Some imams recite Surat al-Insan in the first and second rak'ahs of the Fajr prayer on Friday

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. Some mosque imams recite Surat al-Insan in the first and second rak'ahs of the Fajr prayer on Friday, while others recite Surat al-Sajdah in the first and second rak'ahs, and some recite half of Surat al-Sajdah in the first rak'ah and half of Surat al-Insan in the second. Is their practice correct? If it is not correct, how do we forbid them from it, and what is the evidence for forbidding them? Should we tell them that their practice is a religious innovation?

The Shaykh : We do not say that their practice is a religious innovation, but we say that their practice is playing with the Sunnah. If they are sincere in following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), let them do what he did. For this reason, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) described people like these as ignorant imams. So we say: if you have the courage and strength to recite Alif Lam Mim, the revealed Surat al-Sajdah, in the first rak'ah, and in the second rak'ah, then do so. If you do not have the courage, recite other surahs, so that you do not split the Sunnah and play with it. The Sunnah is preserved. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Alif Lam Mim, the revealed Surat al-Sajdah, in the first rak'ah of the Fajr prayer on Friday, and in the second rak'ah. So either do what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did, or recite other surahs. But to split what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did and divide what he did, this is contrary to the Sunnah and is playing with the Sunnah. So either follow the guidance of your Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and be courageous, because some imams say: if you recite Alif Lam Mim, the revealed Surat al-Sajdah, in the first rak'ah and "Has there come to man" in the second rak'ah, they ask why the prayer is prolonged. They have become jurists, yet they are common people. They say: the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was angry with Mu'adh when he prolonged the prayer for the people. Look at the common person: when he exerts effort, he becomes a hadith scholar. He asks: why do you prolong the prayer when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was angry with Mu'adh and rebuked him? But we say: everything the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did was a lightening of the burden. Even if he recited Alif Lam Mim, the revealed Surat al-Sajdah, and "Has there come to man," it was a lightening of the burden. For this reason, Anas ibn Malik said: .