Hadith on Fajr: The Prophet would sometimes pray lightly

Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would sometimes perform two cycles of prayer before the dawn prayer so lightly that I would say to myself, “Did he recite Surat al-Fatihah?”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1165, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 724

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

Al-Qurtubi said, “It does not mean that she doubted the Prophet had recited Al-Fatihah. Rather, it only means that his recitation in voluntary prayers was usually long, so when he lightened his recitation in the two cycles before dawn prayer, it was as if he had not recited it as compared to other prayers.”

Source: Fatḥ al-Bārī 3/47

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُخَفِّفُ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى إِنِّي لَأَقُولُ هَلْ قَرَأَ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ

1165 صحيح البخاري كتاب التهجد باب ما يقرأ في ركعتي الفجر

724 صحيح مسلم كتاب صلاة المسافرين وقصرها باب استحباب ركعتي سنة الفجر والحث عليهما وتخفيفهما والمحافظة عليهما وبيان ما يستحب أن يقرأ فيهما

قَالَ الْقُرْطُبِيُّ لَيْسَ مَعْنَى هَذَا أَنَّهَا شَكَّتْ فِي قِرَاءَتِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْفَاتِحَةَ وَإِنَّمَا مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُطِيلُ فِي النَّوَافِلِ ، فَلَمَّا خَفَّفَ فِي قِرَاءَةِ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ صَارَ كَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ

3/47 فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري

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