✅Answer: Consider the following narrations:

1 عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَجُلَيْنِ افْتَتَحَا الصَّلَاةَ فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَتَلَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ فَكَانَتْ تِلَاوَتُهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ وَ دَعَا هَذَا أَكْثَرَ فَكَانَ دُعَاؤُهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ تِلَاوَتِهِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَا فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ قَالَ كُلٌّ فِيهِ فَضْلٌ كُلٌّ حَسَنٌ قُلْتُ إِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ كُلًّا حَسَنٌ وَ أَنَّ كُلًّا فِيهِ فَضْلٌ فَقَالَ الدُّعَاءُ أَفْضَلُ أَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ قالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ داخِرِينَ‏ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ الْعِبَادَةُ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ أَ لَيْسَتْ هِيَ الْعِبَادَةَ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ الْعِبَادَةُ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ الْعِبَادَةُ أَ لَيْسَتْ هِيَ‏ أَشَدَّهُنَ‏ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ أَشَدُّهُنَّ هِيَ وَ اللَّهِ أَشَدُّهُنَّ

📚Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p.104

Translation: Muawiya ibn Ammar said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): Two people start prayer at the same time; one recites the Qur’an more than he supplicates, and the other supplicates more than he recites. Which one is superior? The Imam replied: Both have virtue; both are good. I said: Indeed, I know that both are good and virtuous. Then the Imam said: Supplication is superior. Have you not heard the words of Allah who says: 'And when your Lord said, Call upon Me and I will respond to you. Indeed, those who scorn My worship and are arrogant will enter Hell humiliated.' Then he said: By Allah, supplication is worship; indeed, supplication is superior, indeed, supplication is superior. Is supplication not worship? By Allah, it is worship. Is it not the strongest form of worship? By Allah, supplication is the strongest form of worship.

2 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَطْوَلُكُمْ قُنُوتاً فِي دَارِ الدُّنْيَا أَطْوَلُكُمْ رَاحَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي الْمَوْقِفِ

📚Thawab al-A’mal, p.55

Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: The longest among you in Qunut in this worldly life will be the most comfortable among you on the Day of Resurrection.

3 عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَ هُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ جَالِسٌ... إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ قُلْتُ: فَأَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ طُولُ الْقُنُوتِ

📚Ma’ani al-Akhbar, p.332

Translation: Abu Dharr said: I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) while he was sitting in the mosque... until Abu Dharr said: I asked: Which part or act in prayer is more virtuous? He replied: Prolonging the Qunut.

✅From the above narrations, it is clear that although prolonging recitation in prayer has virtue, prolonging the Qunut has greater virtue. However, it should be noted that comparing two acts in terms of virtue does not mean neglecting or undervaluing the less virtuous act; both have their own status and importance. For example, in numerous narrations, visiting Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is considered superior to Hajj, but this does not mean neglecting or abandoning Hajj; both should be given their proper value and significance.

✅Prolonging recitation in prayer means reciting longer Surahs after Al-Fatiha in obligatory prayers and reciting more Surahs and verses after Al-Fatiha in voluntary prayers, because Al-Fatiha has a defined limit. Although supplication is also included in the prostration of prayer, one of the main places for supplication is the Qunut of prayer.