Is it valid for a prayer to repeat a single surah multiple times in his prayer within one rak'ah because he does not memorize it?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : A man loves standing in night prayer but does not memorize anything from the Qur'an because he is simple-minded, so he prays six rak'ahs at night. He prays the first two rak'ahs by reciting ten times in each rak'ah, and in the last two rak'ahs he recites "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" ten times in each rak'ah.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : In the last two rak'ahs he recites "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind"... We advised him, and he said, "Ever since I started doing this... and I stand when I want to, the most I memorize is every two rak'ahs..." We answered the question from the Shaykh, saying, "Okay, is there anything blameworthy in his action, O Shaykh?"
The Shaykh : No, it is not blameworthy. It is not blameworthy for this man who does not know from the Qur'an except these three surahs along with al-Fatihah and repeats them. There is no blame on him in this.
The questioner : We told him to recite in the first rak'ah "Say, He is Allah, the One" and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind," then repeat them... He says, "No, leave the first two rak'ahs as 'Say, He is Allah, the One,' the second two rak'ahs as 'Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak,' and the third two rak'ahs as 'Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.'"
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, there is no obstacle, but if he repeats "Say, He is Allah, the One" ten times, he should not repeat "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" ten times, because the second rak'ah would be longer than the first.
The questioner : No, in the first two rak'ahs, it is all "Say, He is Allah, the One."
The Shaykh : In the first two rak'ahs?
The questioner : All of it is "Say, He is Allah, the One," and in the second two rak'ahs, "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak."
The Shaykh : I understand, but how many times did he recite al-Ikhlas in the first rak'ah?
The questioner : Ten times.
The Shaykh : Ten times, and in the second he recited al-Falaq.
The questioner : No, al-Ikhlas ten times.
The student : O our Shaykh, the two rak'ahs are "Say, He is Allah, the One."
The Shaykh : The two rak'ahs are "Say, He is Allah, the One"?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The first rak'ah ten times and the second ten times.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : And the third?
The questioner : The second two rak'ahs are "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" ten times, all of it. It is six rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Yes, he prays six rak'ahs, there is no obstacle, because Allah said:[Al-Muzzammil 73:20] But does he not know how to read from the mushaf?
The questioner : No, he is an uneducated commoner, he does not know.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : We told him to read this or that.
The Shaykh : There is no obstacle.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : In the last two rak'ahs he recites "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind"... We advised him, and he said, "Ever since I started doing this... and I stand when I want to, the most I memorize is every two rak'ahs..." We answered the question from the Shaykh, saying, "Okay, is there anything blameworthy in his action, O Shaykh?"
The Shaykh : No, it is not blameworthy. It is not blameworthy for this man who does not know from the Qur'an except these three surahs along with al-Fatihah and repeats them. There is no blame on him in this.
The questioner : We told him to recite in the first rak'ah "Say, He is Allah, the One" and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind," then repeat them... He says, "No, leave the first two rak'ahs as 'Say, He is Allah, the One,' the second two rak'ahs as 'Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak,' and the third two rak'ahs as 'Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.'"
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, there is no obstacle, but if he repeats "Say, He is Allah, the One" ten times, he should not repeat "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" ten times, because the second rak'ah would be longer than the first.
The questioner : No, in the first two rak'ahs, it is all "Say, He is Allah, the One."
The Shaykh : In the first two rak'ahs?
The questioner : All of it is "Say, He is Allah, the One," and in the second two rak'ahs, "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak."
The Shaykh : I understand, but how many times did he recite al-Ikhlas in the first rak'ah?
The questioner : Ten times.
The Shaykh : Ten times, and in the second he recited al-Falaq.
The questioner : No, al-Ikhlas ten times.
The student : O our Shaykh, the two rak'ahs are "Say, He is Allah, the One."
The Shaykh : The two rak'ahs are "Say, He is Allah, the One"?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The first rak'ah ten times and the second ten times.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : And the third?
The questioner : The second two rak'ahs are "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak" ten times, all of it. It is six rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Yes, he prays six rak'ahs, there is no obstacle, because Allah said:
So recite what is easy from it
اقرؤوا ما تيسر منهThe questioner : No, he is an uneducated commoner, he does not know.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : We told him to read this or that.
The Shaykh : There is no obstacle.