Dar, on 20 May 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

Perhaps because the reason it was done was to educate and teach the deen and would not be considered thus at that moment for that reason. This would also mean that makrooh and mustahabb things are not so black and white. Which I tend to lean towards. It is also not inconceivable that the Ma`sumeen [as] did something makrooh. Allahu`aalim.
في امان الله
Why would u want to do a makrooh act while in prayer???
Nader Zaveri has an excellent blog post regarding the preferred Surahs to be read in the prayer, the indication being that the whole surah should be recited.
http://www.revivinga...alat-namaz.html
Here are two
Authentic aHaadeeth showing us what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite in his Salaah. I have made a blog post titled
“Excellence of Memorizing the Qur’aan”, so if we do not have these Surahs memorized, inshaa’Allaah we can try to memorize them.
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقُمِّيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يُصَلِّي الْغَدَاةَ بِعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ- وَ هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ- وَ لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ شِبْهِهَا وَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِسَبِّحِ اسْمَ- وَ الشَّمْسِ وَ ضُحَاهَا وَ هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ- وَ شِبْهِهَا وَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْمَغْرِبَ بِقُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ- وَ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ إِذَا زُلْزِلَتْ- وَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ بِنَحْوِ مَا يُصَلِّي فِي الظُّهْرِ وَ الْعَصْرَ بِنَحْوٍ مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ
From `Eesa bin `Abd Allaah Al-Qummee from Abee `Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray
Al-Ghadaa’ (Al-Fajr) with `Amma Yatasaa’aloon (Surah Al-Naba’ – No. 78),
Hal Ataaka Hadeeth Al-Ghaashiyah (Surah Al-Ghaashiyah – No. 88),
Laa Uqsimu bi-yamil qiyaamah (Surah Al-Qiyaamah – No. 75) and similar ones (that are like those surahs). And he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray
Al-Dhuhr with
SabbiHisma (Surah Al-`Ala – No. 87),
wa Al-Shams wa
Al-DuHaahaa (No. 91),
Hal Ataaka Hadeeth Al-Ghaashiyah (Surah Al-Ghaashiyah – No. 88) and similar ones (that are like those surahs). And he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray
Al-Maghrib with
Qul Huwa Allaahu aHad (Surah Al-IkhlaaS – No. 112),
Idhaa Jaa’a NaSrullaahi wa al-fatH (Surah Al-NaSr – No. 110),
Idhaa Zulzilat (Surah Zilzalah – No. 99). And he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray the final
Al-`Ishaa’ with the same of what he recited in
Al-Dhuhr, and (he used to pray)
Al-`aSr with the same (surahs he recited in)
Al-Maghrib.”
Source:
1. Al-Toosi,
Tahdheeb Al-aHkaam, vol. 2, pg. 95 – 96, hadeeth # 123
Grading:
1. Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is
Muwaththaq Kal-SaHeeH (Reliable like Authentic)
à
Milaadh Al-Akhyaar, vol. 3, pg. 580
2. MuHsin Al-Hakeem said this hadeeth is
Hasan or SaHeeH (Good or Authentic)
à
Mustamsak Al-`Urwah Al-Wuthqa, vol. 6, pg. 278
3. Al-Majlisi I (Al-Majlisi’s father) said this hadeeth is
Muwaththaq Kal-SaHeeH (Reliable like Authentic)
à
RawDah Al-Muttaqeen, vol. 2, pg. 292
4. Al-Sabzawaaree said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Dakheerah Al-Ma`aad, vol. 2, pg. 278
5. Yoosuf Al-BaHraanee said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Hadaa’iq Al-NaaDirah, vol. 8, pg. 178
وَ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَرَّازِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَيُّ السُّوَرِ تُقْرَأُ فِي الصَّلَوَاتِ قَالَ أَمَّا الظُّهْرُ وَ الْعِشَاءُ الْآخِرَةُ تُقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا سَوَاءً وَ الْعَصْرُ وَ الْمَغْرِبُ سَوَاءً وَ أَمَّا الْغَدَاةُ فَأَطْوَلُ وَ أَمَّا الظُّهْرُ وَ الْعِشَاءُ الْآخِرَةُ فَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى- وَ الشَّمْسِ وَ ضُحَاهَا وَ نَحْوُهَا- وَ أَمَّا الْعَصْرُ وَ الْمَغْرِبُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ- وَ أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ وَ نَحْوُهَا- وَ أَمَّا الْغَدَاةُ فَعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ- وَ هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ- وَ لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ- وَ هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ
From Muhammad bin Muslim said, I said to Abee `Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) which
suwar (pl. surah) do you recite in prayers? He (عليه السلام) said: As for
Al-Dhuhr and the final
Al-`Ishaa’ you recite in it same (type of surahs), and
Al-`aSr and
Al-Maghrib the same (type of surahs), and as for
Al-Ghadaa’ (Al-Fajr) it is the longest. As for
Al-Dhuhr and the final
Al-`Ishaa’ (recite)
SabbiHisma (Surah Al-`Ala – No. 87),
wa Al-Shams wa Al-DuHaahaa (No. 91) and its like. And as for
Al-`aSr and
Al-Maghrib (recite)
Idhaa Jaa’a NaSrullaahi wa al-fatH (Surah Al-NaSr – No. 110),
Al-Haakum Al-Takaathur (Surah Al-Takaathur – No. 102) and its like. And as for
Al-Ghadaa’ (Al-Fajr) (recite) `Amma Yatasaa’aloon (Surah Al-Naba’ – No. 78),
Hal Ataaka Hadeeth Al-Ghaashiyah (Surah Al-Ghaashiyah – No. 88),
Laa Uqsimu bi-yamil qiyaamah (Surah Al-Qiyaamah – No. 75),
Hal Ata `ala al-insaan Heen min al-dahr (Surah al-Insaan – No. 76).”
Source:
1. Al-Toosi,
Tahdheeb Al-aHkaam, vol. 2, pg. 95, hadeeth # 122
Grading:
1. Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Milaadh Al-Akhyaar, vol. 3, pg. 580
2. MuHsin Al-Hakeem said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Mustamsak Al-`Urwah Al-Wuthqa, vol. 6, pg. 278
3. Shaheed Al-Thaanee said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
RawDah Al-Jinaan, vol. 2, pg. 712
4. Al-Majlisi I (Al-Majlisi’s father) said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
RawDah Al-Muttaqeen, vol. 2, pg. 292
5. Al-Sabzawaaree said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Dakheerah Al-Ma`aad, vol. 2, pg. 278
6. Yoosuf Al-BaHraanee said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Hadaa’iq Al-NaaDirah, vol. 8, pg. 178
7. Aboo Al-Qaasim Al-Qummee said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Ghanaa’im Al-Ayyaam, vol. 2, pg. 548
8. Al-Najafee said this hadeeth is
SaHeeH (Authentic)
à
Jawaahir Al-Kalaaam, vol. 9, pg. 401
I know this doesnt explicitly state that the whole surah must be read but as u can see it doesnt say that 'parts of fussilat' and so on and so forth. These surahs mentioned are relatively short and even surahs like qiyama and insaan arent that bad to recite the whole surah. Furthemore i think u had made a comment regarding reciting more madani (generally longer) surahs and whats interesting is that from that list only Insaan, Zilzaal, Nasr are madani the longest being Insaan (31 ayats) .
What I am saying is:
1) the recomended surahs are relatively short anyways, so why not recite the whole thing
2) even the Prophet

was choosing makki surahs over madani in prayer
3) the madani one's he chose are pretty short
4) im sure u would agree that the hadith gives the hint that the whole surah was recited
5) the longest surahs are saved for salatul fajr and even then 40 ayats for qiyamah but its not even that long.
If you stick with the hadith u can complete the most favoured acts.
EDIT:
here is more advice:
http://www.tashayyu....raah/chapter-16
16 – Chapter on the emphasis of the desirability of reciting al-Jahd (sura al-Kafirun, 109) then at-Tawhid (sura al-Ikhlas, 112) in the two rak`at of fajr and the permissibility of reciting whichever two sura one wants
[ 7360 ] 1 ـ محمّد بن الحسن باسناده عن الحسين بن سعيد ، عن النضر ، عن ابن سنان ، عن أبي عبد الله ( عليه السلام ) قال : اقرأ في ركعتي الفجر بأيّ سورتين أحببت ، وقال : أمّا أنا فاُحبّ أن أقرأ فيهما بـ ( قل هو الله أحد ) ، و( قل يا أيها الكافرون ).
1 – Muhammad b. al-Hasan by his isnad from al-Husayn b. Sa`id from an-Nadr from Ibn Sinan from Abu `Abdillah
عليه السلام. He said: Recite in the two rak`at of fajr whichever two sura you like. And he said: As to me, I love to recite “Qul huwAllaahu aHad” and “Qul yaa ayyuha ‘l-kafiroon” in them.
[ 7361 ] 2 ـ وعنه ، عن ابن مسكان ، عن يعقوب بن سالم البزّار قال : قال أبو عبد الله ( عليه السلام ) : صلّهما بعد الفجر واقرأ فيهما في الاُولى قل يا أيّها الكافرون وفي الثانية قل هو الله أحد.
2 – And from him from Ibn Muskan from Ya`qub b. Salim al-Bazzar. He said: Abu `Abdillah
عليه السلام said: Pray them after the dawn (al-fajr) and in them recite in the first “Qul yaa ayyuha ‘l-kafiroon” and in the second “Qul huwAllaahu aHad”.
http://www.tashayyu....raah/chapter-23
Desirability of reciting al-Qadr and at-Tawheed until daybreak in the fara'id
23 ـ باب استحباب القراءة في الفرائض بالقدر والتوحيد حتّىالفجر واختيارهما على غيرهما ، وكراهة تركهما ، والتخيير فيترتيبهما
23 – Chapter on the desirability of the qira’ah of (the suras) al Qadr and al Tauheed until daybreak (al-fajr) in the obligatory prayers and choosing them over others besides them, and the dislike of leaving them off, and the preference in their order
[ 7395 ] 1 ـ محمّد بن يعقوب ، عن علي بن محمّد ، عن سهل بن زياد ، عن أحمد بن عبدوس ، عن محمد بن زاديه (1) ، عن أبي علي ابن راشد قال : قلت لأبي الحسن ( عليه السلام ) : جعلت فداك إنّك كتبت إلى محمّد بن الفرج تعلمه أن أفضل ما يقرأ في الفرائض ( إنّا أنزلناه ) و( قل هو الله أحد ) ، وإن صدري ليضيق بقراءتهما في الفجر ، فقال ( عليه السلام ) : لا يضيقنّ صدرك بهما فإنّ الفضل والله فيهما.
ورواه الشيخ باسناده عن سهل بن زياد ، عن محمّد بن عبدوس ، عن محمّد بن زادية (2) ، عن ابن راشد ، مثله (3).
1 – Muhammad b. Ya`qub (in
al Kafi)from `Ali b. Muhammad from Sahl b. Ziyad from Ahmad b. `Abdoos from Muhammad b. Zadiyah (in the Masdar:
زاوية –
Zawiyah and in the copy:
بادية –
Badiyah, in the margin of the manuscript) from Abu `Ali b. Raashid. He said: I said to Abu ‘l Hasan

: May I be sacrificed for you! Verily you wrote to Muhammad b. al Faraj teaching him that the best of what is recited in the fard prayers is
Inna Anzalnah and
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad. But my chest straitens due to their qira’ah at daybreak. So he said: Your chest certainly does not straiten due to them, for verily, by Allah, in them is grace/ excellence.
And the Shaykh (in
al Tahdheeb) narrated it with his chains from Sahl b. Ziyad from Muhammad b. `Abdoos from Muhammad b. Zadiyah (in
al Tahdheeb:
زادبة –
Zadibah, in the margin of the manuscript, but in the printed/typed manuscript:
زادويه –
Zadawiyyah) from ibn Raashid, similar to it.
[ 7396 ] 2 ـ وقد تقدّم في كيفيّة الصلاة حديث عمر بن اُذينة وغيره ، عن أبي عبد الله ( عليه السلام ) انّ الله أوحى إلى نبيّه ( صلّى الله عليه وآله ) ليلة الإسراء في الركعة الاُولى أن اقرأ ( قل هو الله أحد ) فإنّها نسبتي ونعتي ، ثمّ أوحى إليه في الثانية بعد ما قرأ الحمد : أن اقرأ ( إنا أنزلناه في ليلة القدر ) فإنّها نسبتك ونسبة أهل بيتك إلى يوم القيامة.
2 – And the hadith of `Umar b. Udhaynah and others has preceded in the Method of Prayer (hadith #10 in Chapter of Acts of Prayer) from Abu `Abdillah

: Verily Allah revealed to His Prophet (sawa) on the night of the Ascension that he recite
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad in the first unit, “for it is My ascription and My characterisation”. Then He revealed to him in the second (unit) after what he had recited of
al Hamd that he recite
Inna Anzalnahu fi laylat al Qadr, “for it is your ascription and the ascription of your Ahl al Bayt till the Day of Resurrection.
[ 7397 ] 3 ـ محمّد بن علي بن الحسين قال : حكى من صحب الرضا ( عليه السلام ) إلى خراسان أنّه كان يقرأ في الصلوات في اليوم والليلة في الركعة الاُولى الحمد و( إنّا أنزلناه ) ، وفي الثانية الحمد و( قل هو الله أحد ) ، الحديث.
وفي ( عيون الأخبار ) باسناد تقدّم عن رجاء بن أبي الضحّاك ، عن الرضا ( عليه السلام ) ، مثله (1).
3 – Muhammad b. al Husain (in
al Faqih)said: One of the companions of al Rida

towards Khurasan, related that he used to recite
al Hamd and
Inna Anzalnah in the prayers of the day and night in the first unit and
al Hamd and
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad in the second [
al-hadith].
And in
`Uyoon al Akhbar with the foregone chains from Rajaa’ b. Abi ‘l Dahhaak from al Rida

, similar to it (in hadith #8 of Chapter 20, and a part of it in various traditions cited in these chapters).
[ 7398 ] 4 ـ وفي ( ثواب الأعمال ) عن أبيه ، عن أحمد بن إدريس ، عن محمّد بن أحمد ، عن محمّد بن حسان ، عن إسماعيل بن مهران ، عن الحسن ابن علي ، عن أبيه ، عن الحسين بن أبي العلاء ، عن أبي عبد الله ( عليه السلام ) قال : من قرأ ( إنّا أنزلناه ) في فريضة من الفرائض نادى مناد : يا عبد الله ، قد غفر الله لك ما مضى فاستأنف العمل.
4 – And in
Thawab al A`maal from his father from Ahmad b. Idris from Muhammad b. Hassaan from Isma`il b. Mihran from al Hasan b. `Ali from his father from al Husain b. Abi ‘l `Alaa’ from Abu `Abdillah

, who said: Whoever recites
Inna Anzalnah in any one of the obligatory prayers, a caller calls out: O slave of Allah! Indeed Allah has forgiven you what has passed; so continue with the act (viz. of reciting this surah).
[ 7399 ] 5 ـ أحمد بن علي بن أبي طالب الطبرسي في ( الاحتجاج ) عن صاحب الزمان ( عليه السلام ) أنّه كتب إلى محمّد بن عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري في جواب مسائله حيث سأله عمّا روي في ثواب القرآن في الفرائض وغيرها أن العالم ( عليه السلام ) قال : عجبا لمن لم يقرأ في صلاته ( إنّا أنزلناه في ليلة القدر ) ، كيف تُقبل صلاته ، وروي ما زكت صلاة لم يقرأ فيها ( قل هو الله أحد ) ، وروي أن من قرأ في فرائضه الهمزة اعطي من الثواب قدر الدنيا ، فهل يجوز أن يقرأ الهمزة ويدع هذه السور التي ذكرناها مع ما قد روي أنّه لا تقبل صلاة ولا تزكو إلاّ بهما ؟ التوقيع : الثواب في السور على ما قد روي ، وإذا ترك سورة ممّا فيها الثواب وقرأ ( قل هوالله أحد ) و ( إنّا أنزلناه ) لفضلهما (1) أعطي ثواب ما قرأ وثواب السور التي ترك ، ويجوز أن يقرأ غير هاتين السورتين وتكون صلاته تامّة ولكنّه يكون قد ترك الأفضل.
ورواه الشيخ (2) في ( كتاب الغيبة ) باسناده الآتي (3).
أقول : ويأتي ما يدلّ على ذلك (4) ، ويأتي ما ظاهره المنافاة (5) وهو محمول على التخيير والجواز.
5 – Ahmad b. `Ali b. Abi Talib al Tabarsi in
al Ihtijaj from Sahib al Zaman

that he wrote to Muhammad b. `Abdullah b. Ja`far al Himyari in response to his problems where he asked about the narration in
Thawab al Qur’an in the faraa’id (obligatory prayers) etcetera where the learned one

said: Strange is it that one does not recite
Inna Anzalnahu fi laylat al Qadr in his prayer! How will his prayer be accepted?! And it has been narrated that one who does not recite
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad in it, his prayer is not purified. And it has been narrated that one who recites
al Humazah in his faraa’id, he is granted the measure of this world as a reward. So how is it permissible to recite
al Humazah and leave these chapters which we have mentioned when it has been narrated that the prayer is neither accepted nor purified save by these two?? In the
tauqee` (epistle) (he wrote): The reward of the
suwar (pl. of surah, chapters) is as per what has been narrated. And when he leaves the chapter in which is reward and recites
Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad and
Inna Anzalnah for their merit (in the Masdar:
for its merit), he is granted the reward of what he recited and also the reward of what he left. And it is permissible for him to recite besides these two chapters and his prayer would be complete but he would indeed have relinquished the best.
And the Shaykh (al Tusi) narrated it in
Kitab al Ghaybah with his chains to come (in the second benefit under ‘Conclusion’, #47).
I say: And what demonstrates that is to come (hadith #10 from Acts of Prayer, and in general in other chapters) and what is apparently contradictory to that shall also come (Chapter 49 of these chapters) and it is subject to choice and permissibility (i.e. of recitation of the chapters).
Edited by La fata illa Ali, 23 May 2012 - 05:36 PM.