Can I read more than one Surah after Surah al-Faatihah in Salaah?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

Yes it is permissible to read more than one Surah in the same rak’ah after al-Faatihah in your prayer.

The recitation of a Surah after Surah al-Faatihah is a flexible matter.

You can read one “whole” Surah or “part” of a Surah or read “more than one Surah” after Surah al-Faatihah in the same rak’ah.

(In fact the recitation of the Qur’aan after Surah al-Faatihah is not mandatory)

📌 Proof:

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam recited two Surahs after al-Faatihah in many prayers, and these Surahs are called “ النظائر“ or “pairs”.

There are several ahaadeeth about that.

For example:

🍃 A man came to Ibn Mas’ood radhi Allaahu anhu and said:

“I recite al-Mufassal in one rak’ah.” (“Al-Mufassal” is that portion of the Qur’aan that starts with Surah Qaf, up to the end of the Qur’aan)

He said, “That is too quick, like reciting poetry.

But the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to recite ‘pairs’, two Surahs in one rak’ah:

al-Najm and al-Rahmaan in one rak’ah, al-Qamar and al-Haaqqah in one rak’ah, al-Toor and al-Dhaariyyaat in one rak’ah, al-Waaqi’ah and al-Qalam in one rak’ah, al-Ma’aarij and al-Naaz’iaat in one rak’ah, al-Mutaffifoon and ‘Abasa in one rak’ah, al-Muddaththir and al-Muzzammil in one rak’ah, al-Insaan and al-Qiyaamah in one rak’ah, al-Naba’ and al-Mursalaat in one rak’ah, al-Dukhaan and al-takweer in one rak’ah.”

(Abu Dawood 1396; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood)

🍃 And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam recited three Surahs, one after the other in one rak’ah, when he prayed Tahajjud.

Hudhayfah radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“I prayed with the Prophet

Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam

one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah.

I thought, he will do rukoo when he reaches one hundred aayaat, but he kept going.

I thought, he will complete it in one rak’ah, but he kept going.

I thought, he will do rukoo now, but he started to recite al-Nisaa, and he recited all of it, then he started to recite Aal Imraan and recited all of it.”

(Muslim 772)

🍃 AbdulAziz ibn Jurayj said:

I asked A’ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa, mother of the believers:

“With which (surah) the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) used to observe witr?

She said:

“In the third rak'ah he would recite: "Say, He is Allaah, the One" (Surah al-Ikhlaas 112), and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak" (Surah al-Falaq 113), and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind" (Surah an-Naas 114).

(Abu Dawood 1424: saheeh by al-Albaani)

And many other examples.

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“It is permissible for a person to recite two or three Surahs after al-Faatihah, or he may limit himself to just one, or he may divide a Surah in two halves (split between two rak’ahs).

All of these are permissible, because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says:

“So, recite you of the Qur’aan as much as may be easy for you”

[al-Muzzammil 73:20]

And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Then recite whatever you can of the Qur’aan.”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 13/question no. 500)

And Allaah knows best