Ruling on reciting Surat al-Duha when one has lost something

Allah has perfected the religion for us, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3].

And the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conveyed it to us in full, so we do not need anyone to add anything to what Allah, may He be exalted, has prescribed for us.

If anyone adds to what Allah has prescribed, then he must be one of two things: either he does not believe that Islam is perfect, or he is accusing the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) of having failed to convey the religion to us in full.

Hence al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Islam came perfect, and nothing can be added to it or taken away from it, because Allah, may He be exalted, says regarding it (interpretation of the meaning): {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3].

And it is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not die until he had explained in detail everything that is needed with regard to both religious and worldly matters. None of Ahl al-Sunnah differs regarding this.

As that is the case of the one who uses innovation, then what he is saying, implicitly or explicitly, is that Islam is not yet perfect, and that there remain matters which must or should be added, because if he believed that Islam is complete and perfect in every respect, he would not have introduced any innovation or added something to the religion. The one who thinks that is misguided and has gone astray from the straight path.

Ibn al-Majishon said: I heard Malik say: Whoever introduces an innovation into Islam that he thinks is good is claiming that Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) betrayed the message, because Allah may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. Whatever was not part of the religion on that day cannot be part of it today."(Al-I‘tisam  p. 33).

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

One of the innovations is singling something out without evidence, such as singling out a particular verse or a particular surah to be recited at a particular time, or in a particular place, or for a particular need, and so on, singling things out without evidence.

Examples of that include:

• Reciting al-Fatihah with the intention of having needs met or being granted relief from hardship.
• Reciting Surah Ya-Sin forty times with the intention of having needs met."(Bida‘ al-Qira’ah  p. 14-15).

Singling out the recitation of Surat al-Duha when losing something is an innovation that comes under the heading of innovations that are invented by one who does not properly appreciate the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

For if they had truly appreciated the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), they would not have added anything to what he prescribed for us at all.

We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to make us among those who adhere to the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that of his companions.

And Allah knows best.