VARYING THE SOORAHS, AAYAAT, ADHKAAR AND DU’AA’S RECITED IN PRAYER
VARYING THE SOORAHS, AAYAAT, ADHKAAR AND DU’AA’S RECITED IN
PRAYER
This makes the worshipper feel that he is encountering new meanings and moving
between different topics mentioned in the aayaat and adhkaar. This is what a person
misses out on if he only memorizes a few soorahs (especially the short ones) and adhkaar.
Varying what one recites is the Sunnah and is more conducive to khushoo’.
If we study what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah of upon him) used to recite
in his prayer, we will see this variation. For example, with regard to the opening du’aa’,
we find examples such as the following:
“Allaahumma baa’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kamaa baa’adta bayn almashriqi
wa’l-maghrib. Allaahumma naqqani min khataayaaya kamaa
yunaqqaa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas. Allaahumma’ghsilni min
khataayaaya bi’l-maa’ wa’l-thalj wa’l-barad (O Allaah, separate me (far) from my
sins as You have separated (far) the East from the West. O Allaah, cleanse me of my sins as
white cloth is cleansed from dirt. O Allaah, wash me of my sins with water, snow and ice).”
“Wajahtu wajhi li’lladhi fatara al-samawaati wa’l-ard haneefan, wa maa ana
min al-mushrikeen. Inna salaati wa nusuki wa mahyaaya wa mamaati Lillaahi
Rabb il –‘aalameen, laa shareeka lahu wa bidhaalika umirtu wa ana awwal almuslimeen
(I have set my face towards the Originator of the heavens and the earth
sincerely and I am not among the mushrikeen. Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living
and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds: no partner has He. With this I have
been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims (those who submit to Him).”
“Subhaanak Allaahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala
jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghayruk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, blessed be Your
name and exalted be Your majesty. There is no god besides You).”
And other du’aa’s and adhkaar which the worshipper can use at various times.
Among the soorahs which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah of upon him) used
to recite during Salaat al-Fajr we find a great and blessed number.
The longer mufassal soorahs (soorahs from the last seventh of the Qur’aan), such as al-
Waaqi’ah [56], al-Toor [52] and Qaaf [50], and shorter mufassal soorahs such as Idhaa
al-shamsu kuwwirat [al-Takweer 81], al-Zalzalah [99], and al-Mi’wadhatayn [the last
two soorahs].
It was reported that he recited al-Room [30], Yaa-Seen [36] and al-Saaffaat [37], and on
Fridays he would recite al-Sajah [32] and al-Insaan [76, a.k.a. al-Dhahr] in Fajr prayer.
It was reported that in Salaat al-Zuhr, he would recite the equivalent of thirty aayaat in
each of the two rak’ahs, and that he recited al-Taariq [86], al-Burooj [85] and wa’l-layli
idhaa yaghshaa [al-Layl, 92].
In Salaat al-‘Asr, he would recite the equivalent of fifteen aayaat in each rak’ah, and he
would recite the soorahs already mentioned in connection with Salaat al-Zuhr.
In Salaat al-Maghrib, he would recite short mufassal soorahs such as al-teeni wa’lzaytoon
[al-Teen 95], and he recited Soorat Muhammad [47], al-Toor [52], al-Mursalaat
[77] and others.
In ‘Ishaa’ he would recite medium-length mufassal soorahs, such as al-shamsu wa
duhaahaa [al-Shams 91], idhaa’l-samaa’u inshaqqat [al-Inshiqaaq 84]. He told Mu’aadh
to recite al-A’laa [87], al-Qalam [68] and al-layli idhaa yaghshaa [al-Layl, 92].
In qiyaam al-layl, he used to recite the long soorahs. It was reported that he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite 200 or 150 aayaat, and sometimes he used
to shorten the recitation.
He used to vary the adhkaar he recited in rukoo’. In addition to “Subhaana Rabbi al-
‘Azeem (Glory be to my Supreme Lord)” and “Subhaana Rabbi al-‘Azeem wa bi hamdih
(Glory and praise be to my Supreme Lord)”, he would say: “Subbooh, Quddoos, Rabb il-
Malaa’ikati wa’l-Rooh (Perfect, Blessed, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit),” or,
“Allaahumma laka raka’tu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu
anta Rabbi. Khasha’a sam’i wa basari wa dammi wa lahmi wa ‘azmi wa ‘asabi Lillaahi
Rabbi’l-‘Alaameen (O Allaah, to You have I bowed, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, to You I have submitted and in You I have put my trust. Humbled are my hearing, my
seeing, my blood, my flesh, my bones and my nerves for Allaah, Lord of the Worlds).”
When standing upright from rukoo’, after saying “Sami’a Allaah liman hamidah (Allaah
listens to the one who praises Him)” he would say, “Rabbanaa wa laka’l-hamd (Our Lord,
and to You be all praise),” or sometimes, “Rabbanaa laka’l-hamd (Our Lord, to You be all
praise),” or, “Allaahumma Rabbanaa [wa] laka’l-hamd (O Allaah our Lord, [and] to You be
all praise).” Sometimes he would add the words: “Mil’a al-samawaati wa mil’a al-ard wa
mil’a maa shi’ta min shay’in ba’d ([Praise] filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling
whatever else You wish)”, and sometimes he would add, “Ahl al-thanaa’i wa’l-majd, laa
maani’a limaa a’tayta wa laa mu’tiya limaa mana’t, wa laa yanfa’u dhaa’l-jaddi
minka’l-jadd (Lord of Glory and Majesty! None can withhold what You grant, and none can grant
what You withhold; nor can the possessions of an owner benefit him in front of You).”
In sujood, in addition to “Subhaan Rabbi al-A’laa (Glory be to my Lord Most High)” and
“Subhaana Rabbi al-A’laa wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to my Lord Most High),” he
would say “Subbooh, Quddoos, Rabb il-Malaa’ikati wa’l-Rooh (Perfect, Blessed, Lord of
the Angels and the Spirit),” or “Subhaanak Allaahumma Rabbanaa wa bi hamdik,
Allaahumma’ghfir li (Glory and raise be to you O Allaah, our Lord. O Allaah forgive me)” or
“Allaahumma laka sajadtu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu, sajada wajhi lilladhi
khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu, tabaarak Allaahu ahsaan
al-khaaliqeen (O Allaah, to You I have prostrated, in You I have believed and to You I have
submitted. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and gave it shape, then brought forth
its hearing and its vision. Blessed be Allaah, the Best to create),” and others.
When sitting between the two prostrations, in addition to “Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li
(Lord, forgive me, Lord, forgive me),” he would say, “Allaahumm aghfir li warhamni
wajbarni wa arfa’ni wahdini wa ‘aafini wa arzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me,
strengthen me, raise my rank, guide me, pardon me, sustain me).”
A number of versions of the tashahhud have been narrated, such as: “Al-tahiyyaatu
Lillaahi wa’l-salawaatu wa’l-tayyibaat al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu …etc. (All
compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet…)” and
“Al-Tahiyyaat al-mubaarakaat al-salawaat al-tayyibaatu Lillaahi, al-salaamu ‘alayka
ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu…etc. (All compliments, blessed words, prayers, pure words are due to Allaah.
Peace be upon you, O Prophet…)” and “Al-tahiyyaat al-tayyibaat al-salawaatu Lillaahi, alsalaamu
‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu… etc. (All compliments, good words and prayers are due
to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet …).”
So the worshipper may use one form one time and another at another time, and so on.
There are a number of versions of the prayers sent upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), such as:“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta
‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed.
Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin kamaa
baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed (O
Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers
on Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of
Glory; O Allaah, send blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You
sent blessings on Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise
and Full of Glory).”
“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali baytihi wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa
dhuriyatihi kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed wa
baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali baytihi wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhuriyatihi
kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send
prayers on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent prayers on the
family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allaah, send
blessings on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent blessings on the
family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”
“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad al-Nabiyy al-Ummi wa ‘ala aali
Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad al-
Nabiyy al-Ummi wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali
Ibraaheem fi’l-‘aalameen, innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on
Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers
on the family of Ibraaheem, and send blessings on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and
on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibraaheem among the
nations, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”
Other similar versions have also been narrated, and the Sunnah is to vary among them, as
stated above. There is nothing wrong with reciting one version more than others, because
it is more strongly proven and better known in the books of saheeh ahaadeeth, or because
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught one version rather than
others to his Sahaabah when they asked him about it, and so on.
(All of the above texts etc. have been taken from Sifat al-Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) by Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, which he compiled from the
books of hadeeth).