Question:
Assalamualaikum wrm.wbt.,
Is it necessary for a person praying alone to raise his voice for the recitation in jahar prayers?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrm. wbt.,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
It is tsabit that it is sunnah to raise a person’s voice when reciting the Fatihah and surah (sunnah hai’ah) in specific prayers, which is the Subuh prayer, the first two rakaat of Maghrib and Isya prayers, the Friday prayer and the two Eid prayers. As for other prayers, it is not sunnah to raise one’s voice for its recitation. (Refer Fath al-Qarib al-Mujib fi Syarh Alfaz al-Taqrib, pg. 1/81 and Nihayah al-Muhtaj ila Syarh al-Minhaj 1/493)
The meaning of raising and lowering one’s voice is defined as jurists as:
حَدُّ الْجَهْرِ أَنْ يُسْمِعَ مَنْ يَلِيهِ وَحَدُّ الْإِسْرَارِ أَنْ يُسْمِعَ نَفْسَهُ
The limit of jahar recitation (raised) is that it is heard by the person praying beside him and the limit for israr (lowered) recitation is that it is heard by himself. (Refer Ghayah al-Bayan Syarh Zubad ibn Ruslan 1/96; Tuhfah al-Habib ‘ala Syarh al-Khatib 2/219 and Hasyiyah al-Bujairimi ‘ala al-Khatib 2/64)
Is It Necessary to Raise One’s Voice When He is Praying Alone?
According to Imam Muhyiddin al-Nawawi, it is sunnah to raise one’s voice for the recitation even for a person praying alone through qiyas (analogical deduction) of the sunnah of an imam to do so. He stated that this is also the opinion of the majority of scholars. He also cited the opinion of al-‘Abdari who said that this is the opinion of all the madhhab except Imam Abu Hanifah who stated that it is the same regardless of whether a person raised or lowered his voice when he is praying alone.
The argument of Imam al-Nawawi is that when a person is praying alone, he is in the same situation as an imam, where he has to raise his voice in order to contemplate on the verses that he is reciting.
أَنَّ الْمُنْفَرِدَ كَالْإِمَامِ فِي الْحَاجَةِ إلَى الْجَهْرِ لِلتَّدَبُّرِ
A person praying alone is the same as an imam in terms of the necessity to raise his voice for the recitation in order for him to contemplate (on the verses that he is reciting). (Refer Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab 3/389-390. Also refer to Al-Ta’liqah li Qadhi Husain ‘ala Mukhtasar al-Muzani 2/796 and Nihayah al-Muhtaj ila Syarh al-Minhaj 1/493)
Conclusion
In short, we would like to state that the opinion in madhhab al-Syafie and the majority of scholars stated that it is sunnah for a person praying alone to raise his voice for the recitation in jahar prayers which are the Subuh prayer and the first two rakaat of Maghrib and Isya’ prayers.
Likewise, with the sunnah ruling for an imam in this matter and if an imam and a person who is praying alone does not raise his voice for the recitation, then it does not affect the validity of the prayer.
Wallahua’lam.