Mistakes in Prayer
683 questions
Does the prayer become invalid if one recites the Qur'an by mistake during the last Tashahhud?
Is the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) obligatory if the worshiper does not remember the number of prostrations, and should the prostration of forgetfulness be performed after the first tasleem (salutation of peace) and before repeating the tashahhud and the Ibrahimiyah prayer?
Is it permissible for someone who doubts the number of rak'ahs of Witr prayer to build upon the lesser amount, and what should they do if they remember after the tasleem that they prayed three rak'ahs?
Is the prayer of one who caught the first Tashahhud with the Imam, then stood for the second Rakʿah and did not sit for the first Tashahhud out of ignorance, then completed his prayer, valid or not?
What is the ruling regarding my grandmother's prayer, as she is over ninety and prays sitting, and forgets Surat Al-Fatiha and the number of rak'ahs? Is her prayer acceptable despite her many mistakes? And what can we do about that?
Does the prayer become invalid if the worshiper says "Hass" – meaning "My Lord is sufficient for me" – when raising his head from prostration and before the takbir, if he suffers from whisperings (waswasah) in the form of hearing words that displease Allah?
What is the ruling on the prayer of one who did not fully straighten up after rising from bowing until after beginning the remembrance, then doubted his prostration after rising from it and returned to perform it without saying "Allahu Akbar"?
Is it permissible to divorce in order to marry another woman to avoid the forbidden, or is patience for the sake of the children better? And is it permissible to perform Istikhara regarding divorce, and for more than one matter with a single Istikhara?
Should a worshiper repeat a word they mispronounced during the Tashahhud while continuing to move their finger? Is sujood as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) required if they move their finger in a place where there is no movement, such as the Tashahhud? Does their prayer become invalid if they do not prostrate? And should they stop moving their finger if they repeat a word due to forgetfulness?
Does prayer become invalidated by obsessive doubts about the intention, and what is the ruling on interrupting prayer due to obsessive doubts, and is it obligatory to repeat it?
Does one have to repeat a prayer in which the worshiper delayed in the prostration of forgetfulness for ten minutes, knowing that he does not remember which prayer it was?
Is the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) obligatory if one inadvertently repeats "Rabbī" before "Rabbana wa laka al-hamd" when rising from bowing?
Why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) order the man who made a mistake in his prayer to repeat it, while he did not order the man who spoke in his prayer out of ignorance to repeat it?
What is the ruling on frequently correcting mistakes in the remembrance (dhikr) during prayer and in the recitation of Al-Fatiha—especially concerning the letter "Lām" in the word "Al-Ḍāllīn"—due to a heavy tongue? And is it obligatory to repeat the prayer or perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) because of this? Does the ruling differ if the mistake is in the salutation (taslīm), such as replacing the letter "Mīm" in "ʿalaykum" with a "Bāʾ"?
Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who raises his hands to recite Al-Fatihah after the prayer, frequently repeats the Qur’an (Al-Hizb al-Ratib) even though most of the reciters are not proficient in its rules or memorization, hurries in prayer and does not recite with tartil, and often makes mistakes in reciting the Qur’an?
Is it obligatory to interrupt the prayer and start anew when in doubt about a specific nullifier, and does this open the door to [religious] whisperings (waswasah)?
Does the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) become void for the worshipper (ma'mum) if it entails abandoning a pillar (rukn) or an obligatory act (fard), on the basis that the imam is responsible?
What should you do about repeating the opening Takbir (Takbirat al-Ihram) when plagued by evil thoughts? Should you be content with saying it once, or should you continue repeating it until you achieve focus?
Is the Tarawih prayer valid if led by an Imam who completed it in four rak'ahs and performed the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw), after he thought in the second rak'ah that it was the first, then remembered this in the following rak'ah and did not sit?
What is the ruling on performing one of the Sunan (plural of Sunnah) of prayer out of its proper place, such as raising the hands during the Tashahhud, whether forgetfully or intentionally, and does that necessitate a prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw)?
What should one who frequently lapses in prayer and has misgivings about everything, even the Tashahhud, do, especially when he remembers reciting the Fatihah and prostrating but does not remember bowing? And what advice is there for him?
Is the prayer valid for someone who thought the verse of prostration was in Surat Al-Hijr and prostrated for recitation with the rest of the women, even though she caught the Imam in rukoo‘ and completed her prayer, then prostrated for forgetfulness after the tasleem?
1. Can a person afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) build upon the greater number when in doubt about the number of prostrations, given that her doubt does not occur daily, and she fears that she may not be among those whose doubt is considered frequent? 2. Is ablution valid if a person afflicted with OCD sees a dream or events during light sleep in which she feels she was not completely unconscious?
Is sujud as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) obligatory for unintentional mispronunciation (laḥn) in the transitionary takbeers?