Fatwa ID: 09475
Answered by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Question:
Salam I read somewhere that excessive doubts can break salah, for example if a person doubts once every 3 prayers, and he/she pays heed to the doubts in salah, their salah is invalid, I want to know the hanafi view of this. Jazakallah Khair much appreciated
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It would appear the sources you have been reading are Shi’a sources making claims on the basis of inauthentic narrations. The claim that experiencing doubt once every three prayers can break one’s Salah holds no basis in Islam. It is not found within Hanafi texts nor any other reliable Islamic source, nor is there any authentic evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah to support it. Thus, it should be dismissed.
The ruling regarding doubt in Hanafi Fiqh is that when one is in doubt regarding a part of their Salah such as the number of Rak’ah they have performed, they should follow their predominant opinion [1]. If they hold no predominant opinion, then they should follow that which they are certain has been performed, which is the lower number, and then perform Sajdah Sahw at the end of the Salah [2]. Experiencing doubt or paying heed to it does not invalidate one’s Salah no matter how often it occurs.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 2, pg. 93, Darul Fikr:
وَإِنْ كَثُرَ) شَكُّهُ (عَمِلَ بِغَالِبِ ظَنِّهِ إنْ كَانَ) لَهُ ظَنٌّ
[2]
Sahih Muslim 571:
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلاَثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَطْرَحِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى مَا اسْتَيْقَنَ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ فَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى خَمْسًا شَفَعْنَ لَهُ صَلاَتَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى إِتْمَامًا لأَرْبَعٍ كَانَتَا تَرْغِيمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ