Regarding What the Prophet (SWAS) Used to Recite in His Prayers (As Salaat) - Part 1

The Prophet (SWAS) used to seek refuge with God (Allah) before he (SWAS) started the recitation in his prayers. He (SWAS) did so by saying:

أعوذ بآلله من الشيطان الرجيم من همزه و نفخه 

I seek refuge with God (Allah) from the Satan, the Rejected, from his madness, his arrogance, and his influence.

Sometimes, he would modify it thus:

أعوذ بآلله السميع العليم من الشيطان الرجيم من همزه و نفخه

I seek refuge wiith God (Allah), the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from Satan, the Rejected, from his madness, his arrogance, and his influence.

After seeking protection from God (Allah), the Prophet (SWAS) started his recitation with:

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

He (SWAS) would recite this in a low voice, even in congregational prayers in which the recitations are supposed to be audible.

He (SWAS) began the recitation of the Quran in his prayers with the recitation of Surah Al Fatiha, and recited it one verse at a time, with pauses between each of its seven verses, not joining the verses together in his recitation.

Sometimes he would recite:

ملك يوم الدين

King of the Day of Judgement

instead of 

مالك يوم الدين

Master (Owner) of the Day of Judgement

There are many confirmed reports from the Prophet (SWAS) in which he (SWAS) stated that the prayer is incomplete without the recitation of Surah Al Fatiha.

In congregational prayers in which the Imam recites audible (e.g. the dawn, sunset, night prayers, Friday prayers, two Eid prayers, prayers for rain, and eclipse prayer), the worshippers should not recite audible but stay silent and listen to the recitation, except for Surah Al Fatiha which they should recited inaudibly after hearing the Imam's recitation, as prayers are not complete without the recitation of Surah Al Fatiha.

In congregational prayers in which the Imam recites inaudible (e.g. the noon and late noon prayers), the Prophet (SWAS) encourged the worshipers to recite the Quran inaudible in their prayers, so as not to mix up their recitation with others, including the Imam. He (SWAS) said: "Truly, the person praying is privately consulting his Lord, so he should be careful about what he consults him with, and you should not recite the Quran loudly over each other".

At the end of Surah Al Fatiha, the Prophet (SWAS) would ray Ameen in a loud and prolongued voice and he (SWAS) also instructed the worshipers in the congregational prayer to do so when the Imam says:

غير المغضوب عليهم ولا ٱلضالين

Those whose share is not wrath, nor who go astray.

As the Imam says Ameen and the angels says Ameen as those whose saying of Ameen coincides with that of the angels, their past sins are forgiven. In another narration, he (SWAS) said that God (Allah) answers your Ameen. He (SWAS) also is reported to have said that the Jews do not envy you more for anything except over salutaion and saying Ameen behind the Imam.

After reciting Surah Al Baqarah, the Prophet (SWAS) would recite from the chapters of the Quran. Sometimes his recitation was long and sometimes short, especially when travelling, due to illness or when he (SWAS) heard the cying of infants from the congregation. Sometimes he (SWAS) would split the surah (chapter) of the Quran in two rakats (units) of the prayer and sometimes he (SWAS) would recite more than one surah (chapter) in a single rakat (unit) of prayer.  

The Prophet (SWAS) used to frequently combine certain Mufassal surahs (chapters of the Quran from Surah Al Qaaf to the end of the Quran) in two consecutive rakats (units) of the same prayer.

  • Surah Al Rahman and Surah Al Najm
  • Surah Al Qamar and Surah Al Haqqah
  • Surah Al Tur and Surah Al Dhariyaat
  • Surah Al Waqiah and Surah Al Qalam
  • Surah Al Maarij and Surah Al Naziyaat
  • Surah Al Mutaffifin and Surah Al Abasa
  • Surah Al Dahr and Surah Al Qiyammah
  • Surah al Naba and Surah Al Mursalaat
  • Surah Al Dukhan and Surah Al Takwir
In his night prayers he (SWAS) would sometimes combine Surahs from the Tiwaal (long ones) like Surah Al Baqarah, Surah An Nisa,and Surah Ale Imran in one rakaat, saying that the most excellent prayer is one with long standing.

When he recited the following verse from Surah Al Qiyammah:

اليس ذلك بقادر على أن يحي الموتى

Has not He, the power to give life to the dead?

He would reply

سبحانك فبلى

Glory be to You, of course!

Similarly, when he recited the opening verse from Surha Al Alaa:

سبح ٱسم ربك ٱلأعلى

Glory, the name of your Lord, Most High

He would reply,

سبحان ربي ٱلأعلى

Glorified be my Lord, Most High

In the Tahajjud (night / pre-dawn) prayer which he prayed alone, sometime he used to recite audibly and sometimes inaudibly.

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