You claim (1) that if he omits recitation in two rak‘ahs of Zuhr, ‘Asr, or ‘Ishā’, his prayer is valid, whereas if he omits recitation in one of four voluntary rak‘ahs, it is invalid.

I say: If he omits recitation in one rak‘ah of Maghrib, his prayer is valid, whereas if he omits recitation in one rak‘ah of Witr, it is invalid. It is as though he wishes to join together what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) distinguished, or distinguish what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) joined together.

I say: As for the Prophet’s pause after pronouncing “Allah is the Greatest,” Abū Hurayrah explained in his hadith, whose authenticity is agreed upon, that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would recite the opening supplication during it. It was not a period of complete silence intended to allow those following him to recite. It is also established in an authentic report that ‘Umar would pronounce “Allah is the Greatest” and recite the opening supplication aloud to teach it to the people.

As for his argument against someone who recites the opening supplication while the imam is reciting aloud, there is a well-known disagreement concerning this: should one recite the opening supplication and seek refuge in Allah while the imam recites aloud; recite the opening supplication but seek refuge only when reciting oneself; or neither recite the opening supplication nor seek refuge while the imam recites aloud? These are three positions, corresponding to three views transmitted from Ahmad.

The stronger position, however, is the one supported by al-Bukhārī’s argument: the command to listen silently requires refraining from anything that prevents one from hearing the recitation, whether praise, recitation, or supplication, just as one listens silently to the sermon. Indeed, listening silently to the recitation is even more emphatically required. But if he pauses