What makes salah invalid

The schools concur that it is valid to supplicate during salat , seeking blessing and forgiveness from Allah, subhanahu , except that the Hanafis and the Hanbalis restrict this supplication to what has been mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, or that which is sought only from God, such as rizq provision and barakah.

To recite tasbih subhan Allah to indicate that one is performing salat , or to guide the imam, or to correct his mistake, is not considered as a speech that invalidates salat. The four Sunni schools state: Included in speech that invalidates salat is the returning of salam.

Hence if someone says salam to a person who is praying and he returns the salam verbally, the salat becomes invalid. However, there is no harm if the salam is returned by a gesture. The Imamis observe: It is wajib for the musalli to return a salutation which contains the word 'salam' with a similar salutation, though not any other salutation such as 'good morning', etc.

They also specify that the form of the salutation being returned should be exactly like the initial salutation without any difference. Hence the reply of 'salam 'alaykum' will be the same without alif and lam , and the reply of 'al-salam 'alaykum' will be with the alif and lam.

Every action which destroys the form of the salat invalidates it. The schools concur that the form is destroyed by any act which gives an onlooker the impression that the person performing that act is not praying. There is a consensus regarding eating and drinking though they differ regarding the quantity that invalidates salat.

The Imamis observe: Eating and drinking invalidate salat if they distort the form of salat or violate any of its conditions, such as continuity, etc. The Hanafis observe: Every form of eating and drinking invalidates salat irrespective of the quanity consumed, even if it is one sesame seed or a drop of water and regardless of whether it is done intentionally or otherwise.

The Shafi'is state: Any food or drink which reaches the stomach of a musalli , irrespective of its being a small or a large quantity, invalidates salat if the musalli does so intentionally and with the knowledge of its being haram.

But if done out of ignorance or forgetfulness, a small quantity will not invalidate salat, though a large quantity will. According to the Hanbalis, a large quantity will invalidate salat , whether consumed intentionally or by mistake, and a small quantity only if consumed intentionally, not otherwise.

The schools concur that laughter invalidates salat , though the Hanafis apply to it the same rule that they apply to hadath , as mentioned above.

Considering the importance of the causes that invalidate salat and their number and diversity, and considering that each school has its own opinion which at times concurs or differs with the opinions of other schools, it would be appropriate to give a summary of these causes in accordance with the opinion of.

According to the Hanafis, the causes that invalidate salat are: speech, whether intentional, by mistake, or due to ignorance; any supplication du'a' not out of the Qur'an or Sunnah; any inordinate movement; turning the chest away from the qiblah ; eating and drinking; clearing the throat without reason; saying " uff " i.

Salat is also invalidated by an additional takbirat al-ihram. Hence if one says takbirah for a salat and then repeats it, the salat becomes invalid and a third takbirah will be necessary. It does not nullify salat if it is for the Hereafter. Question: Does it nullify salat to raise my hand once in a rukn and to scratch my head and then my nape and then my ear? You are considered to have raised your hand once, so it is counted as only one scratching.

Question: If one-fourth of a limb gets exposed in salat , is it considered that the entire limb has been exposed? Question: Does it nullify salat to push a baby away who has sat on the place of sajda? Question: Does it harm my salat to pull up my pants? If you pull them up gently, it will be makruh. It nullifies salat to grasp them firmly with both hands and to pull them up. A man performing salat should wear loose trousers if there is no extreme necessity to wear otherwise, so he will not have to pull up his pants.

Question: My pocket-sized Mus-haf or amulet fall down during standing position in salat. Does it nullify salat to take it with one hand and to put it in my pocket? Question: In sitting posture in salat , a person moved me to one side together with my prayer mat. Did it invalidate my salat? The one who moves a person performing salat has committed a sin if there is no extreme necessity to do so.

Question: If I, when saying supplication such as Subhanakallahumma …, Attahiyyaatu …, Allahumma salli … in salat , repeat a word several times, will it nullify my salat? Question: Does it nullify salat to lift the toe of the right foot? Lifting even the right foot does not nullify salat , either. Question: Is it makruh to perform Salat al-Fajr while the sun is rising? No salat is offered until minutes pass after the sun has risen.

For this reason, one must complete Salat al-Fajr before the sun has risen. Question: Does it nullify salat to scratch the body three times? Scratching a place three times means scratching it by raising the hand three times. If the hand is raised once and a person scratches it three or five times, it will be counted as only one scratching.

Question: I was taught that amal-i kasir invalidates salat. What does it mean? The term amal-i qalil means few actions that do not nullify salat. Amal-i kasir is of five types: 1. Amal-i qalil is excessive actions to the extent that if seen by an onlooker from a distance, he or she will be certain that one is not performing salat. If the onlooker doubts whether one is performing salat or not, then these actions are termed amal-i qalil.

An action that is usually done with both hands is amal-i kasir. Even if one does it with one hand, it still breaks salat.

For example, if one does with one hand such actions as winding a turban, wearing a garment, or pulling up pants and buckling a belt that is normally done with both hands, it will still be amal-i kasir and therefore break salat. Hitting a person next to you breaks salat. All of these three reasons constitute amal-i kasir and therefore break salat.

An action that is usually done with one hand is considered amal-i qalil. Such an action does not nullify salat even if it is done with both hands.

For example, zipping trousers shut, pressing a switch near you, or closing a door by pushing it with your hand constitute amal-i qalil and do not break salat. Three actions that are done in succession constitute amal-i kasir. In a rukn , scratching an itching place three times or chewing a very small piece of food in your mouth three times or swallowing it by melting it break salat.

It does not nullify salat to swallow something smaller than a chickpea that has remained between the teeth, but it nullifies salat to take even a very small piece of food, e. Turning the head and looking at a newcomer does not break salat , but it is makruh.

Salat is invalidated if the chest is turned away from the qibla direction. Actions that are done deliberately constitute amal-i kasir. For example, if a man kisses his wife while she is in salat or if a kid suckles and milk comes out, her salat will be invalid. Question: If there is no gap in the row and as it is makruh to stand alone, will the salat of a man be invalidated when he comes back if the one standing alone touches him to indicate that he should come back?

However, if he comes back of his own volition, his salat will not be invalidated. Question: Does it invalidate salat to feel the taste of candy that one ate before salat? ANSWER It does not invalidate salat to feel the taste of candy that one ate before salat , even to swallow this taste with saliva. If one says it after sneezing in salat , it does not invalidate salat , either. Secondly, does it nullify salat to do sajda three times out of forgetfulness?

Firstly: the Permissible Actions in As-Salah 1- Walking in Salah due to some need which occurs; with the condition that one does not turn away from the Qiblah, like opening a door which is in the direction of the Qiblah. Secondly: The Disliked Actions in As-Salah 1- Entering the prayer while one is distracted; having their thoughts elsewhere or being in a state which distracts himself or his imam; like holding back urine, wind or defecation, being in a state of hunger or thirst, when food which he wishes to eat is present, or looking at that which distracts him from Salah.

Ex: Moving without a need, playing with ones beard, clothing or watch, cracking ones knuckles, or putting the fingers of one hand in between those of the other hand, 3- Looking with ones face left or right without a need; with the condition that the body does not turn away from the Qiblah; otherwise the Salah would be invalidated.

Thirdly: The Invalidators of As-Salah 1- Performing something which breaks one of the conditions of Salah; like intentionally exposing the parts of the body that should be covered, turning the whole body away from the Qiblah, intending to stop the prayer when one is in the middle of it, or the occurrence of that which breaks ones state of ritual purity.