LessonsVoluntary Prayers: Regular Sunnahs, Nawafil and Juristic DifferencesQuiz

وَالْقِرَاءَةُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَهُوَ مُخَيَّرٌ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ: إِنْ شَاءَ قَرَأَ الْفَاتِحَةَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَبَّحَ.
Translation: Recitation is wajib in the first two rakahs, while in the last two one has a choice: recite al-Fatihah, remain silent or say tasbih.

This passage refers to the later two rakahs of a four-rakah fard prayer, not to the final two rakahs of a nafl prayer.

Within the Hanafi school, reciting al-Fatihah in these last two fard rakahs remains the Sunnah practice, even though their obligatory recitation status differs from the first two.

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Recitation in the first and last two fard rakahs

Voluntary Prayers: Regular Sunnahs, Nawafil and Juristic Differences

وَالْقِرَاءَةُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَهُوَ مُخَيَّرٌ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ: إِنْ شَاءَ قَرَأَ الْفَاتِحَةَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَبَّحَ.
Translation: Recitation is wajib in the first two rakahs, while in the last two one has a choice: recite al-Fatihah, remain silent or say tasbih.

This passage refers to the later two rakahs of a four-rakah fard prayer, not to the final two rakahs of a nafl prayer.

Within the Hanafi school, reciting al-Fatihah in these last two fard rakahs remains the Sunnah practice, even though their obligatory recitation status differs from the first two.