From Ibn Umar, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the Maghrib prayer: {Say, "O disbelievers"} [Al-Kafirun 109] and {Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One"} [Al-Ikhlas 112]. From Al-Bara', that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited in the Isha prayer {By the fig and the olive} [Al-Tin 95] while on a journey. [This is] agreed upon (21). Muslim (22) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Mu'adh (23): "Are you a tempter, O Mu'adh? It is sufficient for you to recite {By the sun and its brightness} [Al-Shams 91], {By the morning hours} [Al-Duha 93], {By the night when it covers} [Al-Layl 92], and {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High} [Al-A'la 87] (24)." Umar wrote to Abu Musa, saying: "Recite in the dawn prayer from the long Mufassal [surahs], recite in the Zhuhr prayer from the medium Mufassal [surahs], and recite in the Maghrib prayer from the short Mufassal [surahs]." Abu Hafs narrated it with his chain of narration.
188 - Issue; He said: (And whatever he recites after the Mother of the Book [Al-Fatiha] in all of that, it shall suffice him.)
[This is because] (1) the recitation of the [entire] surah is not obligatory, so determining [a specific length] is even less likely to be obligatory. The matter in this regard is flexible, and it has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions that they recited less than that and more.
(21) Recorded by Al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on Reciting Aloud in the Isha Prayer, from the Book of Adhan. Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/194. And Muslim, in: Chapter on Recitation in the Isha Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/339. It was also recorded by Imam Malik, in: Chapter on Recitation in the Maghrib and Isha Prayers, from the Book of Prayer. Al-Muwatta 1/79, 80. (22) In: Chapter on Recitation in the Isha Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/339, 340. It was also recorded by Al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on if the Imam makes [the prayer] long and a man has a need and leaves and prays [separately], and Chapter on whoever complains about his imam if he makes [the prayer] long, from the Book of Adhan, and in: Chapter on whoever does not consider it disbelief for someone who said that while interpreting or ignorant, from the Book of Etiquette. Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/179, 180, 8/32, 33. And Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on Lightening the Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/182, 183. And Al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter on a man leaving the imam's prayer and finishing his prayer at the side of the mosque, and Chapter on the difference of intention between the imam and the follower, from the Book of Imamate, and in: Chapter on Recitation in the Maghrib with {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High}, and Chapter on Recitation in the latter Isha with {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High}, and Chapter on Recitation in the latter Isha with {By the sun and its brightness}, from the Book of Opening Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 2/76, 77, 79, 130, 134. And Ibn Majah, in: Chapter on whoever leads a people, let him be brief, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/315. And Al-Darimi, in: Chapter on the amount of recitation in the Isha prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Al-Darimi 1/297. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/299, 300, 308, 369. (23) Omitted from M. (24) In M: "Saja". What is affirmed is in the original and Sahih Muslim. (1) In M: "We have mentioned that".
