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The Rules on Prayer & Fasting

  • Prayer
    • Obligatory Prayers
    • Daily Prayers
    • The time for fajr prayer
    • The time for ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayer
    • The Time of Maghrib/‘Ishā’ Prayer
    • Rulings regarding the Times of Prayer
    • Order among prayers
    • Mustaḥabb prayers
    • Rulings about the Qiblah
    • The Coverage of Clothes in Prayer
    • Conditions of a Place for Prayer
    • Rulings on masjids
    • Adhān and Iqāmah
    • Obligatory Acts in Prayer
    • Qunūt
    • Prayer’s Ta‘qīb (Mustaḥabb Supplications/Dhikr Recited after Prayers)
    • Translation of the Prayer
    • What Invalidates the Prayer
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      What Invalidates the Prayer:

       

      322. The prayer is invalidated in the following cases:
      1. When one of the conditions of prayer ceases to exist during prayer;
      2. When wuḍū’ or ghusl is invalidated;
      3. To turn away from the qiblah;
      4. Talking;
      5. Laughing;
      6. Weeping;
      7. When the form of the prayer is disrupted;
      8. Eating and drinking;
      9. Doubts which invalidate the prayer;
      10. To repeat a foundational element or to neglect it;
      11. Saying āmīn after chapter al-Fātiḥah;
      12. Placing one hand on the other in a certain manner which is called takattuf.
      323. During prayer, if one of the conditions of prayer, which should be observed during the prayer, ceases to exist, for example, during the prayer, the praying person realizes that the place of prayer is usurped or that he does not have the obligatory covering, the prayer is void.
      324. If an act which invalidates wuḍū’ or ghusl occurs during the prayer, such as going to sleep in the middle of the prayer or urine or the like is discharged from him, his prayer is invalidated.
      325. If a person intentionally turns his face or his body from the qiblah so that he can see the right or left easily, his prayer is invalidated. If a person does so unintentionally, by obligatory caution, his prayer becomes invalidated. However, if a person turns his face a little to each side, his prayer is not invalidated.
      326. If a person intentionally talks, even to the extent of one word, the prayer is invalidated.
      327. The sounds produced by a person due to coughing, sneezing, and clearing the throat, even if they are letters, do not invalidate the prayer.
      328. There is no problem in raising the voice upon reciting a word with the intention of dhikr to indicate something to someone. However, the prayer is invalidated if he says dhikr with the intention of conveying something to another person even if he intends saying dhikr as well.
      329. It is not permissible to say salām to others while performing the prayer, but if a person says salām to him, he should reply him and the reply should be in a manner that the word “salām” precedes; for example, he should say “salāmun alaykum” or “assalāmu ‘alaykum”, not “‘alaykumus salām”.
      330. If a person salutes a group of people by saying assalāmu alaykum jamī‘an (peace be upon all of you) and one of the people in the group is praying, he should not respond if someone else in the group replies to the greeting.
      331. It is obligatory to reply to the salām of discerning children in the same way it is obligatory to respond to men and women.
      332. It is obligatory to answer the salām immediately. If for any reason someone delays it to such an extent that the answer is not considered answer to the salām, then if he is praying, he should not give the answer to the salām and if he is not praying, it is not obligatory to answer it. In case of doubt regarding the delay the same rule applies. If delaying the greeting is intentional, it is a sin.
      333. If a person greets a person who is in prayer with the word salām instead of salāmun ‘alaykum, if it is, in common view, considered a greeting, replying to it is obligatory; and by obligatory caution, the reply should be in the aforementioned manner.
      334. Intentional loud laughter (guffawing) invalidates the prayer. But inadvertent or silent laughter does not.
      335. If the face of a praying person, who cannot stop their laughter, turns red or their body trembles for the intensity of the inner laughter, their prayer is valid as long as their prayer’s form is not disrupted.
      336. Intentionally weeping loudly over worldly issues invalidates the prayer. However, if it is due to fear of God, or for affairs of the Hereafter, there is no problem in it; rather, it is among the best acts.
      337. Acts, which disrupt the form of prayer, such as clapping and jumping, invalidate the prayer whether one does so intentionally or inadvertently.
      338. If a person slightly moves his hand, eyebrows, or eyes to inform another person of something or answers his question but it does not ruin the necessary stillness or the form of the prayers, it does not lead to invalidation of the prayer.
      339. There is no problem in shutting one’s eyes during prayer (and it does not invalidate the prayer), although it is disliked to do so in states other than rukū‘.
      340. Passing the hands over the face [wiping] after qunūt is makrūh, but it does not invalidate the prayer.
      341. To eat or drink, whether a little or a lot, during prayer does invalidate the prayer. However, swallowing food particles left here and there in the mouth or sucking the sweet of sugar remained in the mouth does not invalidate prayer. Also, if one absentmindedly or forgetfully eats or drinks something during prayer, the latter is not invalidated provided that prayer's form is not disturbed.
      342. If a praying person intentionally or unintentionally neglects or repeats a fundamental part (rukn) of prayer or intentionally neglects or repeats one of the non-fundamental obligations of prayer, his prayer is invalidated.
      343. It is not permissible to say "āmīn" after reciting chapter al- Fātiḥah and it invalidates the prayer. But if it is because of taqiyyah, there is no problem. Also, putting folded-hands on one's chest while standing during prayer (putting hands together in front of the body) invalidates the prayer if it is done with the intention that it is a part of prayer. By obligatory caution, one should avoid it even without this intention.
      344. It is not permissible to cut obligatory prayers without an excuse.
      345. If it is not possible, without cutting the prayer, to save life or property when it is obligatory, then the prayer should be abandoned. In general, it is permissible to cut the prayer to avoid life and financial risks that are significant and important for the praying person.

       

    • Doubts in Prayer
    • Sajdah of Inadvertence
    • Qaḍā’ of Forgotten Sajdah and Tashahhud
    • A Traveler's Prayer
    • Qaḍā’ Prayers
    • Hire Prayers
    • Qaḍā’ Prayers for Parents
    • Āyāt Prayer
    • Congregational Prayers
    • The Friday Prayer
  • Fasting
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