#90. RECITING SIMILAR VERSES IN THE SALAAT WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CHAPTERS
” Assalam alaikum waramatullah wabarakatuuh my beloved brother, pls what is Islamic ruling on recitation of reading only some verses that have a particular wording in common in solaat, e.g all verses that have Kunfahyahkun or all the verses that have Rabana in them? A man is like reading it when leading us in prayer.”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh
Alhamdulillaah, may Allah reward you for your concern on this matter.
It should be known that:
1. The Sunnah of the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – is to recite a complete Surah in every Raka’a. It was only on very few occasions that the Rasul – salallaau alayhi wasallam – was known to have recited portions of a Surah.
For this reason, the Shaafi’is consider it Makruh (disliked) taking portions of a Surah during the Salaat, except for the one who is not capable of reciting its full.
2. The Madhaahib differed slightly on the least recitation that must be done after the Faatihah for it to be said that the Sunnah of recitation after the Faatihah has been attained.
The Maalikis hold that the least in this regard is a verse or part of a verse as long as it makes a complete meaning.
The Shaafi’is, the Hanafis and the Hanbalis mention that it must be a complete verse, without regard to the completion or otherwise of its meaning.
3. Regarding recitation of verses in other order aside from what has come in the Qur’an, then this is known as ‘Tankis‘ and the Ulamaa have considered it Haraam. The Maliki position is the nullification of a Salaat in which this is done.
Imaam As-Saawi – _rahimahullaah_ – said:
“And it is _haraam_ to recite the verses that follow one another in other order than it came in a single _raka’a_. And it is nullified. And it nullifies (the Salaat) because it becomes thereby like the statements of the non-Arab.”
4. As for recitation in the manner that you have asked, then majority of the Fuqahaa consider it Makruh (Disliked) while others consider it Haraam (Prohibited).
This is because it gives the negative impression that those verses are together in the same _Surah_. And since people most times, are made to memorise the verses they hear repeatedly from their Imaams, it is particularly wrong since those that are ignorant among them would take it as a single recitation.
This is the verdict of the Ulamaa of this Ummah.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
Jazaakumullaahu Khayran.
