short length of the sūrahs, resulting in a multitude of separations between them.

Sūrah Qāf to Sūrah al-Nās equals slightly more than four juzʾ [portion of the Qurʾān consisting of approximately twenty pages], which may be equivocated to Sūrah al-Baqarah, Āli-ʿImrān, and just over a quarter of al-Nisāʾ. Recitation from Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal has been legislated in the morning prayer because Allāh mentions the recitation of the Qurʾān in connection to Ṣalāt al-Fajr:

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

“Perform al-ṣalāh (iqāmat-al-ṣalāh) from midday till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib, and ʿIshāʾ prayers), and recite the Qurʾān in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Qurʾān in the early dawn is ever-witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night).”
(Al-Isrāʾ, 17:78)

Here, Allāh refers specifically to Ṣalāt al-Fajr saying the “recitation of the Qurʾān in the early dawn is ever-witnessed” [instead of simply ‘ṣalāt in the early dawn is ever-witnessed] which acts as an indication that most of this ṣalāh should be spent engaging in the recitation of the Qurʾān which is the case.⁷ This is also the rationale for Ṣalāt al-Fajr being limited to only two rakʿah units, while there are more units performed in Ẓuhr, Aṣr and al-ʿIshāʾ.

Reciting Specific Sūrahs in Ṣalāt al-Maghrib

It is from the Sunnah to recite sūrahs in Ṣalāt al-Maghrib that are Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣal; that is, from al-Ḍuḥá until the end of the Qurʾān.

Reciting Specific Sūrahs in Other Prayers

In the rest of the prayers, one should recite sūrahs from the Awsāṭ al-Mufaṣṣal which is from al-Nabaʾ until al-Ḍuḥá. The evidence for this are narrations from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) all of which indicate this to be his habit in the majority of the prayers he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) performed.⁸

Although he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would occasionally also recite from Qiṣār al-Mufaṣṣa in al-Fajr, and from Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal in ʿIshāʾ. For example, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) once recited Sūrat al-Zilzāl [twice], once in each rakʿah of Ṣalāt al-Fajr.⁹ He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also once recited Ṣūrat al-Aʿrāf in Ṣalāt al-Maghrib,¹⁰ another time he recited Sūrat al-Ṭūr in it,¹¹ and Sūrat al-Mursalāt at another time¹². These are some of the longer sūrahs in the Qurʾān. This indicates that the imām should abide, in the majority of the prayers he leads, by that which was considered the habit of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), as aforementioned. However, there is also no detriment if he chooses to lengthen the duration of his recitation when performing Maghrib on occasion, or sometimes shortening his recitation when performing Fajr.

Regarding our previous statement “In the rest of the prayers, one should recite surahs from the Awsāṭ al-Mufaṣṣal”, its evidence is the ḥadīth in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) guided Muʿādh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) towards reciting Sūrat al-Aʿlá, Sūrat al-Layl, Sūrah al-Shams¹³ and the likeness of such sūrahs in Ṣalāt al-ʿIshāʾ. This proves the superiority of the recitation of such sūrahs [in Ṣalāt al-ʿIshāʾ].

The Ruling on Repeating Recitation of the Same Sūrah Within the Same Ṣalāh

[Q]: Is it permissible for a person to recite the same sūrah in each rakʿah—that is, repeat the same sūrah twice in the same ṣalāh?

[A]: Yes, there is nothing wrong with this as evidenced by the ḥadīth in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) recited Sūrat al-Zalzālah twice in Ṣalāt al-Fajr. However, it could also be said: Maybe he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forgot in this instance as he would not ordinarily repeat the same sūrah in a single prayer.¹⁴ In response, we say: There is a possibility that he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had forgotten in this instance. However, the possibility that this action was meant in a legislative capacity is more likely than this occurrence being attributable to mere mindlessness—that is, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) repeated the recitation of the same sūrah twice to show his ummah that such an act is permissible.. Fundamentally, the actions of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) are meant to instate legislation. Furthermore, if this occurrence was associated with forgetfulness only, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would have brought attention to it. The latter possibility—that this ḥadīth was meant to legislate the permissibility of such an action—is both closer to the truth and more encompassing in this issue.

Rulings on Changing the Order of the Qurʾān

Reciting Words Incompletely or Reversing Them

As for manipulating or omitting the order of the letters that constitute complete words of the Qurʿān—for example, a word consists of three letters and a person pronounces it starting with the third letter¹⁵—there is no doubt that such an act is impermissible and will invalidate the ṣalāh of the one reciting in this way. This is because he has deviated from the manner in which these words were said by Allāh, just as manipulating, reversing or omitting the letters of a word will also necessitate a major change to the meaning of the word itself.

Changing the Word Order in a Verse

Regarding reversing the order of individual words the make up a complete verse of the Qurʾān—for example, a person says when reciting al-Fātiḥah:

الحمد لرب العالمين، الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is also undoubtedly ḥarām as it represents deviating from the manner in which Allāh spoke these words. Reciting in this way will also invalidate one’s ṣalāh.

Individual Changing the Order of Verses in the Qurʾān

Concerning reversing the order of verses in the Qurʿān, this is also considered impermissible according to the most correct opinion. This is because the order of the verses in the Qurʾān is not subjective (rather it is tawqīfī). Tawqīfī refers to any matter that is purely subject to legislation, without consideration of subjective opinion. It is for this reason that certain verses in the Qurʿān appear among other seemingly unrelated verses in terms of subject matter, and other verses are recited before others that were chronologically revealed before them. This proves that this matter is not subjective. To further illustrate this point, the saying of the Most High:

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا

“And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (the wives) shall wait (as regards their marriage) for four months and ten days.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:234)

And His saying:

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا وَصِيَّةً لِّأَزْوَاجِهِم مَّتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ غَيْرَ إِخْرَاجٍ

“And those of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeath for their wives a year’s maintenance and residence without turning them out.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:240)

The first verse is recited before the second one (2:234 before 2:240), even though the second verse was actually revealed before the first one. Thus, if the ordering of verses was a subjective matter, the second verse would have been recited prior to the first in accordance with the order of their revelation. We can also use these verses to illustrate an example of certain verses in the Qurʿān appearing among other seemingly unrelated verses in terms of subject matter as, between the two above verses, Allāh says:

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ﴿٢٣٨﴾‏ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُكْبَانًا ۖ فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ

“Guard strictly (five obligatory) al-ṣalawāt (the prayers) especially the middle ṣalāt (i.e. the best prayer – ʿAṣr). And stand before Allāh with obedience [and do not speak to others during the ṣalāt (prayers)]. And if you fear (an enemy), perform ṣalāh (pray) on foot or riding. And when you are in safety, offer the ṣalāh (prayer) in the manner He has taught you, which you knew not (before).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:238-239)

The two verses above are recited between the verses meant to clarify the ʿiddah [pre-appointed waiting period for a widow or divorcee before remarrying]. This is another form of evidence that proves the order of the verses in the Qurʾān is not subject to opinion.

Changing the Order of Surahs in the Qurʾān

As for altering the order of individual sūrahs in the Qurʾān, this is disliked according to one opinion and permissible according to another.

The proponents of permissibility evidence their stance with the ḥadīth of Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (رضي الله عنه), as narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) once recited Sūrah al-Baqarah, then al-Nisāʾ, then Āli-ʿImrān in the night prayer.¹⁶ This is inconsistent with the well-known order of these chapters [with Āli-ʿImrān coming before al-Nisāʾ]. They claim that the action of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) indicates permissibility.

As for the proponents of the opinion that such an act is disliked, they say: The companions (رضي الله عنهم) are the ones who compiled the muṣḥaf, and nearly all of them were in complete agreement regarding the order of its chapters during the reign of Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (رضي الله عنه). It is, therefore, most unbefitting that one opposes their consensus (ijmāʿ) in this matter, or that which may be likened to a consensus among them. For they are our predecessors who set an example most deserving of emulation. This order represents a Sunnah of one of the rightly guided leaders of the believers—ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (رضي الله عنه) concerning whom we have been commanded to follow.¹⁷ Also, because altering the order of the chapters of the Qurʾan may also represent a means of confusion and annoyance for the general populace, representing a devaluation of Allāh’s words, as the people would subsequently observe the chapters of the Qurʾan being recited in a random order.

The opinion that such an act is disliked is the most moderate stance on this issue. As it may be said: The companions did not reach consensus regarding the order of chapters. Certain copies of the Qurʾān which belonged to some of them contained the chapters in a different order, like the muṣḥaf of ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه). As for the recitation of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)—as in the aforementioned ḥadīth of Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه)—of Sūrat al-Nisāʾ before ʿAli-ʿImrān, this was likely before the final presentation of the Qurʾān to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) by Jibrīl (عليه السلام). As Jibrīl (عليه السلام) used to present the Qurʾān to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) once every Ramaḍān.¹⁸ We can conclude that the order of chapters that was agreed upon by the companions—or nearly completely agreed upon by them—was consistent with this final order of chapters upon which the matter was settled. Especially considering the fact that on other occasions the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), would recite al-Baqarah and Āli-ʿImrān together,¹⁹ as if they were connected to one another. Therefore, we may conclude that the order narrated in the ḥādīth of Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه) occurred prior to the final order of these chapters.

The truth in this issue is that among the order of individual chapters is that which is not subjective (i.e. it is tawqīfī), while other (issues) are subject to scholarly strife (ijtihād). For example, the chapters whose order is clearly mentioned in the Sunnah like Sūrat al-Jumuʿah being recited before Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn, or Sūrah al-Aʿlá being recited before Sūrat al-Ghāshiyah—the order of these may not be considered subjective as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) recited these sūrahs in this specific order.²⁰ As for the chapters for which no Sunnah has been narrated with regards to their order, it may be determined in accordance with the scholarly strife put forward by the companions. In the majority of cases if this scholarly strife is supported by many others among them, it is considered closest to the truth.

Source: Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ 3: 71-80
Translated by: Riyāḍ al-Kanadī