Which short surahs can I recite in prayer?
After Al-Fatiha in the first two rakat, you recite a short surah. Any surah is fine, and the easiest to start with is Al-Ikhlas, only four short verses. Al-Kawthar, Al-Asr, Al-Kafirun, Al-Falaq and An-Nas are also short and common.
By Benjamin · Last updated
Step by step
- Start with one. Learn Al-Ikhlas first. You can recite it in every prayer while you learn others.
- Learn it line by line. Listen to a reciter, repeat one line at a time, and only add the next line when the first comes easily.
- Use it in prayer. In the first two rakat of every prayer, recite it right after Al-Fatiha and "Ameen".
- Add another. Once one surah is secure, learn the next. Many people recite one surah in the first rakat and another in the second.
Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity), surah 112
The whole surah
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Qul huwa Allahu ahad. Allahus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad
Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.
Al-Kawthar (Abundance), surah 108
The whole surah
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ
Innaa a'taynakal kawthar. Fasalli li rabbika wanhar. Inna shaani'aka huwal abtar
Indeed, We have granted you Al-Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.
Al-Asr (Time), surah 103
The whole surah
وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
Wal-'asr. Innal-insaana lafee khusr. Illal-lazeena aamanu wa 'amilus-saalihaati wa tawasaw bil-haqqi wa tawasaw bis-sabr
By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
Al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers), surah 109
The whole surah
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ
Qul yaa ayyuhal kaafiroon. Laa a'budu maa ta'budoon. Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud. Wa laa ana 'aabidum maa 'abadtum. Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud. Lakum deenukum wa liya deen
Say: O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship, nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.
Al-Falaq (The Daybreak), surah 113
The whole surah
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq. Min sharri ma khalaq. Wa min sharri ghasiqin idha waqab. Wa min sharrin-naffathati fil-'uqad. Wa min sharri hasidin idha hasad
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, from the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of those who blow on knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.
An-Nas (Mankind), surah 114
The whole surah
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ
Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas. Malikin-nas. Ilahin-nas. Min sharril-waswasil-khannas. Alladhi yuwaswisu fi sudurin-nas. Minal-jinnati wan-nas
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer, who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.
Learn the short surahs by heart, line by line, with the free memoriser.
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Common questions
Do I have to recite a surah after Al-Fatiha?
In the first two rakat it is part of the prayer: sunnah in most schools and wajib (required) in the Hanafi school. While you are still learning, recite what you know.
Can I recite the same surah in every prayer?
Yes. Reciting Al-Ikhlas in every prayer while you learn others is completely fine.
Which surah is the shortest?
Al-Kawthar, with three short verses. Al-Ikhlas and Al-Asr are also very short.
Do I recite a surah in the third and fourth rakat?
No. In the third and fourth rakat you recite Al-Fatiha only.
Practise it with audio
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