Reciting Qur'an in Qiyaam

As regards reciting from the Qur'an during qiyaam, whether in Ramadaan or at other times, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) did not set a limit or state what was too much or too little. His recitation used to vary; sometimes it would be long, at other times short. Sometimes in every rak'ah he would recite the equivalent of 'Yaa ayyuha'l-muzammil, which is twenty aayaat; sometimes he would recite the equivalent of fifty aayaat. He used to say,

"Whoever prays at night and reads one hundred aayaat will not be recorded as one of the negligent."

According to another hadeeth:

"...and reads two hundred aayaat, will be recorded as one of the devout and sincere believers."

When he was sick, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) recited the seven long soorahs in his night prayers, i.e., Surah al-Baqarah, Surah Aal-'Imraan, Surah al-Nisaa', Surah al-Maa'idah, Surah al-An'aam, Surah al-A'raaf and Surah al-Tawbah.

In the account of Hudhayfah ibn al- Yamaan praying behind the Prophet (Peace be upon him), in one rak'ah he recited Surah al-Baqarah, Surah al-Nisa' and Surah Aal-'Imraan, and he recited them in a slow and measured tone.

It is proven with the soundest (most saheeh) of isnaads that when 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in praying eleven rak'ahs in Ramadaan, Ubayy used to recite aayaat by the hundreds, so that the people behind him would be leaning on sticks because the prayers were so long, and they did not finish until just before Fajr.

It is also reported in a saheeh account that 'Umar called the readers during Ramadaan, and told the fastest of them to recite thirty aayaat, the moderate ones to recite twenty-five aayaat, and the slowest ones to recite twenty aayaat.

However, is a person is praying qiyaam by himself; he can make it as long as he wishes; if others agree with the imam, and he may also make it as long as he wishes. The longer it is, the better, but a person should not go to extremes and spend the whole night in qiyaam, except on rare occasions, following the example of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) who said:

"The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad."

If a person is praying as an imam, he should make it only as long as is easy for the people behind him, because the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"If any of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it short, because among them are the young and the old, the weak, and those who have pressing needs. But if he is praying alone, let him make it as long as he likes."