Does the prayer become invalid if the Imam makes a mistake and is not alerted?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If the Imam makes a mistake in recitation during prayer and is not corrected:
- If the mistake is outside of Al-Fatiha, the prayer is valid.
- If the mistake is in Al-Fatiha by omitting one or more verses, or by a grammatical error (laḥn) that changes the meaning, and it is not corrected, then the prayer is invalid.
- Correcting the Imam (al-fatḥ 'ala al-imam) is obligatory in Al-Fatiha, and in other parts if the mistake corrupts the meaning.
- Correcting the Imam is permissible in parts other than Al-Fatiha if the meaning is not changed.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/135407
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 135407
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy