Virtues of the Qur'an: Hadith 571

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ لِي ابْنُ شُبْرُمَةَ نَظَرْتُ كَمْ يَكْفِي الرَّجُلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ سُورَةً أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثِ آيَاتٍ، فَقُلْتُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثِ آيَاتٍ‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Sufyan: Ibn Shubruma said, "I wanted to see how much of the Qur'an can be enough (to recite in prayer) and I could not find a Surah containing less than three Verses, therefore I said to myself), "One ought not to recite less than three (Quranic) Verses (in prayer)." Narrated Abu Mas'ud: The Prophet said, "If somebody recites the last two Verses of Surat al-Baqara at night, it will be sufficient for him.