Surah Al-Kaafiroon 109

The Recitation of these Surahs in the Optional Prayers

It has been confirmed in Sahih Muslim from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited this Surah (Al-Kafirun) and

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

(Say: "He is Allah One.")(112:1) in the two Rak'ahs of Tawaf. It is also recorded in Sahih Muslim in a Hadith of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited these two Surahs in the two Rak'ahs (optional prayer) of the Morning prayer.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited in the two Rak'ahs before the Morning prayer and the two Rak'ahs after the Sunset prayer on approximately ten or twenty different occasions,

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ

(Say: "O Al-Kafirun!") and

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

(Say: " He is Allah One.")(112:1)

Ahmad also recorded that Ibn 'Umar said, "I watched the Prophet ﷺ twenty-four or twenty-five times reciting in the two Rak'ahs before the Morning prayer and the two Rak'ahs after the Sunset prayer,

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ

(Say: "O Al-Kafirun!") and

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

(Say: " He is Allah One.")(112:1)"

Ahmad recorded that Ibn 'Umar said, "I watched the Prophet ﷺ for a month and he would recite in the two Rak'ahs before the Morning prayer,

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ

(Say: "O Al-Kafirun!") and

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

(Say: " He is Allah One.")(112:1)"

This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and An-Nasa'i. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan." It has already been mentioned previously in a Hadith that it (Surat Al-Kafirun) is equivalent to a fourth of the Qur'an and Az-Zalzalah is equivalent to a fourth of the Qur'an.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — the surah's virtues, naming and revelation context.