Hadith Eight
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the Friday dawn prayer “Alif-Lām-Mīm, Tanzīl” (al-Sajdah) in the first rak‘ah and “Has there not come upon man…?” (al-Insān) in the second.
Overall meaning
It was the Prophet’s habitual practice to recite these two surahs in the Friday Fajr prayer because they speak of the creation of Adam, the Resurrection, the gathering of people, and the scenes of the Last Day—events that took place or will take place on a Friday. Their recitation therefore serves as a timely reminder.
In the same way, every matter should be recalled at its appropriate moment; this keeps it more firmly in the mind, more vividly present in the heart, and more readily received by the ear.
Rulings
- It is recommended to recite these two surahs in the Friday dawn prayer.
- The wording of the hadith suggests that the Prophet ﷺ did this consistently, for the narrator uses the verb kāna (“used to”). Ibn Daqīq al-ʿId remarked: “Persevering in this recitation at all times raises another issue: the uninformed may come to believe it obligatory in this prayer. If such a misconception is likely, one should occasionally leave it off to avert the harm.”
Al-Sanʿānī replied: “What is required is to spread the sunnah, teach the ignorant what they do not know, and make the law of Islam known. A sunnah must not be abandoned for fear of people’s ignorance. The sunnahs have died out only because scholars feared the ignorant, and that is no excuse, for Allah has commanded that the law be conveyed.” I say: Al-Sanʿānī’s reply is most sound indeed.