Salah, Which Surah to recite?

Question

Concerning my Salah (Namaz), when reading 4 fard do I just recite Surah Fatiah and then 1 Surah after it in the 1st and 2nd rakat only? Or, in all 4 rakat do I recite fatiah and surah? and in sunnah I recite fatiah and surah in all 4 rakats. Also the surahs i read they have to be in the order of the Quran e.g. al-ikhlas and then al falaq, or can I read al Kafiroon and then al ikhlas? I have heard also that the surahs read after al fatiah should be longest to shortest but if reading in the order of the Quran if I read ikhlas first and then an Nas it is shortest to longest?

Answer

The breakdown of what to recite during 4 rakaat of fard is as follows: 1st Rakaat: Surah Fatihah and any other surah 2nd Rakaat: Surah Fatihah and any other surah 3rd Rakaat: Surah Fatihah 4th Rakaat: Surah Fatihah For 4 rakaat sunnah, you are correct in reading Surah Fatihah and any other surah in ALL four rakaats. It is best and preferable that the surahs are recited in the way in which they occur in the Quran. This means that if you choose to read one surah, ANY other surah that comes after it is permissible to read. For example, if in the first rakaat, one decides to read Surah Kafiroon, then one can recite Surah Nasr, Surah Lahab, Surah Ikhlaas, Surah Falaq, or Surah Naas in the second rakaat. One does not have to read the Surah that immediately comes after the first surah recited. When reciting the surah in salaat, it is also preferable that the surahs are similar in length or that they are recited in the order of longest to shortest. InshaAllah we hope this clears up your questions.

And Allah knows best.

Ask Alimah Team

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