- The Recitation. After the opening takbīr it is recommended to say the opening supplication, then the taʿawwudh (seeking refuge), both in a low voice. According to the school one recites the taʿawwudh in every rakʿah, and it is even more emphasised in the first. Al-Fātiḥah is obligatory in every rakʿah except the one the late-comer has already missed; the basmala is an integral part of it, together with all its consonantal doublings. If he substitutes the letter ḍād with ẓāʾ, the prayer is invalid on the sounder view. The surah must be recited in the correct order and without any break: an extraneous remembrance inserted between its verses severs the continuity, whereas something connected to the prayer—such as saying “Āmīn” to the imam’s recitation or prompting him when he falters—does not, according to the preferred opinion. A lengthy silence likewise breaks the continuity, and even a brief pause intended to end the recitation has the same effect on the sounder view.
If he does not know al-Fātiḥah, he recites seven consecutive verses; if he cannot manage that, seven verses even if scattered. I say: the sound, transmitted position allows dispersed verses even when consecutive ones are memorised—and Allah knows best. Should he be unable to do so, he substitutes any form of remembrance, provided that the total number of letters is not fewer than those of al-Fātiḥah, according to the stronger view. If he cannot recite anything at all, he remains silent for the length of time ordinarily required for al-Fātiḥah.
After al-Fātiḥah it is sunnah to say “Āmīn,” lengthening the vowel and lightening the m; shortening is permissible. He should say it together with the imam and, according to the more apparent opinion, audibly.
It is recommended to follow al-Fātiḥah with another surah in every rakʿah except the third and fourth, on the stronger view. I say: if he inadvertently recites a surah in those rakʿahs, he completes it there, by explicit textual authority—and Allah knows best. The congregant does not recite a surah; rather, he listens. However, if he is far from the imam or the prayer is silent, he recites on the sounder view.
For Fajr and Ẓuhr it is sunnah to recite from the long chapters of al-mufaṣṣal, for ʿAṣr and ʿIshāʾ from the medium-length ones, and for Maghrib from the short ones. In the dawn prayer of Friday he recites in the first rakʿah “Alif Lām Mīm. The Revelation” (Sūrah 32) and in the second “Has there come” (Sūrah 76).
- Bowing (rukūʿ). The minimum bow is to incline until the palms can reach the knees, remaining serene so that the rising is clearly distinct from the descent. One must intend it as bowing; therefore, if he bent down for some other purpose—such as listening to a recitation—and then counted it as rukūʿ, it is insufficient. The complete form is to level the back and neck, keep the shins upright, grasp the knees with the hands, and spread the fingers toward the qiblah. He pronounces the takbīr at the beginning