The opening takbirat
The opening takbeer (1), and the evidence is the hadith: “Its prohibition is the takbir, and it is permissible to say the takbeer,” and after it is the opening takbeer (2), which is a Sunnah, saying: “Glory be to You, O God, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is your grandfather, and there is no god but You.”
(1) Because he says takbeer, there is no entry into prayer except by saying takbir. If he stands with the intention - the intention of praying - he will not enter into it until he says takbeer, according to what he, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to the one who prayed incorrectly: “If you stand up for prayer, complete the ablution, then face the Qiblah and say takbeer,” like this. It was mentioned in the Two Sahihs in the story of the wrongdoer in his prayer, and according to what he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “Its prohibition is takbir, and its permissibility is submission,” and it is a good hadith narrated by Ahmad and the Sunan scholars with a good chain of transmission on the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him. And because he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, used to enter it with the takbeer, beginning it by saying: “God is great,” and saying: “Pray as you have seen me pray,” so it is necessary to say takbeer in all prayers, and there is no entry into them except by saying the takbeer “God is great,” which means: God is greater than all. Something greater than everything, Glory be to Him.
(2) He begins the prayer with the opening, and he opens when he says the takbīr, saying: “Glory be to You, O God, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is your grandfather, and there is no god but You.” This is the shortest of the openings, and all of them are pure monotheism, and are easy for the common people and non-common people, and it is one of the most authentic hadiths. It came from Several narrations on the authority of Aisha, on the authority of Abu Saeed, on the authority of Omar, and on the authority of others, may God be pleased with them, and there are other openings that if one of them is given, it suffices, including: “O God, distance me from my sins as You distanced between the East and the West. O God, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from filth. Wash me from my sins with ice, water, and hail.” He, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, also used to begin with this during the obligatory prayer, as the two sheikhs narrated it from the hadith of Abu Hurairah, may God be pleased with him.
Question: What is the ruling on combining two opening prayers in one prayer?
The answer: In the Sunnah, one opening is sufficient. We have not heard that he used to combine two openings, peace and blessings be upon him.
Question: Is it better to limit oneself to one opening in all prayers, or to diversify them?
The answer: If diversification is possible, it is better.