and the Prophet’s saying, “Recite whatever is easy for you of the Quran.” (1)

Second: the Prophet recited from the middle portions of surahs in voluntary prayers (2), and what is established for voluntary prayer is also established for obligatory prayer, unless there is evidence to the contrary.

However, declaring this permissible does not place it on the same level as reciting an entire surah in each rak‘ah, for the latter is the basic practice. Hence, the Messenger said to Mu‘adh, “Why did you not lead them in prayer reciting, ‘Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,’ ‘By the sun and its brightness,’ and ‘By the night when it covers’?” (3) This indicates that what is more complete and preferable is to recite an entire surah. What is preferable is one matter, while what is merely permissible is another.

“If something arises for him, a man should say, ‘Subhan Allah’ (Glory be to Allah), while a woman should clap by striking the palm of one hand against the back of the other.”

His words, “If something arises for him”: the pronoun refers to the person praying, as indicated by the context. “Arises for him” means that something occurs to him.

His words, “something”: this is an indefinite noun in the context of a condition, and thus encompasses anything whatsoever, whether it relates to the prayer or to an external matter—for instance, if someone seeks permission to enter upon him, or something similar.

An example of something relating to the prayer is when an imam makes a mistake and stands for a fifth rak‘ah in a four-rak‘ah prayer, a fourth in a three-rak‘ah prayer, or a third in a two-rak‘ah prayer. In such a case, something related to the prayer has arisen.

An example of something unrelated to the prayer is if someone seeks permission to enter upon him by