Sahih al-Bukhari Call to Prayers (Adhaan)

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Al-Fātihah followed by another Sūrah in the first two Rak‘āhs of the Zhuhr prayer and used to recite only Al-Fātihah in the last two Rak‘āhs of it. Sometimes a verse or so was audible

Chapter: To recite only Surah Al-Fathiha in the last two Rak'a during a four Rak'a Salat (prayer)

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 776

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ

يَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ، وَفِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ، وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ، وَيُطَوِّلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى مَا لاَ يُطَوِّلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ، وَهَكَذَا فِي الْعَصْرِ وَهَكَذَا فِي الصُّبْحِ‏.‏

Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Al-Fātihah followed by another Sūrah in the first two Rak‘āhs of the Zhuhr prayer and used to recite only Al-Fātihah in the last two Rak‘āhs of it. Sometimes a verse or so was audible. He used to prolong the first Rak‘ah more than the second and used to do the same in the ‘Asr and Fajr prayers.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 776, 759, 778, 779), Muslim (No. 451a), Abu Dawud (No. 798), An-Nasa’i (No. 975, 976, 977, 978), Ibn Majah (No. 819, 829), Ahmad (No. 18603, 21482, 21526, 21551, 21569, 21596, 21602) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1259, 1260).

Explanation

This noble Hadīth indicates that during the prayers with inaudible recitation such as Zhuhr and ‘Asr, one should recite Sūrat al-Fātihah with another Sūrah in the first two Rak‘āhs, and recite Sūrat al-Fātihah only in the last two Rak‘āhs exactly as done in the audible prayers. There is no harm if one raises his voice a little for the purpose of teaching others.

Explanation in Arabic

يبين الحديث الشريف أنه في الصلوات السرية كالظهر والعصر يقرأ فيها بالفاتحة مع سورة أخرى في الركعتين الأوليين، ويقرأ بالفاتحة فقط في الأخريين كالصلاة الجهرية تماماً، ولا بأس من رفع الصوت قليلاً للتعليم.

وجوب قراءة الفاتحة في كل ركعة من ركعات الصلاة.
استحباب قراءة شيء من القرآن بعد الفاتحة، في الركعتين الأوليين من الظهر والعصر، ومثله المغرب والعشاء وصلاة الفجر.
القراءة بعد الفاتحة ليست واجبة، فلو اقتصر على الفاتحة أجزأت الصلاة؛ باتفاق العلماء، ولكن يكره الاقتصار على الفاتحة في الصلاة في غير ما ذكر، فرضًا كانت أو نفلاً؛ لأنَّه خلاف السنة.
استحباب تطويل الركعة الأولى على الثانية، في الظهر والعصر.
استحباب كون قراءة الظهر والعصر سرية.
أنَّه لا بأس من الجهر بآية أو آيتين في القراءة في الصلاة السرية، لاسيَّما إذا تعلَّق بذلك مصلحة من تعليم أو تذكير؛ ذلك أنَّ النبيَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كان يجهر في بعض الآيات، ولعل الغرض من ذلك بيان الجواز.
استحباب الاقتصار على الفاتحة في الركعتين الأُخريين من صلاة العصر والظهر والعشاء، وثالثة المغرب.
أنَّ ما ذكر في الحديث هو سُنَّة النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْلُهُ : ( بَابُ مَنْ خَافَتَ الْقِرَاءَةَ ) أَيْ أَسَرَّ. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْكُشْمِيهَنِيِّ " خَافَتَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ " وَهُوَ أَوْجَهُ. وَدَلَالَةُ حَدِيثِ خَبَّابٍ لِلتَّرْجَمَةِ وَاضِحَةٌ , وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ الْكَلَامُ عَلَى بَقِيَّةِ فَوَائِدِهِ قَرِيبًا.…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 776

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 759

My father said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) in Zuhr prayers used to recite Al-Fatiha along with two other Suras in the first two rak`at: a long one in the first rak`a and a shorter (Sura) in the second, and at times the verses were audible. In the `Asr prayer the Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite Al-Fatiha and two…

يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ، يُطَوِّلُ فِي الأُولَى، وَيُقَصِّرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ، وَيُسْمِعُ الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا، وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْعَصْرِ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 778

My father said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite Al-Fatiha along with another Sura in the first two rak`at of the Zuhr and `Asr prayers. A verse or so was audible at times and he used to prolong the first rak`a."

يَقْرَأُ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ مَعَهَا فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ، وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا، وَكَانَ يُطِيلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 779

My father said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to prolong the first rak`a of the Zuhr prayer and shorten the second one and used to do the same in the Fajr prayer."

يُطَوِّلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ، وَيُقَصِّرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ، وَيَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 451a

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer and recited in the first two rak'ahs of the noon and afternoon prayers Surat al-Fitiha and two (other) surahs. And he would sometimes recite loud enough for us the verses. He would prolong the first rak'ah more than the second. And he acted similarly in…

فَيَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطَوِّلُ الرَّكْعَةَ الأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَيُقَصِّرُ الثَّانِيَةَ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 798

The apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to lead us in prayer and recite in the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayers Fatihat al-kitab and two surahs, and he would sometimes recite loud enough for us to hear the verse. He would prolong the first rak’ah of the noon prayer and shorten the second; and he did so…

يُصَلِّي بِنَا فَيَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطَوِّلُ الرَّكْعَةَ الأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 975

"My father told us that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite Umm Al-Quran and two surahs in the first two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, and he would make us hear a verse sometimes, and he used to make the first rak'ah lengthy."

يَقْرَأُ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطِيلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

See all 22 versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 976

His father told him: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite for us in the first two rak'ahs of Zuhr prayer, and he would make us hear a verse sometimes. He would make the first rak'ah longer and the second shorter. And he used to do that in Subh too, make the first rak'ah longer and the second…

يَقْرَأُ بِنَا فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَيُطَوِّلُ فِي الأُولَى وَيُقَصِّرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ وَكَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ يُطَوِّلُ فِي…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 977

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite the Umm Al-Quran and two surahs in the first two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, and in the last two with Umm Al-Quran, and he would make us hear a verse sometimes, and he used to make the first rak'ah lengthy."

يَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَ يُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطِيلُ أَوَّلَ رَكْعَةٍ مِنْ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 978

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite the Umm Al-Quran and two surahs in the first two rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, and he would make us hear a verse sometimes, and he used to make the first rak'ah of zuhr lengthy, and he did likewise in Subh."

يَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطِيلُ الرَّكْعَةَ الأُولَى فِي الظُّهْرِ وَيُقَصِّرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 819

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to lead us in prayer, and he would lengthen the first Rak’ah of the Zuhr and shorten the second Rak’ah, and he would do likewise in the Subh.”

ـ يُصَلِّي بِنَا فَيُطِيلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَيُقْصِرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ وَكَذَلِكَ فِي الصُّبْحِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 829

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite when leading us in the first two Rak’ah of the Zuhr prayer, and sometimes he would recite such that we could hear the Verse.”

ـ يَقْرَأُ بِنَا فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 18603