, and he adopts the practice he considers less preferable for the sake of agreement and harmony, whose benefit outweighs that of the preferable practice, then doing so is permissible and commendable.

Likewise, departing from the preferable practice in order to explain the Sunnah and teach it to those unfamiliar with it is commendable. For example, one may recite the opening supplication, the prayer for refuge in Allah, or the basmalah aloud so that people learn that reciting these in prayer is commendable and prescribed. Thus, it is recorded in the Sahīh that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb recited the opening supplication aloud. He would pronounce the opening takbīr and say:

“Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.”

Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd said: “I prayed behind ‘Umar more than seventy times. He would pronounce the opening takbīr and then say these words.” Muslim recorded this in his Sahīh. This is why this opening supplication became widespread, until most people adopted it.

Likewise, Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbās would recite the prayer for refuge in Allah aloud, and several Companions would recite the basmalah aloud. According to the majority of leading scholars, who do not consider reciting it aloud a regular Sunnah practice, this was done to teach people that reciting it in prayer is part of the Sunnah. Similarly, it is recorded in the Sahīh that Ibn ‘Abbās offered a funeral prayer and recited the Opening Chapter of the Quran aloud, explaining that he had done so to teach people that it is part of the Sunnah.

This is because there are two views concerning the funeral prayer. Some hold that it involves no Quran recitation at all, as many of the early generations maintained. This is the position of Abū Hanīfah and Mālik.