In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. May Allah bless Muhammad and his family and grant them abundant peace.

Book Two on Prayer

Section
Recitation in Prayer

Recitation in prayer is obligatory according to the majority of scholars, as evidenced by the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“When the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent, so that you may receive mercy.” [al-A‘rāf: 204]

The meaning here is: when the Quran is recited in prayer, listen to it and remain silent. For the obligation to remain silent and listen to a reciter applies only to someone following an imam in prayer, listening to that imam. This is evidenced by the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“Do not be too loud in your prayer, nor too quiet, but seek a way in between.” [al-Isrā’: 110]

According to some Quran commentators, this means: do not recite in your prayer so loudly that the polytheists hear it, lest they revile your recitation; nor recite so quietly that your companions praying with you cannot hear it.

Further evidence is found in the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“So recite whatever is easy of it.” [al-Muzzammil: 20]

For this means recitation in prayer. There is also the evidence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said:

“Allah, exalted is He, said: ‘I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves: half is for Me and half is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.’ Recite: the servant says, ‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds’”—and so on in the hadith.

For calling the recitation within prayer “prayer” indicates that prayer