What is the ruling on the prayer of one who, in the rak'ah after Al-Fatihah, recites only short surahs because he has not memorized any others?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The obligatory part of the prayer is Al-Fatiha, and it is a pillar of the prayer due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "There is no prayer for whoever does not recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatiha)." So, if a woman knows only Al-Fatiha, it suffices for her, and her prayer is valid, whether it is an obligatory prayer or a supererogatory one. It is preferable for her to memorize more surahs, such as Juz' 'Amma, to recite them in prayer.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/11304
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 11304
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy