Should a Muslim who smiles during prayer complete it, or interrupt and repeat it?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A Muslim should have khushu' (devotion/humility) in their prayer, as it is the essence of prayer, and Allah has praised the believers for it. Smiling during prayer does not invalidate it according to the majority of scholars, such as Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Qudamah, Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Nawawi, and Al-Buhuti, unlike loud laughter (qahqahah) which invalidates prayer by consensus. Therefore, the worshipper should complete their prayer and not cut it short, and they must avoid anything that diminishes khushu'.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/10797
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 10797
- 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