The Minimum Amount of Qiraa'ah to Recite

Q: Salaah-341: What is the minimum amount of Qiraa'ah one needs to recite in order to fulfil the requirement of Qiraa'ah?

Answer: According to Imaam Abu Haneefan RAH. the minimum amount Of Qir?aa'ah one needs to recite in order to fulfil the requirement of Qiraa'ah is one verse, even if the verse is the first of Surah Faatiha, viz ALHMDU LILLAHI- RABBIL AALAMEEN. It may also be a short verse of two words such as: thuhh nazar more words, such as: THUMM QUTIL KAYF QADDAR.

However, one who suffices only with be guilty of omitting a Waajib act and will therefore be sinful. This is because it is Waajib to recite Surah Faatiha and also Waajib to recite a Surah or at least three verses after Surah Faatiha. One who intentionally does not recite the entire Surah Faatiha will have fulfilled the Fardh (obligation) of the Qiraa'ah and the obligation will no longer be due. However, because he omitted a Waajib act, it will be compulsory for him to repeat his salaah. Similarly, it will also be compulsory for him to repeat his salaah because he omitted the Waajib act of attaching a Surah to Surah Faatiha. If these were omitted erroneously, the salaah will be rectified by performing Sajdah Sahw.

If a person recited only one word such as (MUD HAAM MATAN) or one letter such as (QAAF,SAAD or NOON) the most correct opinion according to Imaam Abu Haneefa RAH. is that the obligation of the Qiraa'ah will not be fulfilled. If a person recites half of a long verse such as Aayatul Kursi or Aayatul Mudaayanah in one Rakaah and the other half in the other Rakaah, the majority of the jurists are of the opinion that the salaah will be valid because half of each of these verses is longer than three short verses. Imaam Abu Haneefah RAH. however, says that the obligation will not be fulfilled. Imaam Muhammad rah. and Imaam Abu Yusuf rah. say that the obligation is fulfilled by reciting a long verse or three short verses of the Qur'aan because a single Surah is sufficient to show the miraculous nature of the Qur'aan, as Allaah says, "Produce a single Surah like that of the Qur'aan." Therefore, since the shortest of Surahs is Surah Kowthar and it comprises only three verses, three verses are sufficient to show the miracle of the Qur'aan.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2