Reciting a Surah After Al-Fatihah in Obligatory and Voluntary Prayers

Question: The questioner said: Is reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah considered obligatory in the obligatory prayers or in voluntary prayers? And is it considered Sunnah or recommended in both obligatory and voluntary prayers equally? For what I know is that in voluntary prayer it is Sunnah and not obligatory is the ruling the same in the obligatory prayer?

Summary:

Reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah is an emphasized Sunnah in the first two rak‘ahs of obligatory and voluntary prayers, and it is not obligatory.

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 General Ruling

Reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah in the first two rak‘ahs of an obligatory or voluntary prayer is not obligatory according to the majority of scholars (Malikis, Shafi‘is, and Hanbalis); rather, it is an emphasized Sunnah or recommended.

The Hanafis hold that adding a Surah or verses after Al-Fatihah is obligatory in the first two rak‘ahs of an obligatory prayer, and in all rak‘ahs of voluntary and Witr prayers. Whoever leaves it deliberately sins, and whoever leaves it forgetfully compensates it with the prostration of forgetfulness.

From the Sunnah:

  • Sahih Muslim: 451 aFrom Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
    "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer and recited in the first two rak'ahs of the noon and afternoon prayers Surat al-Fitiha and two (other) surahs. And he would sometimes recite loud enough for us the verses. He would prolong the first rak'ah more than the second. And he acted similarly in the morning prayer."

    This indicates that the Prophet ﷺ used to regularly recite a Surah after Al-Fatihah, which shows its recommendation, but the hadith contains no command of obligation

  • Bukhari(No 757 ) Muslim(No 397a)The hadith of the man who prayed badly, in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
    “...and then recite from the Holy Qur'an (of what you know by heart)...”

    His saying “of what you know by heart” indicates allowance and flexibility, not obligation regarding what is after Al-Fatihah.

From the Qur'an:

  • Al-Muzzammil: 20
    So recite ˹in prayer˺ whatever you can from the Quran.

    This applies to all prayer and includes Al-Fatihah and whatever is added to it, without specifying a particular Surah after Al-Fatihah.

From the Scholars:

  • Al-Majmu‘ 3/374
    Al-Nawawi: “Those whose opinion counts are unanimously agreed that reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah is Sunnah in the Fajr prayer, the Friday prayer, the two Eid prayers, and all voluntary prayers, and in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Isha.”
  • Al-Mughni 1/311
    Ibn Qudamah: “Reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah is not obligatory. If one leaves it, his prayer is valid, and I know of no disagreement on this except from Abu Hanifah.”

    According to the majority: The ruling is the same for obligatory and voluntary prayers it is an emphasized Sunnah in both, and leaving it does not invalidate the prayer, but deliberately leaving it is contrary to the Sunnah. According to the Hanafis: It is obligatory in both obligatory and voluntary prayers, as mentioned above.

And Allah knows best.

← Back to Questions