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Short surahs for salah, with their length

The last surahs of the Quran, their listening time, and three to read and hear

After Al-Fatiha, you recite a surah or a few verses in the first two rak‘ahs. The 22 surahs at the end of the Quran, from Ad-Duhaa to An-Nas, are the shortest: Al-Ikhlas, the briefest to listen to, lasts 15 s. They are often the first ones people learn in order to pray.

What everyone accepts

Any surah of the Quran may be recited after Al-Fatiha, long or short. What matters is reciting it correctly, without rushing.

In the third and fourth rak‘ahs, Al-Fatiha is recited alone.

At Dhuhr, the Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Fatiha and a surah in the first two rak‘ahs and Al-Fatiha alone in the last two, making the first rak‘ah longer; he did the same at Asr and Fajr.

Sahih al-Bukhari 776 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Bukhari

Learning a short surah, step by step

Four simple steps, then three surahs to read and listen to, verse by verse.

  1. Start with one of the shortest: Al-Kawthar, Al-'Asr or Al-Ikhlas.
  2. Listen to it verse by verse, several times, following the text.
  3. Recite it aloud, verse by verse, then all the way through.
  4. Recite it after Al-Fatiha in the first two rak‘ahs, then add another surah when you feel at ease.

Al-Kawthar

  1. إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَـٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ

    innā 'aʿṭaynāka l-kawthar

    Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muḥammad], al-Kawthar.

    Al-Kawthar 108:1

  2. فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ

    faṣalli lirabbika wanḥar

    So pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice [to Him alone].

    Al-Kawthar 108:2

  3. إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلْأَبْتَرُ

    inna shāni'aka huwa l-abtar

    Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.

    Al-Kawthar 108:3

Al-'Asr

  1. وَٱلْعَصْرِ

    wal-ʿaṣr

    By time,

    Al-'Asr 103:1

  2. إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ

    inna l-insāna lafī khusr

    Indeed, mankind is in loss,

    Al-'Asr 103:2

  3. إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

    illa lladhīna 'āmanū waʿamilu ṣ-ṣāliḥāti watawāṣaw bil-ḥaqqi watawāṣaw biṣ-ṣabr

    Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

    Al-'Asr 103:3

Al-Ikhlas

  1. قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

    qul huwa llāhu 'aḥad

    Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One,

    Al-Ikhlas 112:1

  2. ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ

    allāhu ṣ-ṣamad

    Allāh, the Eternal Refuge.

    Al-Ikhlas 112:2

  3. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

    lam yalid walam yūlad

    He neither begets nor is born,

    Al-Ikhlas 112:3

  4. وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ

    walam yakul lahū kufuwan 'aḥad

    Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

    Al-Ikhlas 112:4

The four schools, all valid

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortest surah in the Quran?

Al-Kawthar (108): 3 verses, the shortest by number of letters. It lasts 16 s with al-Husary.

Can I recite just a few verses?

Yes: after Al-Fatiha, you can recite a few verses of a surah rather than a whole surah. The minimum varies between the schools: your imam can tell you.

How many surahs do I need to know to pray?

Al-Fatiha is the basis of every rak‘ah. One or two short surahs are enough to begin with; the others will come little by little.

How can I check my Fatiha and the surahs I recite in prayer?

Recite them out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your recitation word by word and shows you the words and tajweed rules to work on. During prayer, it can also follow the verses you recite.

Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error