Answered by SunniPath Answer Service Team
With regards to point B “b) the extent of 3 short verses.” Is my prayer invalid if I have just recited the fatiha in the first 2 rakats?
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
Among the Integrals of Prayer listed in The Absolute Essentials of Hanafi Fiqh (Faraz Rabbani, Forthcoming), is:
“Reciting at least the equivalent of a verse of Qur’an, whether long or short. This is the minimum recitation for validity. One is required to recite the necessary (wajib) amount.”
Thus, if you only recited fatiha in the first two rakats of an obligatory prayers you would not have met the minimum necessary recitation in the Hanafi School, but would have met the obligatory recitation.
The ruling of necessary aspects of the prayer is that the prayer is not invalidated by their omission; however, it becomes necessary to repeat it if they were left out intentionally. If left out forgetfully, a forgetfulness prostration is necessary at the end of the prayer; if this too is left out, then it is necessary (wajib) to repeat the prayer. (Faraz Rabbani, The Absolute Essentials of Hanafi Fiqh).
For Details on The Rulings of the Sacred Law and their implications, please see the following link:
The Rulings of the Sacred Law
Also see:
THE COMPLETE HANAFI PRAYER
Wassalam,
Sunni Path Fiqh Team