What is the ruling on combining different recitations in a single obligatory prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, we ask you a question regarding combining recitations in a single prayer. Ah. You mentioned to me in the past that there is no objection. If that statement is correct, then here is a question directed to Ibn Taymiyyah in *Majmu' al-Fatawa al-Kubra* which states: "Knowing the recitation and memorizing it is a recommended practice (sunnah), but combining them in prayer or in recitation is a disliked religious innovation (bid'ah)."
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : What do you say, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me?
The questioner : From you.
The Shaykh : And what did you understand from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah?
The questioner : Yes, I understood from your words that there is no objection to reciting in several recitations, no objection to reciting in several recitations in the same form.
The Shaykh : And what does he say?
The questioner : He says: "As for combining them in prayer or in recitation, it is a disliked religious innovation (bid'ah). As for combining them for the sake of memorization and study, it is a form of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) that some groups have done in recitation."
The Shaykh : Yes, we say. It is different from what you understood from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah.
The questioner : Please, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Listen. Have you ever heard some of the reciters on television or on the radio recite a verse in one way, then go back and recite that same verse in a second way, then in a third way, and so on, combining seven or ten ways? That is what Ibn Taymiyyah meant. That is how it is. As for what we mean, it is different from that. For example, we sometimes recite, and last night we did this. When we recite al-Fatihah in one rak'ah, we say "Alhamdulillah, Rabb al-'alamin, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Malik." And in another rak'ah, we say "Malik." But others, whom we mentioned earlier, say "Malik yawm al-din" and "Malik yawm al-din." This is what Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) condemned. As for in the context of teaching, he says, "The recitation of Malik" and "the recitation of Malik," and it is permissible, so there is no disagreement, and praise be to Allah.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Between what we did and what Ibn Taymiyyah disapproved of, and we are with him among those who disapprove.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you.
The questioner : Meaning, what I understood from you is that what you told me is that those who repeat it on television and on the radio, that is what Ibn Taymiyyah prohibited.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And upon you, peace.
The Shaykh : And beware, my brother. And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : What do you say, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me?
The questioner : From you.
The Shaykh : And what did you understand from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah?
The questioner : Yes, I understood from your words that there is no objection to reciting in several recitations, no objection to reciting in several recitations in the same form.
The Shaykh : And what does he say?
The questioner : He says: "As for combining them in prayer or in recitation, it is a disliked religious innovation (bid'ah). As for combining them for the sake of memorization and study, it is a form of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) that some groups have done in recitation."
The Shaykh : Yes, we say. It is different from what you understood from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah.
The questioner : Please, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Listen. Have you ever heard some of the reciters on television or on the radio recite a verse in one way, then go back and recite that same verse in a second way, then in a third way, and so on, combining seven or ten ways? That is what Ibn Taymiyyah meant. That is how it is. As for what we mean, it is different from that. For example, we sometimes recite, and last night we did this. When we recite al-Fatihah in one rak'ah, we say "Alhamdulillah, Rabb al-'alamin, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Malik." And in another rak'ah, we say "Malik." But others, whom we mentioned earlier, say "Malik yawm al-din" and "Malik yawm al-din." This is what Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) condemned. As for in the context of teaching, he says, "The recitation of Malik" and "the recitation of Malik," and it is permissible, so there is no disagreement, and praise be to Allah.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Between what we did and what Ibn Taymiyyah disapproved of, and we are with him among those who disapprove.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you.
The questioner : Meaning, what I understood from you is that what you told me is that those who repeat it on television and on the radio, that is what Ibn Taymiyyah prohibited.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And upon you, peace.
The Shaykh : And beware, my brother. And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، المجلس 1138 — d3watuna.com (11:38)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.