Is it enough to say bismillah before reading a chapter in prayer or is it necessary to say audhu billahi…?
Dear Brother / Sister,
It is sunnah to read Subhanaka after placing the right hand on the left hand, to say audhu billahi… bismillahi… before starting the chapter of al-Fatiha, and to say bismillahi… at the beginning of the other rak'ahs. That is the way that is in compliance with the sunnah.
Bismillahi… is not said before the additional chapter. However, Imam Muhammad regards it permissible to say bismillahi… at the beginning of the additional chapter after al-Fatiha in prayers in which qira’ah is secret. However, the majority of the scholars hold the view that bismillahi… is not said there.
According to Malikis, it is makruh to say audhu billahi… and bismillahi… before al-Fatiha and the additional chapter. The evidence for it is the hadith of Anas mentioned earlier. The Prophet (pbuh) Abu Bakr and Umar started prayer as follows:
"Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin."
According to Hanafi madhhab, audhu billahi… is said only in the first rak'ah.
According to Shafiis and Hanbalis, it is sunnah to take refuge in Allah by saying "audhubillahiminashshayatnirrajim" before qira’ah in every rak'ah.
According to Hanafis and Hanbalis, bismillahi…is said silently in every rak'ah. According to Shafiis, bismillahi is said aloud in prayers in which qira’ah is aloud.
According to Hanafis, it is sunnah to say audhu billahi… bismillahi… in the first rak’ah and only bismillahi… in the other rak’ahs.
According to Shafiis and Hanbalis, it is sunnah to say audhu billahi… and bismillahi… in every rak'ah.
According to Malikis, audhu billahi… and bismillahi… are not said in any rak'ahs. (İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi- Prof. Dr. Wahba Zuhayli)
A person who follows the imam reads “Subhanaka” and keeps silent. He does not read anything else. When he stands up for the other rak'ahs he does not say bismillahi… However, if he says bismillahi…, his prayer is not invalidated. It is better not to say it in any case. (Ömer Nasuhi BİLMEN, İslam İlmihali)
Questions on Islam
- What is the decree about saying bismillah before reading al-Fatiha in prayer? Do the people in congregation following the imam read subhanaka? Do they need to read anything else?
- What is the decree about saying bismillahi… before reading? Is it necessary to say bismillahi… before reading or mentioning a verse and to end it by saying Amin?
- What is the wisdom behind reading al-Fatiha in every rak'ah of five daily prayers?
- What are the meanings of the deeds done in prayer, supplications (dua) and glorifications (tasbihat) in and outside prayer? Is it permissible to say / read them more or fewer times?
- Should we read the chapter of al-Fatiha in the 3rd and 4th rak’ahs when we perform a fard prayer in congregation when the imam reads silently?
- How are lunar eclipse (khusuf) and solar eclipse (kusuf) prayers performed?
- In what order should we read chapters of the Quran in prayer? Is it makruh to read them without an order? Will you give information about the lengths of chapters and the order of reading them in prayer?
- Is prayer invalidated if somebody skips a verse in qira’ah or if he pronounces a different letter instead of a letter ("sin" instead of "tha")?
- How should one take refuge in Allah from Satan when he starts to read the Quran?
- How long should the chapters to be read in congregational prayers be? Is it permissible to read long chapters?
