LessonsThe Wajib Acts of Prayer, Part 1: Recitation RulesQuiz

The author begins a teaching list of 18 Wajib acts of prayer. A Wajib is legally binding, but it is not the same category as a Fard.

• Deliberately leaving a Wajib is sinful and requires the prayer to be repeated.
• Forgetfully leaving a Wajib normally requires Sujud al-Sahw.
• If required Sujud al-Sahw is also omitted, the prayer remains deficient and repetition is required under the stated Hanafi rule.

The commentary notes that the author's count of 18 is a teaching list; later jurists also discuss other Wajib details.

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The Wajib Acts of Prayer, Part 1: Recitation Rules

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Lesson

1. What Does Wajib Mean in Prayer?

The author begins a teaching list of 18 Wajib acts of prayer. A Wajib is legally binding, but it is not the same category as a Fard.

• Deliberately leaving a Wajib is sinful and requires the prayer to be repeated.
• Forgetfully leaving a Wajib normally requires Sujud al-Sahw.
• If required Sujud al-Sahw is also omitted, the prayer remains deficient and repetition is required under the stated Hanafi rule.

The commentary notes that the author's count of 18 is a teaching list; later jurists also discuss other Wajib details.

2. Wajib 1: Surah al-Fatihah

قِرَاءَةُ الْفَاتِحَةِ

Surah al-Fatihah is Wajib in the first two rak'ahs of a Fard prayer and in every rak'ah of Witr and Nafl prayer.

In the later rak'ahs of a four-rak'ah Fard, reciting al-Fatihah is Sunnah rather than this Wajib category.

3. Wajib 2: Adding a Surah or Sufficient Verses

وَضَمُّ سُورَةٍ أَوْ ثَلَاثِ آيَاتٍ قِصَارٍ

After al-Fatihah, the Wajib addition is a short Surah or three short verses. The commentary also treats one long verse equal in length to three short verses as sufficient.

This Wajib addition applies:
• in the required recitation rak'ahs of Fard prayer;
• in every rak'ah of Witr;
• in every rak'ah of Nafl prayer.

4. Wajib 3: Recitation Belongs in the First Two Fard Rak'ahs

وَتَعْيِينُ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ مِنَ الْفَرْضِ

The matn separately makes the first two rak'ahs of a Fard prayer the designated place for the required recitation.

A person should not deliberately leave the Surah addition in the first two rak'ahs and move it to the later rak'ahs. If this happens forgetfully, the missed Wajib placement is repaired according to the relevant recovery rule and Sujud al-Sahw.

5. Wajib 4: Al-Fatihah Comes before the Surah

وَتَقْدِيمُ الْفَاتِحَةِ عَلَى السُّورَةِ

The required order is:
1. Surah al-Fatihah.
2. Then the additional Surah or verses.

If the order is reversed forgetfully, the Wajib sequence has been missed and Sujud al-Sahw is required.

6. If the Surah or al-Fatihah Was Missed Early

The source gives two different recovery rules:

• If the additional Surah was missed in the first two rak'ahs of a four-rak'ah Fard such as Isha, it is recited in the later rak'ahs together with al-Fatihah, while Sujud al-Sahw is still required for the missed Wajib placement.
• If al-Fatihah itself was missed in the first two, it is not repeated a second time in the later rak'ahs merely as compensation; Sujud al-Sahw is performed.

Do not treat the missed Surah and the missed al-Fatihah as the same recovery case.

Practice questions

Question 1

What is the normal remedy when a Wajib act of prayer is omitted forgetfully?

  • Sujud al-Sahw is performed.
  • The prayer is automatically void with no remedy.
  • Wudu must be repeated.
  • Nothing is required in any case.

Question 2

In a four-rak'ah Fard prayer, appending a Surah after al-Fatihah is Wajib in all four rak'ahs.

  • True
  • False

Question 3

Which recitation fulfills the Wajib addition after Surah al-Fatihah?

  • A short Surah, or three short verses, or one long verse equal to them.
  • Only a complete long Surah.
  • Exactly 10 verses.
  • A single short word.

Question 4

In Witr and Nafl prayer, the Surah addition after al-Fatihah is Wajib in every rak'ah.

  • True
  • False

Question 5

If a person forgetfully recites the additional Surah before al-Fatihah, what has been missed?

  • The Wajib order of placing al-Fatihah before the Surah.
  • Facing the Qiblah.
  • The first sitting.
  • The opening Takbir.

Question 6

Reciting Surah al-Fatihah in the later rak'ahs of a four-rak'ah Fard prayer is Sunnah rather than this recitation Wajib.

  • True
  • False

Question 7

Sort these forgetful omissions according to whether Sujud al-Sahw is required.

Question 8

If the additional Surah was forgotten in the first two rak'ahs of Isha, which recovery rule does the source give?

  • Read the missed Surah in the later rak'ahs with al-Fatihah and perform Sujud al-Sahw.
  • Cancel the prayer immediately.
  • Repeat Wudu and restart.
  • Leave all recitation in the later rak'ahs.

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