Answered by Ustadha Noura Shamma, SunniPath Academy Teacher
when reciting the Quran for the silent prayers, what exactly is “silent” are you supposse to
hear yourself, move your lips only.? what is “aloud” is there a minimun tone?
Peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions and on all who follow him until the end of time.
Jazakum Allah kheir for asking this very important question, for reciting Qur’an in prayer in one of its obligatory acts.
Firstly, in keeping with the established practice of the scholars, let us look at the terms used and their definitions. The books of fiqh use the terms “jahr” and “khaft” when describing the way one should recite. Linguistically “jahr” means “to be loud, clearly audible” and “khaft” means “to become inaudible, low, and soft”. As for the technical fiqh meaning used by the scholars it is based on the linguistic definition, what is added are the limits.
Technically as explained by the scholars, “jahr” is to recite out loud; the minimal is to recite so that person next to you can hear you. “Khaft” is to recite quietly; the minimal is to recite such that a person hears herself. This is because “recitation” means to move the tongue and produce sound; to just “think” it in one’s mind is not recitation.
There is a strong position within the mathhab that states a minimal ‘khaft’ recitation is to correctly form the Arabic letters without any actual sound produced. In practice it is best to use the first opinion but for past practices it is correct to rely on the second opinion.
[Qari, Fath Bab al-Inaya; Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]
And Allah knows best.
Noura Shamma