Is it permissible to recite what is easy from the Qur'an after al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs of the four-rak'ah prayer, or is reciting Surat al-Fatihah alone sufficient?
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The questioner : The questioner asks: Is it permissible to recite what is easy from the Qur'an after al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs of the four-rak'ah prayer, or is reciting Surat al-Fatihah alone sufficient without reciting anything after it? Please give us a ruling. May Allah reward you with the best reward.
The Shaykh : The scholars have differed on this issue. Some said that it is not prescribed to recite anything other than al-Fatihah after the first tashahhud, meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, or in the last two rak'ahs of Maghrib and 'Isha', meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and in the third rak'ah of Maghrib.
Others said that there is no harm in reciting occasionally. The stronger opinion in my view is that one does not recite anything after al-Fatihah in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, or in the third rak'ah of Maghrib, because this is the implication of the hadith of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him).
As for the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, which indicates that one recites in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, it has been answered by stating that his hadith is lower in rank of authenticity than the hadith of Abu Qatadah, and that it is not explicit but rather a guess and estimation.
Accordingly, one restricts oneself to al-Fatihah in what comes after the first tashahhud in the prayer, meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. This questioner...
The Shaykh : Yes, but if a person is a ma'mum (praying behind an imam) and he finishes reciting al-Fatihah before the imam bows, there is no blame on him if he recites what is easy from the Qur'an until his imam bows.
The Shaykh : The scholars have differed on this issue. Some said that it is not prescribed to recite anything other than al-Fatihah after the first tashahhud, meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, or in the last two rak'ahs of Maghrib and 'Isha', meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and in the third rak'ah of Maghrib.
Others said that there is no harm in reciting occasionally. The stronger opinion in my view is that one does not recite anything after al-Fatihah in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, or in the third rak'ah of Maghrib, because this is the implication of the hadith of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him).
As for the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, which indicates that one recites in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, it has been answered by stating that his hadith is lower in rank of authenticity than the hadith of Abu Qatadah, and that it is not explicit but rather a guess and estimation.
Accordingly, one restricts oneself to al-Fatihah in what comes after the first tashahhud in the prayer, meaning in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. This questioner...
The Shaykh : Yes, but if a person is a ma'mum (praying behind an imam) and he finishes reciting al-Fatihah before the imam bows, there is no blame on him if he recites what is easy from the Qur'an until his imam bows.