The Manner of the Dhuha Prayer

Question:
It is said: The minimum for the Dhuha prayer is two rak'ahs, and the maximum is twelve rak'ahs. Some others said: It is eight; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed it in this manner. I have prayed according to the time I have, so sometimes I pray it as two rak'ahs, and other times I pray eight rak'ahs, and if my time permits, I pray the full twelve rak'ahs. When I pray the first rak'ah, I recite al-Fatihah and al-Shams, and in the second rak'ah, I recite al-Fatihah and al-Dhuha. However, sometimes due to illness, I do not keep up with its prayer. They told me: This is not possible, and it is obligatory to keep up with the prayer.
My question: How many rak'ahs should I keep up with in the Dhuha prayer? Should I stick to eight, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed? And which surahs do I recite at the beginning: al-Shams or al-Dhuha, in addition to the surah al-Fatihah?

Answer:
The Dhuha prayer is a confirmed sunnah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed it and guided his Companions to it. Its minimum is two rak'ahs. If you keep up with two rak'ahs, you have performed the Dhuha. If you pray four, six, eight, or more than that, there is no harm, according to what is easy for you. There is no fixed limit in it. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two, and prayed four, and prayed eight rak'ahs on the Day of Conquest—the day Allah opened Makkah for him—so the matter is broad in this regard.
And in "Sahih Muslim," from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: .
And in the two Sahihs, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: .
And in the two Sahihs, from Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her): .
So whoever prays eight, ten, twelve, or more than that, or less, there is no harm; because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So the sunnah is for a person to pray two by two, saying the taslim for every two. The minimum of that is two rak'ahs of Dhuha after the sun has risen until it stands at its zenith. All of this is Dhuha. And it is better that it be prayed when the Dhuha is intense and when the sun becomes hot; because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , narrated by Muslim in his "Sahih."
And the meaning is: when the ground becomes hot for the young camels.
So if you pray it one day and leave it another day, there is no harm. But the best is to be consistent; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So consistency is better.
And whoever leaves the sunnah of Dhuha permanently or on some days, there is no blame on him, and praise be to Allah; because it is a voluntary prayer, not obligatory.
Then the sunnah is that you recite with al-Fatihah whatever is easy of surahs or verses. There is no fixed limit in this; because the obligatory part is al-Fatihah, and whatever is added is sunnah. So if you recite with it "And the sun and its radiance," or "And the night when it covers," or "And the morning radiance," or "Did We not expand for you your chest," or "And the fig and the olive," or "Read," or other than that of the surahs, there is no harm. Or if you recite a few verses or one verse after al-Fatihah, all of it is good, and all of it is beautiful, and praise be to Allah. May Allah guide them all.