Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Your Question No.2752 explains What to recite behind Imam. What about any surah recited after fateha? To my knowledge, While praying individually, to read any surah after fateha in first two rakah of any prayer is compulsary - correct me if I am wrong.

Regards,

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Answer:

What to pray after fatiha?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.743 Narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Qatada

My father said, "The Prophet (saws) used to recite Surah Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two Rakat of the prayer and used to recite only Surah Al-Fatiha in the last two Rakat of the Zuhr prayer. Sometimes a verse or so was audible and he used to prolong the first Rak'a more than the second. and used to do the same in the 'Asr and Fajr prayers."

Your Question: To my knowledge, While praying individually, to read any surah after fateha in first two rakah of any prayer is compulsary - correct me if I am wrong.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.723 Narrated by Ubada bin As Samit

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."

Amongst the obligatory and compulsory conditions of prayer, is that the Surah Al Fatihah must be recited in every single rakah of the prayer. The obligatory conditions of the prayer remain the same whether one prays in congregation or one prays individually.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.739 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Qur'an is recited in every prayer and in those prayers in which Allah's Messenger (saws) recited aloud for us, we recite aloud in the same prayers for you; and the prayers in which the Prophet (saws) recited quietly, we recite quietly. If you recite "Surah Al-Fatiha" only it is sufficient, but if you recite something else in addition, it is better.

It is the preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to recite a few verses of the Quran after the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah in the first two rakahs of every prayer; but this is not a compulsory or obligatory condition of prayer. If one, for any reason, forgets to recite other verses of the Glorious Quran after Surah Al-Fatihah in the first two rakahs of the prayer, his prayer will still be regarded as valid. But if for any reason one does not recite the Surah Fatihah in any rakah of the prayer, the prayer will be invalid and he must redo the prayer again.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan