Volume - IV / CHAPTER - 2 / LESSON NO: 13
"MUFSIDAATUS SALAAT" (ACTS WHICH VITIATE PRAYER)
Q 1. What is meant by Mufsidaatus Salaat?
A. "Mufsidaatus Salaat" are those things/acts which, if done during the performance of prayer, vitiate (i.e. end the prayer) and it will have to be repeated
correctly.
Q 2. How many kinds of those acts which vitiate prayer are there?
A. Acts which vitiate prayer (Mufsidaat) are of two kinds i.e. words and deeds.
Q 3. Which sort of words vitiate prayer?
A. The following words vitiate prayer if are done during its performance:
(1). To talk to somebody intentionally or unintentionally, in drowse or in waking at one's own sweet will or under compulsion and less or more, (2) to salute(say "Salaam" to) someone, (3) to respond to "Salaam" (salutation), (4) to respond to somebody's sneeze saying "Yarhamu Kallah", (5) to say "Al-Hamdu Lillaah" hearing any good news,(6)to say "Subhaan Allah" or "Laa Ilaaha Illal Laahu"(by way of response) seeing any wonderful thing, (7) to say "Innaa Lillaahe wa Innaa Ilaie-hi Raaje'oon" on hearing bad news, (8)to respond to or address anyone by Qur-aanic word, (9) to say "Jalla Jalaluhoo" hearing the exalted name of Allah Almighty, (10) to recite "Durood Shareef (invoke Allah's blessings) hearing the blessed name of the Holy Prophet, (11) to say "Sadaqal Lahu wa Sadaqa Rasooluhoo" hearing "Qiraa-at" of the Imaam if it is done as a response in these three cases, (12) to respond to the call of prayer [Azaan], (13) to curse Satan hearing his accursed name, (14) to recite "Rabbi wa Rabbu kal Laah" seeing the moon, (15) to blow to oneself after reciting Qur-aanic verse piece-meal due to fever, (16) to recite any passage of the Holy Qur-aan with the intent of stanza, (17) to exclaim "Aah", "Oh", "Uf etc. because of pain or any trouble, (18) to read the Holy Qur-aan seeing its text,(19)to recite only "Torah"(old testament) and "Injeer'(new testament), (20) to remind or prompt anyone else but Muqtadi's own Imaam, (21) to heed other's reminding than Imaam's own Muqtadi's, (22) to make "Du'aa" (supplication)for such a thing which can be had from people,(23) to err in reciting the Holy Qur-aan or (24) to err in the specified remembrances of prayer i.e. "Tasmee", "Tahmeed", "Tashah-hud" to such an extent that their meanings are distorted and etc.
Q 4. Which sort of deeds,acts vitiate prayer?
A. The following deeds,acts vitiate prayer if are done during its performance:
(1). Protraction of deed,act i.e.one protracts "Rukn" of prayer so long that other, if sees him from a distant place, gets an impression that he is not in prayer,(2) to put on shirt or trouser or to tie "Taihband" (sheet used to cover lower part of the body),(3) to prostrate at an unclean and impure place without any cover,(4) to place the hands or knees at an unclean and impure place during prostration,(5) to observe a "Rukn" of prayer with "Satr-e-Aurat" open or exposed or (6) such quantity of impurity which is prohibited is sticking to the body or cloths or (7) to spend such time in this condition that "Tasbih" (remembrance of Allah) could be recited thrice or (8) to precede the Imaam in this state, (9) to eat or (10) to drink intentionally or unintentionally, less or more and even if a sesame-seed is swallowed without mastication or a drop of water fell into the mouth and was swallowed, in such conditions prayer is vitiated,(11) to withdraw or turn away the breast from the "Qiblah" to the extent of 45 degree, (12) to walk or move unnecessarily from one's place to the extent of two rows i.e. three steps,(13) to shift from one prayer to other uttering "Takbir". For instance, one was offering "Zuhr" prayer and he uttered "Allah-o-Akbar" with the intention of "Asr" or "Nafl" prayer, his "Zuhr" prayer would be vitiated, (14) to write three words in such a way that the letters are visible, (15) to scratch thrice or (16) to strip off three hairs in succession in a "Rukn",(17) to weep loudly due to pain and trouble, (18) to faint or suffer lunacy, (19) to laugh so loudly(burst into laughter) that others may hear it, be so in the waking or in the prayer of "Rukoo" and "Sujood". In this case even ablution is nullified, (20) to prolong the sound of letter "A" in "Allah-o-Akbar" i.e. to utter as "Aaakbar" or to prolong the sound of letter "B" in "Akbar" i.e. to utter as "Akbaaar" in "Takbiraat-e-Intiqaal". Prayer will not commence if it is done in "Takbir-e-Tahreemah".
Q 5. Will prayer be vitiated if a sick exclaims "Aah" involuntarily?
A. Prayer is not vitiated if a sick involuntarily exclaims "aah" or "oh". Likewise all those words which are involuntarily uttered while sneezing, coughing, yawning and belching are also forgiven. Utterance of such words in remembrance of Paradise and Hell does not vitiate prayer.
Q 6. When is prayer vitiated by light-coughing?
A. One's prayer will be vitiated if he lightly-coughs without any intent which produces the sound of two letters like "0, oh". However, prayer will not be vitiated in case of valid excuse or right intent like one is naturally compelled to cough lightly or to clear the throat or to remind the Imaam of his mistake or to make his presence in the prayer noticed by other(s) etc.
Q 7. Can Imaam be prompted in other prayers than "Taraawih" or not?
A. To prompt or remind one's own Imaam and to heed the prompting and reminding of Imaam's own Muqtadi in all prayers irrespective of "Taraawih" and non-Taraawih is permissible. However, Muqtadi should not hurry in prompting his Imaam on his faltering but wait for a while so that he may recollect or correct himself. Similarly it is "Makrooh" for the Imaam to compel his Muqtadis for prompting i.e. he should not reiterate the same Qur-aanic words/verse or stand silent but should either switch over to other Surah or start other verse provided such shifting does not vitiate the prayer and in case he has done "Qiraa-at" to such quantity that fulfills the prescribed requirement of the prayer, he should observe Rukoo.
Q 8. Will passing in front of one offering prayer vitiate his prayer or not?
A. Passing in front of one offering prayer does not vitiate prayer whether the passer is a man or woman or even a dog. But it is extremely sinful to pass in front of worshipper. An Hadees in this context says: had the passer known what sin he incurred by passing in front of one offering prayer he would have preferred to stop or stand for forty years over passing. Another tradition says: it would be better to sink into the earth than to pass in front of one offering prayer.
Q 9. What is "Sutrah"?
A. To put something in front of one offering prayer as a cover is called "Sutrah". Passing after "Sutrah" is permissible. The minimum height of "Sutrah" should be one hand and maximum three hands and its thickness should be at least like that of a finger. A wall or tree, if there is, in front of one offering prayer will serve as "Sutrah".