5/7. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 828 — Estimated Silent Prayer Recitation
The recitation for the Zuhr and the ‘Asr
Estimated Silent Prayer Recitation in Zuhr and Asr
Sunan Ibn Majah : 828
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 828
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمَسْعُودِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدٌ الْعَمِّيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ اجْتَمَعَ ثَلاَثُونَ بَدْرِيًّا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالُوا تَعَالَوْا حَتَّى نَقِيسَ قِرَاءَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فِيمَا لَمْ يَجْهَرْ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ . فَمَا اخْتَلَفَ مِنْهُمْ رَجُلاَنِ فَقَاسُوا قِرَاءَتَهُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ بِقَدْرِ ثَلاَثِينَ آيَةً وَفِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُخْرَى قَدْرَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَقَاسُوا ذَلِكَ فِي صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ عَلَى قَدْرِ النِّصْفِ مِنَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ .
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri Narrated from:
Thirty of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who had been at Badr came together and said: ‘Come, let us estimate the length of the recitation of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for the prayer in which Qur’an is not recited out aloud.’ No two men among them disagreed, and they estimated the length of his recitation in the first Rak’ah of the Zuhr to be thirty Verses and in the second Rak’ah to be half of that. They estimated his recitation in ‘Asr to be half of the last two Rak’ah of Zuhr.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 828In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 26English translation : Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 828
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 828
This Hadith about estimated silent prayer recitation gives a careful report from Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri. Thirty Companions who had been at Badr came together to estimate the Prophet’s recitation in prayers where Qur’an was not recited aloud. The report says no two of them disagreed. They estimated the first rak’ah of Zuhr at about thirty verses, the second at about half of that, and Asr at about half of the last two rak’ahs of Zuhr. The Hadith is careful with words like estimated and about. It does not turn the estimate into a fixed rule for every prayer, but it records how the Companions understood the length of the Prophet’s recitation.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Companions estimated the Prophet’s recitation in silent prayers.
- The first rak’ah of Zuhr was estimated at about thirty verses.
- The second rak’ah of Zuhr was estimated at about half of the first.
- The narration shows agreement among those Companions in this estimate.
