What substitutes for recitation if a person knows none of the Quran?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
If a person knows none of Al-Fatiha and cannot learn it before the time for prayer expires, they must recite: {Glory be to Allah}, {Praise be to Allah}, {There is no god but Allah}, {Allah is the Greatest}, and {There is no might nor power except with Allah}. This is based on the report where the Prophet taught these phrases to a man unable to recite the Quran as what would suffice him. They must recite these five phrases a number of times equal to the verses of Al-Fatiha.
Supporting text
Some Shafi'i scholars suggest adding two more phrases to these five to equal the number of seven verses, but this is invalid because the Prophet limited his instruction to the five phrases in response to the question about what suffices him. Another possibility is that reciting just {Praise be to Allah}, {There is no god but Allah}, and {Allah is the Greatest} suffices, based on the Hadith stating, 'If you have no Quran, then praise Allah, glorify Him, and proclaim His oneness [Takbir].' If one knows only part of these five phrases, they recite what they know, and they should repeat it according to the number of verses missed, analogous to someone who knows only part of Al-Fatiha.