What is the ruling on mixing one recitation with another, which is called *talfiq* among the reciters?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Mixing the recitation?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Mixing...?
The Shaykh : Mixing one recitation with another: if by "recitation" you mean a recitation that is established and authentic, then there is no barrier to that, contrary to the opinion of the scholars of *tajwid*—which I mentioned earlier—that there are differing opinions among them, many of which resemble some of the opinions of the jurists that contradict the Sunnah. The recitations that are followed are like the four schools of jurisprudence; each imam of the reciters adopted what was established with him, just as the jurists did. What the jurists adopted may be from the contradictory disagreement that Ibn Taymiyyah calls *khilaf al-tudad*, or it may be from the disagreement that Ibn Taymiyyah calls *khilaf al-tanawwu'* (diversity). If the recitations are of this type, it is not permissible for the reciter to restrict his students, whom he teaches, to the recitation he received. It is not permissible for him to forbid them from adopting another form of the recitation, as long as that form is also established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The example in jurisprudence is the example of what you asked about: for instance, there are many supplications established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to recite when opening the prayer. Each imam adopted a type of these. The Hanafis adopted the supplication, the Shafi'is adopted , and the people of hadith adopted the supplication . What is it?
The questioner : "Keep far between me..."
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : "Keep far between me and my sins."
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : "O Allah, keep far between me and..."
The Shaykh :Sunan Abi Dawud 781Sahih (Al-Albani) to the end of the supplication. Some people also adopted other supplications that I compiled in "The Description of the Prayer". Here, it should not be said that it is not permissible for a Muslim to open with this one time and that one another time, because all of this is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Even if one imam adopted a type of that, so it is with the recitations established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Even if each imam of the reciters adopted a recitation, that does not negate that a reciter may adopt another recitation that is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with certainty. For example, the recitation of the supplication in al-Fatihah "Malik" and "Mulk": the recitation of Hafs is , and the recitation of others is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as . If he recites within the prayer or outside the prayer with this one time and that one another time, he has recited with an authentic recitation. He should not be restricted by saying, "You recited, meaning you received the recitation on the recitation of Hafs, so it is not permissible for you to deviate from it." No, because all these reciters took from the Messenger (peace be upon him), like the imams. But when the recitations are contradictory, then it is necessary... to follow the form that is authentic with him, as is the case with jurisprudential issues in which the imams differed. Please, when food is present, the... [inaudible]... What Allah willed.
Another questioner: And *al-ma'rifa*? Is this part of the religion?
The Shaykh : This is not part of the religion; rather, it is an innovation in the religion. And listen to what the position of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was, whom we were commanded to follow and to take his guidance as a guide.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Mixing...?
The Shaykh : Mixing one recitation with another: if by "recitation" you mean a recitation that is established and authentic, then there is no barrier to that, contrary to the opinion of the scholars of *tajwid*—which I mentioned earlier—that there are differing opinions among them, many of which resemble some of the opinions of the jurists that contradict the Sunnah. The recitations that are followed are like the four schools of jurisprudence; each imam of the reciters adopted what was established with him, just as the jurists did. What the jurists adopted may be from the contradictory disagreement that Ibn Taymiyyah calls *khilaf al-tudad*, or it may be from the disagreement that Ibn Taymiyyah calls *khilaf al-tanawwu'* (diversity). If the recitations are of this type, it is not permissible for the reciter to restrict his students, whom he teaches, to the recitation he received. It is not permissible for him to forbid them from adopting another form of the recitation, as long as that form is also established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The example in jurisprudence is the example of what you asked about: for instance, there are many supplications established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to recite when opening the prayer. Each imam adopted a type of these. The Hanafis adopted the supplication
Glory be to You, O Allah
سبحانك اللهمI have turned my face
وجهت وجهيO Allah
اللهمThe questioner : "Keep far between me..."
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : "Keep far between me and my sins."
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : "O Allah, keep far between me and..."
The Shaykh :
O Allah, purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth
اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي، كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغربLord of the worlds
رب العالمينOwner
مالكMalik
ملكAnother questioner: And *al-ma'rifa*? Is this part of the religion?
The Shaykh : This is not part of the religion; rather, it is an innovation in the religion. And listen to what the position of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was, whom we were commanded to follow and to take his guidance as a guide.