The apparent purport of this report is that he would recite only the Opening Chapter in the two units.

Another narration, transmitted through Abū Hurayrah and recorded by Abū Dāwūd, states that he used to recite in them:

“Say: He is God, the One” (Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, 112:1) and “Say: O disbelievers” (Sūrat al-Kāfirūn, 109:1).

Accordingly, whoever follows ʿĀʾishah’s ḥadīth prefers to recite only the Opening Chapter; whoever follows the second narration chooses the Opening Chapter together with a short sūrah. Those who adhere to the principle that no specific passage is required in prayer—citing the Divine word, “Recite, then, of the Qur’an whatever is easy for you” (73:20)—permit a worshipper to recite whatever he wishes.

The second point of discussion concerns the recommended manner of recitation. Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and the majority of scholars hold that it is preferable to recite aloud, whereas some jurists give a choice between silent and audible recitation.

The reason for this divergence is the conflicting implications of the textual evidence. The earlier report from ʿĀʾishah, by its outward sense, suggests that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—recited silently; otherwise she would not have doubted whether he had even recited the Opening Chapter. By contrast, Abū Hurayrah’s narration, which specifies that he recited “Say: O disbelievers” and “Say: He is God, the One,” points to audible recitation, for Abū Hurayrah could not have known what was being recited had it been silent.

Thus, those who weigh the two reports prefer either audible recitation—if they give precedence to Abū Hurayrah’s ḥadīth—or silent recitation—if they deem ʿĀʾishah’s account stronger. Those who reconcile the narrations allow a choice between the two.

The third issue concerns one who has not yet prayed the two rakʿahs of Fajr but finds the imam already leading the obligatory prayer, or who enters the mosque intending to perform them only for the iqāmah to be called. Mālik ruled that if a person has already entered the mosque when the obligatory prayer is about to begin, he should join the imam and not perform the two rakʿahs inside the mosque while the imam is praying the fard. If he has not yet entered and does not fear missing a rakʿah with the imam, he may perform them outside the mosque; but if he fears missing a rakʿah, he should enter with the imam and make up the two rakʿahs after sunrise.

Abū Ḥanīfah agreed with Mālik in distinguishing between being inside and outside the mosque, yet differed regarding the limit: he allows the two rakʿahs to be prayed outside so long as one expects to catch at least one rakʿah of the Dawn Prayer with the imam.

Al-Shāfiʿī held that once the obligatory prayer has been called to commence, the two rakʿahs are not to be prayed at all—neither inside the mosque nor outside.

Ibn al-Mundhir reports that some scholars permitted praying them inside the mosque while the imam is leading the obligatory prayer, but this is an anomalous opinion.

The basis of their disagreement lies in their different understandings of the Prophet’s—peace and blessings be upon him—statement: “When the prescribed prayer has begun, there is no prayer except the prescribed one.” Accordingly, those who take the wording as unrestricted do not allow the two rakʿahs of Fajr if