Question

We have learned that we can link two surahs when reading by reading the end of the surah and then the bismillah and then the beginning of the new surah; I am wondering about linking surahs in salah - the Imam does not usually read the bismillah out loud when reading Surat al-Faatihah or when beginning the second surah I think.  Would we then not read the bismallah out loud when linking two surahs  in our prayer?  Jazakum Allahu khair.

Answer

Wa iyyakum wal-muslimeen. 

Three of the four math-hab do not say the basmalah out loud during salah, but they do say it silently.  If one is joining the surah with the next during salah in one breath, which normally an imam would not do, then he would need to say the basmalah out loud if he is reading Hafs ‘an Aasim.  When we talk about “joining” two surahs together, we mean saying the last aayah of the first surah, the basmalah, then the first aayah of the next surah in one breath with no stopping in between.  Joining them by stopping after the last aayah, saying the basmalah, stopping, then saying the first aayah would not require the basmalah to be said aloud in salah.  You may notice in taraweeh at the end of Ramadhan when the imam is reading the shorter surahs, that he does join more than one surah together in one rakat of salah, but he stops at the end of each surah, says the basmalah quietly, stops, then starts the next surah.