Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
My question is regarding the prayer. Is there any abridged form of doing the daily prayers until I learned the proper form? I learned about doing an abridged form using some short recitations along with the movement, like saying SubhanAllāh (سبحان الله ), Alhamdulillāh (الحَمْد لله), and Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر).
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
The amount of recitation of the Quran that is obligatory in the prayer is one verse made up of at least two words (or its equivalent in amount). [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
Thus if one is incapable of doing the prayer in its full form, such as a convert who has not yet learned, they can take this dispensation, and instead one could say SubhanAllah; or Alhamdulillah; or Allah Akbar; or the like, as these are all found in the Quran as well.
Due to inability, the necessary act of reciting al-Fatihah and another chapter falls off. [Burhani, al-Muhit]
With that being said, memorizing that amount of Quran (i.e. one verse) with which one can pray a valid prayer is an individual obligation. Memorizing, thereafter, the Fatiha and a chapter (whatever chapter it may be – the smallest being al-Kawthar) is necessary for every Muslim. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
The same aforementioned rulings would apply to the other necessary parts of the prayer such as the tashahhud supplication. It is necessary for one to do one’s best to learn the supplication but in the meantime, one can suffice with invocations such as Subhan-Allah or Alhamdullilah or the like.
Hope this helps
Allah A’lam
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani