Ruling on Repeating Part of a Verse and Omitting “Qul” in Prayer
Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum, I had a question regarding recitation in salah, specifically during taraweeh. On the 28th night of Ramadan, I attended a khatmah where the imam was completing the Qur’an. When he reached Surah al-Ikhlas, he recited: "قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ" Then he paused and repeated from: "هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ" before continuing. He did something similar with Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas, where he would recite: "قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ" and then repeat from: "أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ" This seemed deliberate and not a mistake. My questions are: 1. Does repeating part of a verse while omitting the beginning (such as "قُلْ") affect the validity of the recitation in salah? 2. Is this considered altering the meaning of the Qur’an in a way that impacts the validity of the prayer? 3. Are there any accepted recitation styles or scholarly opinions that allow this kind of repetition? Jazakum Allahu khayran.
Summary:
Repeating a verse in prayer is permissible Omitting a word from a verse, such as “Say,” is not permissible The mentioned action is a mistake and not from the recitations The prayer is valid if distortion was not intended What is required is to recite the Quran completely as it was revealed without omission or alteration
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
First, the ruling on repeating a verse or part of it
The origin is the permissibility of repeating verses in prayer:
It is established that the Prophet ﷺ stood one night repeating the statement of Allah,
From the Qur'an:
- al Maidah 118
"If You punish them, they belong to You after all. But if You forgive them, You are surely the Almighty, All-Wise.”
This indicates: The permissibility of repetition for reflection and humility even in prayer But repetition should be done while maintaining the full wording of the Quran
Second, the ruling on omitting a word from the verse, such as “Say” Omitting a word from the verse is not permissible because the Quran is to be recited as it was revealed. Allah the Most High said,
From the Qur'an:
- al Hijr 9
" It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it."
And the people of knowledge agreed upon: The obligation of preserving the wording of the Quran and the impermissibility of changing it or omitting anything from it intentionally
And the word “Say”: Is not extra Rather it is from the Quran, and it has meaning, a command to the Prophet ﷺ to say So omitting it: Is a change to the wording and may lead to a change in meaning Third, does this action invalidate the prayer? The detail: If the action was out of forgetfulness or for the purpose of repetition: Then the prayer is valid and not invalidated according to the majority of the people of knowledge, but it is a mistake that should be avoided If it was intended as changing the Quran: Then it is prohibited And the ruling may become more severe to the point of invalidation if the meaning is significantly changed But in the mentioned case: What appears is that it is repetition in an incorrect way Not intended as distortion of the Quran So the prayer is valid, while the action is a mistake Fourth, is there any recitation that allows omitting “Say”? There is no recitation among the transmitted recitations that allows omitting “Say” in these surahs Rather all reciters affirm it because it is part of the verse And what the Imam did: Is not a recitation, rather it is a personal action in recitation that has no basis Fifth, statements of the scholars, the methodology of the Salaf The scholars said the Quran is to be recited as it was revealed, and its wording is not to be altered And the Salaf used to greatly honor the wording of the Quran And they disliked mistakes and changes, even if small
From the Salaf:
- And Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“The Quran is recited as it came”
And Allah knows best.
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