Fatwa ID: 06172

Answered by: Shaykh Ahmed bin Mohamed Umarji

Question:

I follow Hanafi school if though but I have been praying in such a way that I satisfy the conditions of all four imams in obligatory parts of the prayer. Now, if I forgot to say something that is obligatory according to some scholars but sunnah according to the Hanafi school of thought, and I do a Prostration of forgetfulness or pray again because it is invalid according to some scholars then does this prayer that I pray again or the prayer in which I did prostration of forgetfulness become invalid according to the Hanafi school of thought? For example, while praying Asr I forgot to say Rabbighfirli and Rabbana lakal hamd which according to the Hanafi school of thought are sunnah. So now if I pray again or do a prostration of forgetfulness would this prayer be valid according to Hanafi’s school of thought? or would I be sinful? or is it just makrooh to do this? or is it allowed? And while praying fardh salah alone if I make a mistake which does not invalidate it but If I want to make it better can I pray again or is this not allowed? and is this allowed in sunnah prayer?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

There is no need in trying to follow all four of the Imams at once.

With regards to your two questions:

1. According to Hanafi jurists, the prayer will not have to be repeated due to an unnecessary Sajdah Sahw.²
2. It is not permissible to repeat a prayer to make it better.³       
3. If you do repeat the prayer [Duhr and Esha] it will be classified as nafl.⁴     
4. Fajr, Asr, and Maghrib will not be repeated in this manner. This is because there is no basis for a three-unit nafl prayer in the case of Maghrib and there is no prayer after Fajr or Asr until the time expires.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Shaykh Ahmed bin Mohamed Umarji

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

1 الكتاب: رد المحتار على الدر المختار – الناشر: دار الفكر-بيروت – مجلد: 1 صفحة: 289

2 (قَوْلُهُ فالأشْبَهُ الفَسادُ) وفِي الفَيْضِ: وقِيلَ لا تَفْسُدُ وبِهِ يُفْتِيَ. وفِي البَحْرِ عَنْ الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ قالَ الفَقِيهُ أبُو اللَّيْثِ: فِي زَمانِنا لا تَفْسُدُ لِأنَّ الجَهْلَ فِي القُرّاءِ غالِبٌ. اهـ. واَللَّهُ أعْلَمُ. الكتاب: رد المحتار على الدر المختار الناشر: دار الفكر-بيروت مجلد: 1 صفحة: 599

3 وحمل بَعضهم هَذا الخَبَر على النَّهْي عَن إعادَة الصَّلاة بِسَبَب الوسوسة – الكتاب: الجامع الصغير وشرحه النافع الكبير لمن يطالع الجامع الصغير – الناشر: عالم الكتب – بيروت صفحة: 99

4 ثم افتدى متنقلا إلا في العصر نور الإيضاح زمزم صفحة ١١١