I work as an imam in the mosque of the neighborhood where I live, and I memorize from the Book of Allah what is easy for me, but for some surahs I memorize about twenty verses, and for others what is easy, and so on with the verses containing warnings and the verses containing good news, in addition to the parts of the Qur'an that I have memorized in full.
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The questioner : This questioner, O honorable Shaykh, is a young man who says: I work as an imam in the mosque of the neighborhood where I live, and I memorize from the Book of Allah what is easy for me, but for some surahs I memorize about twenty verses, and for others what is easy, and so on with the verses containing warnings and the verses containing good news, in addition to the parts of the Qur'an that I have memorized in full. Is this permissible, or is it necessary to memorize the surahs in full? We ask for your guidance, may you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : It seems the questioner is asking whether it is permissible for him to recite from these verses or surahs that he has memorized. We say: Yes, recite from the Qur'an what is available to you, but strive to make your recitation as close as possible to the Sunnah, such that your recitation in Fajr is from the long surahs of al-Mufassal, in Maghrib usually from the short ones, and in Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha' from the medium-length ones.
Al-Mufassal begins with Qaf and ends with Surat al-Nas. Its long surahs are from Qaf to 'Amma, its short surahs are from al-Duha to Surat al-Nas, and its medium-length surahs are those in between. The imam should strive to recite complete surahs, either by reciting a complete surah in every rak'ah, or by reciting a complete surah and dividing it between the two rak'ahs. It should not be as some imams do, where they do not recite, or rarely recite, anything but verses from the long surahs. For Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that this is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And I say that it has not been preserved from the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) that he recited verses from a surah, except for what is in the Sunnah of Fajr, where he would sometimes recite in the first rak'ah[Al-Baqarah 2:136] and in the second rak'ah [Ali 'Imran 3:64]. This is the best. However, if a person recites verses from the long surahs always or mostly, that is not forbidden and it is not disliked, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Muzzammil 73:20] But this is contrary to what is more preferable, as it has not been preserved from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he recited verses from the middle of surahs in the obligatory prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It seems the questioner is asking whether it is permissible for him to recite from these verses or surahs that he has memorized. We say: Yes, recite from the Qur'an what is available to you, but strive to make your recitation as close as possible to the Sunnah, such that your recitation in Fajr is from the long surahs of al-Mufassal, in Maghrib usually from the short ones, and in Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha' from the medium-length ones.
Al-Mufassal begins with Qaf and ends with Surat al-Nas. Its long surahs are from Qaf to 'Amma, its short surahs are from al-Duha to Surat al-Nas, and its medium-length surahs are those in between. The imam should strive to recite complete surahs, either by reciting a complete surah in every rak'ah, or by reciting a complete surah and dividing it between the two rak'ahs. It should not be as some imams do, where they do not recite, or rarely recite, anything but verses from the long surahs. For Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that this is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And I say that it has not been preserved from the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) that he recited verses from a surah, except for what is in the Sunnah of Fajr, where he would sometimes recite in the first rak'ah
Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
قولوا ءامَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَما أُنزِلَ إِلَينا وَما أُنزِلَ إِلى إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطِ وَما أوتِيَ موسى وَعيسى وَما أوتِيَ النَّبِيّونَ مِن رَبِّهِم لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِنهُم وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُسلِمونَSay, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."
قُل يا أَهلَ الكِتابِ تَعالَوا إِلى كَلِمَةٍ سَواءٍ بَينَنا وَبَينَكُم أَلّا نَعبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلا نُشرِكَ بِهِ شَيئًا وَلا يَتَّخِذَ بَعضُنا بَعضًا أَربابًا مِن دونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَقولُوا اشهَدوا بِأَنّا مُسلِمونَso recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an
فاقرؤوا ما تيسر من القرءانThe questioner : May Allah bless you.