as the first two [rak'ahs]. It is narrated from al-Hasan that if he recites in one rak'ah, it is sufficient for him; due to the saying of Allah (Most High): "Recite what is easy of the Quran" (41). And it is narrated from Malik that if he recites in three, it is sufficient for him; because it is [in] the majority of the prayer. Our evidence is what Abu Qatadah narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the Dhuhr prayer in the first two rak'ahs the Mother of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, lengthening the first and shortening the second, and he would let us hear the verse sometimes, and in the last two rak'ahs [he would recite] the Mother of the Book. Agreed upon (44). He said: "Pray as you have seen me praying." Agreed upon (45). From Abu Sa'id, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no prayer for one who does not recite in every rak'ah the Opening of the Book" (46). From him and from 'Ubadah, they said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered us to recite the Opening of the Book in every rak'ah (47). Both were narrated by Isma'il ibn Sa'id al-Shalanji. And because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught the one who performed his prayer poorly how to perform the first rak'ah, then said:

"And do that in all of your prayer" (48). This includes the command to recite. From Jabir, he said: "Whoever prays a rak'ah and does not recite [the Mother of the Quran] (49) in it, has not prayed, except behind the Imam." Narrated by Malik in "al-Muwatta'" (50). The hadith of 'Ali is narrated by al-Harith al-A'war, [about whom] al-Sha'bi said: He was a liar. Furthermore, it is a statement of 'Ali, and 'Umar and Jabir have opposed him. Reciting quietly does not negate the obligation, as evidenced by the first two rak'ahs of the Dhuhr and 'Asr prayers.

Section: Recitation in other than Arabic is not sufficient, nor is replacing its wording with Arabic wording, whether he is capable of reciting it in Arabic or not. This is the view of al-Shafi'i, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad. Abu Hanifah said: That is permissible. Some of his companions said: It is only permissible for one who does not know Arabic. He used as evidence the saying of Allah (Most High): "And this Quran was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches" (51). And no people are warned except in their own tongue (52). Our evidence is the saying of Allah (Most High): "an Arabic Quran" (53), and His saying (Most High): "in a clear Arabic tongue" (54). And because the Quran is a miracle; its wording and its meaning, so if it is altered, it departs from its composition (nazm), and thus it is not a Quran nor like it, but rather it is an interpretation (tafsir) of it. If its interpretation were like it, they would not have been incapable of it when He challenged them to bring a surah from [something] like it (56). As for warning, when he interprets it for them, the warning is through the interpreted [Quran], not the interpretation.