Fatwa ID: 08824

Written by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah

Question:

I started Maghrib Salah with the correct intention then midway through I thought I was praying Asr and continued. In the final rakat (third) I remembered I was praying Maghrib and then continued. I didn’t add the extra rakat and ended the salah in the third rakat as normal. Would the salah be invalid?

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

Answer:

Having the correct intention for salah is necessary for its validity. However sometimes one may face confusion during the Salah for various reasons. Accidentally forgetting which Salah, one is in while maintaining the correct amount of raka’aat will not invalidate the Salah. Though it will not invalidate one’s salah it of paramount importance to maintain focus in Salah as much as one can.

References:

رَجُلٌ افْتَتَحَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ فَظَنَّ أَنَّهَا تَطَوُّعٌ فَصَلَّى عَلَى نِيَّةِ التَّطَوُّعِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ فَالصَّلَاةُ هِيَ الْمَكْتُوبَةُ وَلَوْ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ بِالْعَكْسِ فَالْجَوَابُ بِالْعَكْسِ. هَكَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ.

وَلَوْ افْتَتَحَ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ نَوَى التَّطَوُّعَ أَوْ الْعَصْرَ أَوْ الْفَائِتَةَ أَوْ الْجِنَازَةَ وَكَبَّرَ يَخْرُجُ عَنْ الْأَوَّلِ وَيَشْرَعُ فِي الثَّانِي وَالنِّيَّةُ بِدُونِ التَّكْبِيرِ لَيْسَ بِمُخْرِجٍ. كَذَا فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة نَاقِلًا عَنْ الْعَتَّابِيَّةِ

ص66 – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل الرابع في النية – المكتبة الشاملة

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham