Please note the following:
1. Most scholars of madhhabs have not considered glorification or any other dhikr obligatory in bowing and prostration; because God has commanded bowing and prostration, and those two are fulfilled without glorification or any other dhikr as well, and because in a narration from the Prophet about the acts of prayer, only bowing and prostration have been mentioned, and no glorification or other dhikr has been mentioned for those two. However, a group of scholars of madhhabs, who have considered glorification obligatory in bowing and prostration, have disagreed about its number; in this way that some consider that the glorification in those two is obligatory one time, and some consider that it is obligatory three times, while there is a narration with an authentic chain of narrators for each of these conflicting views! Therefore, Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, does not consider non-mutawatir narrations as proof, even though they have been received with authentic chains of narrators, and believes that there is no choice but to refer to the verses of the Quran and mutawatir narrations in order to know the rulings of God during the absence of His Caliph, and what is understood from the verses of the Quran is that it is obligatory to glorify God in prayer with the name “the Great”, with the name “the Most High”, and with His praise; as He has said: ﴿فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ﴾; “Then glorify with the Great Name of your Lord”, and said: ﴿سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى﴾; “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High”, and said: ﴿وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوبِ﴾; “And glorify your Lord with His praise before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting”, and said: ﴿وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ﴾; “And glorify your Lord with His praise in the evening and the early morning”, and this is what is fulfilled by saying «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ» and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى» and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي وَبِحَمْدِهِ» one time or by adding «وَبِحَمْدِهِ» to one of the two previous glorifications in each prayer, and what is understood from mutawatir narrations, which is certain common and definite among the existing narrations, is that glorifying God in prayer must be done in bowing and prostration. Therefore, if anyone, in one of the bowings and prostrations of prayer, says «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ» one time and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى» one time and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي وَبِحَمْدِهِ» one time, or adds «وَبِحَمْدِهِ» to one of the two previous glorifications, then he has obeyed the command of God and His Prophet, and his prayer is correct, even though he has said only «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ» three times or even one time in other bowings and prostrations of prayer, or even has been silent calmly, as most scholars of madhhabs have said so. However, if he does not say «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ» or «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى» or the glorification of God with His praise in any of the bowings and prostrations of prayer, then his prayer is void and needs to be redone, even though he says «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ» or another dhikr three times in each of its bowings and prostrations; because he has not obeyed the command of God and His Prophet. This is an important point that Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, has explained; as one of his companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ أَدْنَى مَا يُجْزِي مِنَ التَّسْبِيحِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَقَالَ: ثَلَاثُ تَسْبِيحَاتٍ: <سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ> وَ<سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى> وَ<سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ وَبِحَمْدِهِ>، قُلْتُ: أَلَا يُجْزِي <سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ> ثَلَاثًا؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: كُلُّ صَلَاةٍ لَا يُسَبَّحُ اللَّهُ فِيهَا بِاسْمِهِ الْعَظِيمِ فَلَيْسَتْ بِصَلَاةٍ، وَكُلُّ صَلَاةٍ لَا يُسَبَّحُ اللَّهُ فِيهَا بِاسْمِهِ الْأَعْلَى فَلَيْسَتْ بِصَلَاةٍ، وَكُلُّ صَلَاةٍ لَا يُسَبَّحُ اللَّهُ فِيهَا بِحَمْدِهِ فَلَيْسَتْ بِصَلَاةٍ»; “I asked Mansoor about the least glorification that is adequate in prayer, so he said: ‘Three glorifications: «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ», «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى», and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي وَبِحَمْدِهِ»’, I said: ‘Is saying «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ» three times not adequate?’, he said: ‘No’, then he said: ‘Any prayer in which God is not glorified by His Great Name is not a prayer, and any prayer in which God is not glorified by His Most High Name is not a prayer, and any prayer in which God is not glorified by His praise is not a prayer’”.
It appears that this important point has remained hidden from scholars of madhhabs; because they either consider that the glorification is not obligatory in any of the bowings and prostrations, or consider that it is obligatory in all of them, but they have not considered it limited to these three manners, and for example, they have thought that it is adequate to say «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ», and therefore, the statement of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, is a distinguished and original statement.
Yes, sufficing to the mentioned glorifications in one of the bowings and prostrations is the least prayer that one can suffice to in times of necessity; such as in time of war, danger, disease, difficult journey, being worried that the time of prayer may pass, or being worried that the time of an important need may pass, but it is not desirable to suffice to it at other times, but rather it is considered impermissible; because God Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾; “O you who believed! Remember God with much remembrance”, while certainly, one who does not remember Him in bowing or prostration, or remembers Him only one time, does not remember Him much, and this means disobeying His command, which is not permissible. Moreover, such a thing is considered one of the characteristics of hypocrites; as God Almighty has described them: ﴿وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾; “And when they stand up for prayer, they stand with laziness and pretend for people, and they do not remember God but little”, while certainly, it is not permissible to be like hypocrites. Therefore, not remembering God in some of the bowings and prostrations of prayer, or sufficing to His remembrance only one time in them, is wrong except in times of necessity; as one of our companions informed us, he said:
«سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: لَا يُجْزِي الْمُصَلِّي فِي رُكُوعِهِ وَلَا سُجُودِهِ أَقَلُّ مِنْ ثَلَاثِ تَسْبِيحَاتٍ، وَذَلِكَ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾، وَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾، فَمَنْ سَبَّحَ فِي رُكُوعِهِ أَوْ سُجُودِهِ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاثِ تَسْبِيحَاتٍ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ خَائِفًا أَوْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ»; “I heard Mansoor say: No less than three glorifications are adequate for the praying person in his bowing and prostration, and it is because of the words of God Almighty that has said: ‘O you who believed! Remember God with much remembrance’, and said: ‘And they do not remember God but little’, so whoever says less than three glorifications in his bowing or prostration, there is no prayer for him, unless he is fearful, sick, or on a journey”.
Also, one of our companions informed us, he said:
«صَاحَبْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ سِنِينَ مِنْ عُمُرِي، فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَقُولُ فِي كُلِّ رُكُوعٍ: <سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ> ثَلَاثًا، وَفِي كُلِّ سُجُودٍ: <سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَبِحَمْدِهِ> ثَلَاثًا، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مُتَنَفِّلًا أَوْ عَلَى حَاجَةٍ مُهِمَّةٍ، فَيَقُولُهُمَا مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً، وَأَحْيَانًا يَقْتَصِدُ فَيَقُولُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ: <سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ>، وَفِي السُّجُودِ: <سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَبِحَمْدِهِ>»; “I accompanied Mansoor for some years of my life, so I found him saying «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ» three times in every bowing, and saying «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَبِحَمْدِهِ» three times in every prostration, unless he would perform a supererogatory prayer, or would have something important to do, so he would say those two one time, and sometimes he would do (something) between (these two), so he would say «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ» in bowing, and «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى، سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَبِحَمْدِهِ» in prostration”.
The result is that glorifying God three times in each bowing and prostration is obligatory for one who is not fearful of significant danger or harm, but glorifying God one time in each bowing and prostration, but rather in one of the bowings and prostrations of prayer in the three mentioned forms is adequate for one who is fearful of significant danger or harm.
2. There is no disagreement among scholars of madhhabs that reciting Surah Al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak‘ats of prayer is permissible and adequate, but there is disagreement about the permissibility and adequacy of dhikr and glorification instead; in this way that most of them have not considered it permissible and adequate; because in their opinion, its issuance by the Prophet is not proven, but a group of them such as Hanafis and Shias have considered it permissible and adequate, and their opinion is correct; because its issuance by the Prophet may not be proven, but its issuance by the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet is proven, and the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet are more aware of the Sunnah of the Prophet. Rather, it is deduced from some of their narrations that the duty of the praying person in the third and fourth rak‘ats of prayer is to praise and glorify God, and the permissibility and adequacy of reciting Surah Al-Fatihah in both of them is because Surah Al-Fatihah contains the praise and glorification of God; as for example, it has been narrated from Ja‘far al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: «تُسَبِّحُ وَتَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَتَسْتَغْفِرُ لِذَنْبِكَ، فَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ، فَإِنَّهَا تَحْمِيدٌ وَدُعَاءٌ»; “(In these two rak‘ats) you may glorify and praise God, and ask forgiveness for your sin, or you may recite Surah Al-Fatihah if you want to; because it is praise and du‘a”. This is why Surah Al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak‘ats of prayer is never recited in the form of jahr, that is, with a loud voice; because reciting it in these two rak‘ats is not for the purpose of reciting the Quran, but rather for the purpose of praise and du‘a, which is better to be recited with a low voice. However, those who have considered dhikr and glorification permissible and adequate instead, disagree as to which one is better. The opinion of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, is that reciting Surah Al-Fatihah for the Imam of congregational prayer and the one who prays alone, and dhikr and glorification for the one who follows Imam is better; as one of his companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنِ الْقَوْلِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأَخِيرَتَيْنِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْمُوَسَّعِ، مَنْ شَاءَ قَرَأَ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ سَبَّحَ، قُلْتُ: فَأَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: الْقِرَاءَةُ أَفْضَلُ لِلْإِمَامِ وَالْمُنْفَرِدِ، وَالتَّسْبِيحُ أَفْضَلُ لِلْمَأْمُومِ»; “I asked Mansoor about what is said in the third and fourth rak‘ats, so he said: ‘It is one of the things that are flexible, whoever wants to recite Surah Al-Fatihah may do so, and whoever wants to say the glorification may do so’, I said: ‘Which one is better?’, he said: ‘Recitation is better for the Imam and the one who is alone, and glorification is better for the one who follows Imam’”.
The dhikr and glorification that has been narrated in the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt for the third and fourth rak‘ats, is «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ», which is adequate to be said one time; because it contains four dhikrs, and therefore is solely considered as “much remembrance”, although naturally, saying it three times is better and has more rewards.
3. Sending greeting of peace upon the Prophet, like sending blessing upon him, is obligatory in prayer; because of the words of God Almighty that has said: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾; “Indeed, God and His Angels send blessing upon the Prophet. O you who believed! Send blessing upon him, and greet him in a well manner”. Based on this, and considering the mutawatir and well-known narrations, it is obligatory for the praying person to send blessing upon the Prophet at the end of tashahhud, and to greet him in a well manner at the beginning of salaam, and it is in this way that he says «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ أَیُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ» or «السَّلَامُ عَلَی النَّبِيِّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ». However, it is not obligatory for the praying person to greet others, but rather it is recommended, and it is in this way that he says «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِینَ», and then, if anyone is around him, turns toward him, and says «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكُمْ» or «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ» or «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ», and if no one is around him, turns toward the Angel to his right, and says one of the three phrases; because it is Sunnah, although it can be sufficed by saying «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِینَ».
4. For a person who has many missed prayers, and is afraid of death before performing them, and has limited time due to engaging in essential works of life, it is suffice to perform their obligatory and emphatically recommended acts; in this way that, for example, after reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, in the first rak‘at he recites Surah At-Tawhid, and in the second rak‘at recites a short Surah such as Al-Kawsar or Al-Asr or An-Nasr, then says «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ» one time in the first bowing, and says «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَبِحَمْدِهِ» one time in the first prostration in order to perform the obligatory glorifications, and then, it is suffice to say «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ» three times in the rest of the bowings and prostrations, and to omit qunoot, and to say «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ» one time in the third and fourth rak‘ats, and to say «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِینَ» or «السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكُمْ» after greeting the Prophet in salaam. This is because he may perform more prayers that he is responsible for comparing to normal times, not that he may perform that less amount more quickly so that he can get on with his worldly and unnecessary works sooner; because God Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا﴾; “Whoever fears God, He will make things easy for him”.