The Imam Reciting the Entire Qur'an in the Loud Prayers

Question:
A questioner asks: Is it permissible for the mosque imam to recite the entire Qur'an in the loud prayers without a break between the prayers?

Answer:
This is something that was not reported from the Salaf (the earliest generations) that they used to recite the entire Qur'an in the obligatory prayers in congregation, the loud prayers. This is something that was not reported from the Salaf. Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the imams to recite from the short surahs that are easy for the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam), such as "Ila" (When the Night Comes Down), "Al-Duha" (The Morning), "Sabbih" (Glorify), and "Al-Ghashiyah" (The Overwhelming), and not to prolong the prayer for the ma'mum.
As for the Tarawih prayer and the night prayer (Qiyam al-Layl), yes, one may recite the entire Qur'an in the night prayer according to the ability of the people. Some complete the recitation of the Qur'an in the night prayer every three nights, some every seven nights, some every ten nights, and some every month in the night prayer. They divide the Qur'an into portions according to their ability and energy. This was how the Salaf did it. However, this is only in the night prayer. As for the obligatory prayers, the imam recites whatever is easy for him from the Qur'an. The scholars mentioned that in the Fajr (dawn) prayer, he should recite from the long surahs of the final portion of the Qur'an (al-Mufassal), in the Maghrib (sunset) prayer from the short surahs of al-Mufassal, and in the remaining prayers from the medium-length surahs of al-Mufassal.