A female memoriser (hafizah) of the Holy Quran sent some questions to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa. She asked:
“[…] If the recitation of the Holy Quran is to be started from its beginning in [tarawih] prayers, will the recitation of Surah al-Baqarah be started after reciting Surah al-Fatihah twice in the first rak‘ah? […]”
Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 25 July 2021, provided the following reply to the questions:
“[…] The usual method would be adopted even when starting the recitation of the Holy Quran from its beginning when [leading] the [tarawih] prayer; that is after reciting Surah al-Fatiha, which is usually recited in every [rak‘ah of] salat, the recitation of Surah al-Baqarah would be started immediately without repeating Surah al-Fatihah. However, the Islamic jurists [fuqaha] have allowed that when finishing a complete reading of the Holy Quran [at the end of the tarawih prayers in the month of Ramadan], if a person wants to recite some earlier part of the Holy Quran again after Surah an-Nas, he may restart [the recitation of the Holy Quran] with Surah al-Fatihah and then recite a portion of Surah al-Baqarah. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the repetition of [the complete] Surah al-Fatihah [by an imam], at the beginning [of a complete reading of the Holy Quran], is even considered by some fuqaha to warrant sajdatai as-sahw i.e. the two prostrations due to forgetfulness. […]”