A‘udhu billah and bismillah

Question

Is reciting a‘udhu billah and bismillah after the prayer a sunna or not? And should a‘udhu billah and bismillah also be recited at the beginning of a rak‘a before the recitation (qira’a) or not?

Answer

Whoever recites al-Hamd after the thana’, such as the imam and the munfarid (one praying alone), will also recite a‘udhu billah and bismillah; and whoever does not recite al-Hamd after the thana’, such as the muqtadi (follower), will not recite a‘udhu billah and bismillah either.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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