Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to lead us in prayer and recite in the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayers Fatihat al-kitab and two surahs, and he would sometimes recite loud enough for us to hear the verse. He would prolong the first rak’ah of the noon prayer and shorten the second; and he did so in the morning prayer. Abu Dawud said: Musaddad did not mention the words fatihat al-kitab and surah.

The above mentioned tradition as been reported by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: He would recite Fatihat al-kitab in the last two surahs. Hammam added: He would prolong the first rak’ah but would not prolong the second so much; and he did so similarly in the afternoon prayer, and so in the morning prayer.

Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the noon and afternoon prayer: "By the Heaven and the Morning Star" (Surah 86) and "By the Heaven, holding mansions of the stars" (Surah 85) and similar surahs of equal length.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: I do not know whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the Quran at the noon and afternoon prayer or not.