The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite: "In the name of Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; most Gracious, most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment," breaking its recitation into verses, one after another. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: The early reading is: Maliki yawmi'l-din.

أَنَّهَا ذَكَرَتْ أَوْ كَلِمَةً غَيْرَهَا قِرَاءَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ { بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ * الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ * مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ } يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةً آيَةً

[AI] I asked Anas if the Prophet ﷺ used to recite "Bismillah hir Rahman ir Raheem" [Al-Fatiha 1] or "Al hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'alamin" [Al-Fatiha 2]. He said, "You ask me about something that I do not remember or that no one has asked me before."

سَأَلْتُ أَنَسًا أَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] أَوْ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَتَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ مَاأَحْفَظُهُ أَوْ مَا سَأَلَنِي أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ

I observed prayer along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with all of them), but I never heard any one of them reciting Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim loudly. (Using translation from Muslim 399a)

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ أَسْمَعْ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ يَقْرَأُ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] قَالَ حَجَّاجٌ قَالَ شُعْبَةُ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَفْتِحُ الْقِرَاءَةَ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَتَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ

[AI] Narrated Anas bin Malik: I asked the Prophet ﷺ if he used to begin reciting the Quran with "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) or with "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alameen" (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds)? He replied, "You asked me about something no one has asked me before."

أَخْبَرَنَا قَالَقُلْتُ لِأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَفْتِحُ الْقِرَاءَةَ بِ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] أَوْ بِ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَتَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ

[AI] I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, and they would begin by reciting "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin" (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds) [Surah Al-Fatiha: 2], without mentioning "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) [Surah Al-Fatiha: 1] in the beginning or at the end of the recitation.

صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ فَكَانُوا يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ بِ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] لَا يَذْكُرُونَ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] فِي أَوَّلِ الْقِرَاءَةِ وَلَا فِي آخِرِهَا

[AI] Regarding the reading of the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , she said, "He would recite his recitation verse by verse: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [Al-Fatiha:1] Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. [Al-Fatiha:2] The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [Al-Fatiha:1] Master of the Day of Judgment."

عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ يُقَطِّعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةً آيَةً {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] {الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] {مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ}

[AI] The Prophet ﷺ used to recite "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" [Chapter Al-Fatiha, verse 1], and "All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds" [Chapter Al-Fatiha, verse 2]. He would recite them letter by letter.

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ {بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] يَقْطَعُهَا حَرْفًا حَرْفًا

[AI] He said, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, is it a verse from the Book of Allah?" He said, "Yes." Then he said, "Ibn Abbas recited it, 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' in both raka'ahs."

أَنَّهُ قَالَ «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ آيَةٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَرَأَهَا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا

[AI] "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." [Al-Fatiha 2] So I said to my father, 'Saeed informed you that Ibn Abbas said, "Is 'Bismillah Hir-Rahman Nir-Rahim' a verse from the Book of Allah?"' He said, 'Yes.'"

{بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي فَقَدْ أَخْبَرَكَ سَعِيدٌ أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ آيَةٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ

[AI] Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ , said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to start his recitation with the verses: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment.'"

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُقَطِّعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ {بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} »

[AI] The Prophet ﷺ used to recite his prayers verse by verse, starting with "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin" (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds) from Surah Al-Fatiha (Chapter 1, Verse 2). Then he would pause and recite "Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim" (The Most Merciful, The Ever-Merciful) from Surah Al-Fatiha (Chapter 1, Verse 1). Then he would pause again. Ibn Abi Mulayka said, "Umm Salamah used to recite it as 'Maliki yawmid-din' (The Master of the Day of Judgment)."

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةَ آيَةً {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] ثُمَّ يَقِفُ {الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] ثُمَّ يَقِفُ قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ «وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ تَقْرَؤُهَا (مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ) »

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pause in his recitation when he reached the verse "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يُقَطِّعُ فِي قِرَاءَتِهِ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} »

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite: "In the name of Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; most Gracious, most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment," breaking its recitation into verses, one after another. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: The early reading is: Maliki yawmi'l-din. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4001)

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ذَكَرَتْ أَوْ كَلِمَةً غَيْرَهَا قِرَاءَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} يُقَطِّعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةً آيَةً

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited in prayer, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" [Al-Fatihah 1]. He considered it as one verse, "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds" [Al-Fatihah 2], consisting of two verses, "The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" [Al-Fatihah 1], containing three verses, "Master of the Day of Judgment" [Al-Fatihah 4], comprising four verses. He said, "This is how we worship You and seek Your help" [Al-Fatihah 5], while joining his fingers together. Ibn Khuzaymah mentioned this in his book from As-Saghani.

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] فَعَدَّهَا آيَةً {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} [الفاتحة 2] آيَتَيْنِ {الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة 1] ثَلَاثَ آيَاتٍ {مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ} أَرْبَعَ آيَاتٍ وَقَالَ هَكَذَا {إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ} [الفاتحة 5] وَجَمَعَ خَمْسَ أَصَابِعِهِ ورَوَاهُ ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ فِي كِتَابِهِ عَنِ الصَّغَانِيِّ