Firstly: The default principle in prayer is to follow the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” Therefore, one should recite audibly in the portions where the Prophet recited audibly, and recite silently in the portions where he recited silently. Whoever deviates from this practice has gone against the Sunnah, and their prayer is still valid overall.
Secondly: Scholars have differed regarding the ruling on audibly reciting in the parts where it is customary and silently reciting in the parts where it is customary to recite silently:
The majority opinion among the Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools is that both audible recitation and silent recitation are from the recommended acts (Sunnah) of prayer.
On the other hand, scholars of our school (Hanafi) hold that it is obligatory due to the consistent practice of the Prophet and the earlier mentioned evidence. This is because it is linked to the obligatory act of recitation, which is itself an absolute obligation.
Therefore:
– In our school, if someone audibly recites in a place where silent recitation is customary or silently recites in a place where audible recitation is customary, their prayer remains valid, but they are obliged to perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujood as-sahw).
– According to the Maliki and Hanbali schools, if someone goes against the recommended practices of audible and silent recitations, their prayer remains valid, and it’s recommended for them to perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujood as-sahw) if the mistake was unintentional. However, if the deviation was deliberate, they are not required to perform the prostration of forgetfulness.
– According to the Shafi’i school, both audible and silent recitations are recommended practices, and going against them does not necessitate the prostration of forgetfulness, whether the recitation is prolonged or shortened.
The opinion that we provide is in accordance with the view of our Hanafi scholars. This is because prayer has a specific worship system based on narration (hadith transmission), and narration has been applied to differentiate between audibly and silently recited portions. Moreover, recitation is obligatory in itself, and similarly, the method of recitation, whether audible or silent, follows the obligation of recitation. Changing this method requires evidence.
If someone intentionally deviates from the recommended practices, they have acted improperly. If they do so forgetfully, they are forgiven for their forgetfulness. In either case, performing the prostration of forgetfulness (sujood as-sahw) is required.
As for what the majority relies on from what Bukhari narrated from Abu Qatadah, “The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to recite Umm al-Kitab and a surah alongside it in the first two rak’ahs of the Dhuhr prayer, and he would sometimes recite an ayah audibly.” His statement, “he would sometimes recite an ayah audibly,” is a form of teaching. Otherwise, how would people know that there is a recitation after Al-Fatihah, as we do now in the supplication of prostration of recitation, occasionally for the purpose of educating the people.
Likewise, we do not accept a narration that contradicts what the people have unanimously agreed upon in matters that are of widespread affliction. If the matter of audible and silent recitation were left to choice, it would have spread and become widely known. For the Prophet, peace be upon him, led the people in prayer five times a day for many years, and it’s inevitable that dozens, even hundreds, would attend the prayers with him, leading to the propagation and widespread knowledge of his practices.
This is a general principle according to our scholars, may Allah be pleased with them.
Based on this, if someone recites a part of Al-Fatihah audibly and then remembers before completing a full verse, they are excused from performing the prostration of forgetfulness. It’s as if they recited, for example, “Alhamdulillah.” However, if someone remembers after reciting a portion that can be considered as part of the Quran, such as the first three verses or most of Al-Fatihah, then they are obliged to perform the prostration of forgetfulness.
And Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr