What if one speaks during prayer?
I was praying alone in a room when my mother called me. Without knowing what to do, I responded by saying, “What is it?” After completing my prayer, I performed a prostration (Sajdah). Is this correct? Please explain with evidence.
Question by: S. Jehar Sadiq, Karukankudi
Answer:
It is prohibited to speak during prayer. However, if one speaks out of forgetfulness, it does not invalidate the prayer, nor is there a requirement to perform a compensatory prostration (Sajdah).
Supporting Evidence:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِى شَيْبَةَ – وَتَقَارَبَا فِى لَفْظِ الْحَدِيثِ – قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ الصَّوَّافِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِى كَثِيرٍ عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِى مَيْمُونَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِىِّ قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا أُصَلِّى مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَقُلْتُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ. فَرَمَانِى الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقُلْتُ وَاثُكْلَ أُمِّيَاهْ مَا شَأْنُكُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَىَّ. فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونَنِى لَكِنِّى سَكَتُّ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَبِأَبِى هُوَ وَأُمِّى مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلاَ بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا كَهَرَنِى وَلاَ ضَرَبَنِى وَلاَ شَتَمَنِى قَالَ « إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ لاَ يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَىْءٌ مِنْ كَلاَمِ النَّاسِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ ». أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّى حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَقَدْ جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلاَمِ وَإِنَّ مِنَّا رِجَالاً يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ. قَالَ « فَلاَ تَأْتِهِمْ ». قَالَ وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ.
Mu’awiyah bin Al-Hakam Al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
“I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when a man in the congregation sneezed. I said, ‘Yarhamukallah (May Allah have mercy on you).’ The people started glaring at me, so I said, ‘May my mother be bereft of me! Why are you looking at me like that?’ They started striking their thighs with their hands (to signal me to stop). When I realized that they were trying to silence me, I stopped talking.
After the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished the prayer, I swear by my parents, I have never seen a better teacher than him before or after. By Allah, he neither scolded, hit, nor insulted me. He said, ‘This prayer is not suitable for any human speech. It is only for glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Quran.’”
- Narrator: Mu’awiyah bin Al-Hakam Al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Source: Sahih Muslim 836
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) clarified to Mu’awiyah (who unknowingly spoke during prayer) that prayer is not a time for human conversation. However, he did not instruct him to repeat the prayer or perform Sajdah. This indicates that speech uttered out of ignorance or forgetfulness does not invalidate the prayer or require expiation.
- Speaking during prayer out of forgetfulness or ignorance does not invalidate the prayer or require expiation (Sajdah or repeating the prayer).
- Deliberate speaking during prayer, knowing it is prohibited, invalidates the prayer, and it must be repeated.
In your specific case, if it was out of forgetfulness or ignorance, your prayer remains valid.