And it is used as a proverbial comparison; thus people say, ‘So-and-so knows something by heart as well as he knows al-Fātiha.’ Since it holds this position, no other surah equals it in this respect, and it therefore enjoys a unique distinction. Moreover, it is the seven oft-repeated verses. The Quran commentators said that this means its recitation is repeated in every unit of prayer. Some said, ‘It was revealed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, twice.’”

I say: There are other interpretations as well.

He said: “As for the legal ruling, its recitation is recommended in every unit of prayer, and omitting it is disliked. Were it not superior, it would not have been singled out in this way. Supporting this is the position of those who disagree—meaning the followers of Abū Hanīfa—that whoever omits its recitation must perform the prostrations of forgetfulness.

“We therefore say: Either it is a pillar of prayer or it is not. If it is a pillar, its omission cannot be made up for by prostration; if it is not a pillar, prostration should not be obligatory for omitting it.”

I say: He means that prostration is required only for omitting an act that is obligatory when one is acting deliberately; if one forgets it, prostration becomes obligatory. If an act is obligatory, deliberately omitting it must invalidate one’s prayer, because one has not done what one was commanded to do. This differs from forgetting some obligatory acts, since their omission can be made up for by the prostrations of forgetfulness.

The position of Mālik, Ahmad, and Abū Hanīfa is that the prostrations of forgetfulness are obligatory, because they hold that some obligatory acts may be omitted forgetfully without invalidating the prayer. Likewise, according to the scholars’ consensus, the prayer is not invalidated by a forgetful addition, whereas a deliberate addition would invalidate it.

However, according to the well-known position reported from Mālik and Ahmad, they say: