My father said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) uses to recite Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two rak`at of the prayer and used to recite only Al-Fatiha in the last two rak`at 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."
Hadith Text
My father said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) uses to recite Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two rak`at of the prayer and used to recite only Al-Fatiha in the last two rak`at 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."
Source Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 776
Commentary on Recitation Practice
The Prophet's practice demonstrates the sunnah of reciting Al-Fatiha followed by another surah in the first two rak'at of obligatory prayers, while limiting the recitation to Al-Fatiha alone in the final two rak'at. This establishes the distinction between the initial and concluding units of prayer.
Commentary on Audibility
The occasional audibility of verses indicates the flexibility in prayer volume, particularly in daytime prayers like Zuhr where silent recitation is generally prescribed. This shows the permissibility of making some verses faintly audible without transforming the prayer's essential character.
Commentary on Prolongation
The prolongation of the first rak'a over the second reflects the Prophetic wisdom of gradual spiritual engagement, allowing worshippers to fully settle into prayer. This practice applies uniformly to Fajr, Zuhr, and Asr prayers, establishing a consistent pattern across different prayer times.
Legal Implications
This hadith establishes the obligatory nature of Al-Fatiha in every rak'a while making the additional surah recommended (sunnah) in the first two rak'at. The differentiation between prayer units and the measured prolongation represent essential components of proper prayer observance according to the Prophetic example.