Is reciting a Surah after Al-Fatiha obligatory in the two rak'ahs of every prayer?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
Reciting a Surah after Al-Fatiha in the two rak'ahs of every prayer is Sunnah (recommended), and there is no known disagreement on this point. The recommended standard for recitation length follows the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as described by Al-Kharqi for emulation of his Sunnah. Evidence for the length includes the narration from Abu Barzah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited between sixty to one hundred verses in Fajr prayer, which is agreed upon (Muttafaq 'alayh). Jabir ibn Samurah narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah Qaf in Fajr, but his prayer afterward tended towards brevity. Qutbah ibn Malik heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, reciting 'Was-samā'i waṭ-ṭāriq' in Fajr. Anas also narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah Ar-Rum in Fajr. Ibn Majah narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah Al-Mu'minun in the morning prayer, but paused to perform ruku' upon reaching the mention of Jesus, peace be upon him.
Supporting text
Regarding Dhuhr and Asr, thirty Companions measured the recitation in the first rak'ah of Dhuhr to be equal to thirty verses, and the second rak'ah to be half that amount, and the Asr prayer was measured similarly to the latter two rak'ahs of Dhuhr, as narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, reported by Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah. Jabir ibn Samurah also stated the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited 'Wala-layli idha yaghsha' in Dhuhr and similarly in Asr, and longer in Subh (Fajr). Umar wrote to Abu Musa directing him to recite the longer portion of the Mufassal in Fajr, the middle portion in Dhuhr, and the shorter portion in Maghrib. Furthermore, it is established that the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited various Surahs in all prayers, sometimes reciting less than the measured amounts, indicating that the precise estimation is not mandatory, and the matter is broad. For instance, the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah Al-Mursalat and Surah At-Tin wa Az-Zaytun in Maghrib. Jubayr ibn Mut'im heard him recite Surah At-Tur in Maghrib, and he recited Surah Al-A'raf in it as well. In Fajr, one man from Juhaynah reported hearing the Prophet, peace be upon him, recite Surah Az-Zalzalah in both rak'ahs, or sometimes just the two Mu'awwidhatayn.