The Ruling on Hurrying in Prayer and Tapping It

We begin first with a message from a suffering listener who requested that we not mention his full name or explicit name, and he settled for (M.H.) from Khanقين in Iraq. First, at the beginning of his message, he says: We thank the Saudi Arabian Broadcasting Corporation for presenting this valuable religious program on the Nida al-Islam radio and the Al-Quran al-Karim radio, through which you spread the teachings of the pure Islamic religion. We ask Allah the Mighty and Majestic to grant you success in your endeavor, and we wish the program further progress.
His first question says: I am quick in my prayer, meaning: I recite Surat al-Fatihah and the other short surahs quickly, or the movements of the prayer are quick. Is this permissible or not? May Allah guide you?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet and our Imam Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: It is the Sunnah for the reciter to recite with tartil (measured recitation) and not to hurry in it, so that he reflects, so that he understands, whether it is al-Fatihah or other than al-Fatihah. So the Sunnah for him is reflection, understanding, tartil, and not hurrying, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Muzzammil:4]. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [Sad:29]. And the speed that causes him to neglect the letters or some of the verses is not permissible. Rather, he must slow down and not hurry until he reads a correct, clear recitation that he reflects upon and understands. If he drops some letters and loses some letters, this is a recitation that is not permissible. Rather, he must slow down, be deliberate, and recite with tartil until he delivers the letters and words completely.
And likewise in the prayer, he does not hurry in the bowing, nor in the prostration, nor in the sitting between the two prostrations, nor in his standing after the bowing. Rather, he is deliberate and at rest. This is what is obligatory upon him. Rest (tuma'ninah) is obligatory and must be present. Tapping the prayer and hurrying in it invalidates it.
So we advise the questioner to be at rest in his bowing and not to hurry. He says: and he repeats it three times or more, and he says: . And when he rises from the bowing, he is at rest while standing and says: This is the best for him.
As for rest (tuma'ninah), it is necessary. He must slow down while standing. Slowing down, being upright, and not hurrying are necessary. And he says in that: "Our Lord, to You is the praise." This is obligatory. This saying: is an obligatory command according to the correct opinion. And if he completes that and then says: this is more complete and better.
And it was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) an addition to this: And this is from perfection.
And likewise in the prostration, he does not hurry. When he prostrates, he prostrates on the seven limbs: his forehead, his nose, his two palms, his two knees, and the tips of his two feet. And he is at rest and does not hurry until every vertebra returns to its place, and he says: and he supplicates with what is easy for him and does not hurry. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in his prostration and say: So this is a prescribed supplication. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he said: .
So the believer should not hurry in his prostration, but rather it is obligatory upon him to be at rest and slow down, and this is a pillar of the pillars of the prayer that must be present. And with that, it is prescribed for him to increase in rest and not to hurry, and to supplicate in his prostration and repeat and the obligatory is once but if he repeats that three times or five times, it is better, or seven times.
And the summary of all this is that the obligatory is rest and not hurrying. And between the two prostrations, he is at rest also and does not hurry, and he is upright between the two prostrations until every vertebra returns to its place, and he says: All of this came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the Muslim emulates his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and acts as he (peace and blessings be upon him) acted, and does not hurry in these matters. For the prayer is the pillar of Islam. The prayer is a great matter and it is the pillar of Islam, and rest in it and slowing down is an obligatory matter and a pillar of its pillars. So we advise the questioner to pay attention to this matter and to fear Allah and watch Him, and to complete his prayer with rest and not hurrying. And likewise his recitation, he is at rest in it and does not hurry, and slows down and recites with tartil until he reads a clear recitation that he understands and reflects upon and benefits from. May Allah grant everyone success. Yes.