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Does supplicating in dialect during prayer invalidate it, knowing that it might lead to greater devotion?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Using colloquial Arabic for supplications does not invalidate the prayer. However, it is preferable to use the prophetic supplications (al-ma'thur), and then to adhere to classical Arabic if possible. Some scholars disliked supplicating in non-Arabic (al-a'jamiyyah) or with non-prophetic supplications. Nevertheless, grammatical errors (al-lahn) in supplications are not considered among the prayer invalidators. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis permitted using prophetic supplications in languages other than Arabic for those unable to speak Arabic, but not for those who are able. In contrast, the Hanafis disliked supplicating in languages other than Arabic. It is not permissible to invent a non-prophetic supplication during prayer and utter it in a non-Arabic language. As for other remembrances (adhkar) like the Tashahhud, Tasbih, and Takbirat, there are various opinions regarding their permissibility for someone unable to speak Arabic, with the soundest opinion being permissibility.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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