What is the ruling on combining different recitations in a single obligatory prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Our Shaykh, we ask you a question. Regarding combining recitations in a single prayer, you mentioned to me in the past that there is no objection if the statement is correct. Here, there 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 : And if it is so.
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 : We say: It is not what you understood from Ibn Taymiyyah's words.
The questioner : Please, Shaykh, listen, please.
The Shaykh : Have you ever heard some 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, like that. As for what we mean, it is different from that. For example, we sometimes read, and last night we did this: when we recite al-Fatihah in one rak'ah, we say "Al-Malik" (The King), and in another rak'ah we say "Maliki" (My King). But others, whom we mentioned earlier, say "Malik" in one place and "Maliki" in another. This is what Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) condemned. However, in the context of teaching, he says that reciting "Maliki" and reciting "Malik" are both 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 condemned, and we are among those who condemn it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : With you.
The questioner : I mean, what I understood from you is that what you told me is that those who repeat it on television and on the radio are the ones Ibn Taymiyyah prohibited.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And upon you, peace.
The Shaykh : And you, my brother.
The questioner : And upon you be peace.
The Shaykh : And may Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : What do you say, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me?
The questioner : And if it is so.
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 : We say: It is not what you understood from Ibn Taymiyyah's words.
The questioner : Please, Shaykh, listen, please.
The Shaykh : Have you ever heard some 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, like that. As for what we mean, it is different from that. For example, we sometimes read, and last night we did this: when we recite al-Fatihah in one rak'ah, we say "Al-Malik" (The King), and in another rak'ah we say "Maliki" (My King). But others, whom we mentioned earlier, say "Malik" in one place and "Maliki" in another. This is what Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) condemned. However, in the context of teaching, he says that reciting "Maliki" and reciting "Malik" are both 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 condemned, and we are among those who condemn it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : With you.
The questioner : I mean, what I understood from you is that what you told me is that those who repeat it on television and on the radio are the ones Ibn Taymiyyah prohibited.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And upon you, peace.
The Shaykh : And you, my brother.
The questioner : And upon you be peace.
The Shaykh : And may Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، رقم 1138 في قناة «تسجيلات الإمام الألباني - محمد أبو ليلى الأثري» — youtube.com (11:37)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.