Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin Al-Abbaad was asked:

Question:

Is it allowed to skip a number of verses in the obligatory or voluntary prayer?For example, the Imam recites in prayer, then stops, and does not find anyone who can correct him or open the recitation for him. So he moves from the place he was reading from to another place [in the Quran]?”

Answer:

“If he does not find anyone to open the recitation for him, then he makes ruku even if he is at the beginning of the recitation. He does not enter himself into things that are not clear. He only goes into ruku. So it is necessary for him to bring forth a recitation that he perfected and memorized. He should not read what he did not perfect.

The Messenger (ﷺ) led the people in fajr once and he read surah Muminoon. When he reached the story of Musa and Haroon, he was afflicted with a cough. So he made ruku (ﷺ). He wanted to continue, however when the cough came, he stopped the continuation and made ruku (ﷺ)”. End quote. [Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood no. 96]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan