AsSalaamu Alaikum. I often hear people during Salah, and also during Taraweeh prayers, they utter certain words after certain verses. For example, after the last verse of Surat Teen (Alay Sallahu Bi Ahkamil Haakeemeen). And also Surat Rahmaan (Fabi Aala is Rabikuma Tukadhdhibaan). I would like to know if replying to such verses is allowed in Shariah (both in or outside the prayers). If yes, then can you also provide the list of these special verses and the reply that we should be giving for these. JazakAllahu Khairan for your time.
All praise be to Allah and may His blessings and peace be on His last messenger, Muhammad,
Hudhayfah t said:
“صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ ، فَافْتَتَحَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ عِنْدَ الْمِائَةِ ثُمَّ مَضَى فَقُلْتُ يُصَلِّي بِهَا فِي رَكْعَةٍ فَمَضَى فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ بِهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ آلَ عِمْرَانَ فَقَرَأَهَا، يَقْرَأُ مُتَرَسِّلًا إِذَا مَرَّ بِآيَةٍ فِيهَا تَسْبِيحٌ سَبَّحَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِسُؤَالٍ سَأَلَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِتَعَوُّذٍ تَعَوَّذَ“
“One night, I prayed with the Prophet r, and he started to recite al-Baqarah and I thought: he will bow after one hundred [verses], but he carried on, so I thought that he would finish it in one rak’ahs, and he carried on. Then, he started to recite al-Nisa’ and finished it, then Aal ‘Imran and finished it, reciting all that with deliberation. When he came upon a verse of glorification, he glorified Allah; when he came upon a verse of supplication, he asked of Him; when he came upon a verse of isti’adhah (seeking refuge) with Him, he sought refuge with Him” [Muslim]
The Ḥanafis restricted this to one who prays alone, not for the imam or the ma’moom.
The Mâlikis approved of it in the sunnah prayers, not the farḍ, because it has not been reported from the Prophet r in a farḍ prayer, even though the sahabah prayed behind him three jahri (out loud) prayers daily. (This position was chosen by Ibn Qudamah and other Ḥanbalis.)
The Shafi‘is and Hanbalis (in the authorized view) approved it for the imam and the follower and in the sunnah and farḍ prayers.
As for other statements, such as what you hear them say after the last verse of Surat at-Teen (Alaysa Allahu Bi Ahkamil Haakimeen), which is “Subhanak, fabala” meaning “exalted are you, most certainly,” there have been controversial reports about them, but again, they are not foreign to the essence of salah, and may thus be said.
Allah knows best.