performed it as a sunnah in which he was to be followed. But if it is assumed that he did so out of need, this does not establish that it is one of the sunnahs of prayer. This is a matter of ascertaining whether the grounds for the ruling apply in this particular case (1).
When he rose, he began reciting without pausing in silence as he did at the beginning of the prayer. The jurists therefore differed over whether refuge with Allah should be sought at this point, although they agreed that the opening supplication should not be repeated. There are two views on this, both reported from Ahmad. Some of his followers based these views on whether the recitation throughout the prayer constitutes a single recitation, for which seeking refuge once suffices, or whether the recitation in each rak‘ah is independent. They do not dispute that the opening supplication is for the prayer as a whole. The stronger view is that seeking refuge once suffices, because of the authentic hadith from Abū Hurayrah stating that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rose from the second rak‘ah, he began reciting without pausing in silence (2). Moreover, a single opening supplication suffices, and the two recitations are separated not by silence but by remembrance of Allah. They are thus like a single recitation interrupted by praising Allah (3), glorifying Him, proclaiming His oneness, invoking blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or similar expressions.
He then prayed the second rak‘ah exactly as he prayed the first, except in four respects: the silent pause, the opening supplication, the opening declaration of Allah’s greatness, and making it as long as the first. In the second rak‘ah, he (peace and blessings be upon him) neither recited the opening supplication nor paused in silence nor repeated the opening declaration of Allah’s greatness. He also made it shorter than the first, so that the first rak‘ah was longer than the second in every prayer, as previously explained.
When he sat for the tashahhud (testimony of faith), he placed his left hand on his left thigh, and placed his hand