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Non-Arabic Du’a During Prayer

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

Does it invalidate the prayer if one makes a du‘a during prostration in a language other than Arabic?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

If the one who is praying knows Arabic, his prayer will be invalidated by a non-Arabic supplication (du‘a) or invocation (dhikr), whether or not this supplication or invocation has been transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) [at that point in prayer] or not. As for the one who does not know Arabic, it is permitted for him to make a supplication or invocation in a language other than Arabic, but only if it has been transmitted that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) uttered them [at that point in the prayer]; otherwise, if they haven’t been transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), saying them in a language other than Arabic will invalidate the prayer.

[h: Shaykh Ibn Hajar] says in the Tuhfa along with [h: Imam Nawawi’s] Minhaj:

” (It is not invalidated by) permissible (invocation or supplication) since they are both legislated during [h: the prayer].  Consequently, if one (a) performs either of the two in a language other than Arabic while knowing Arabic or (b) if one does not know Arabic and composes them oneself … it is invalidated.” (Tuhfa, 2.146)

al-Shirwani says in his supercommentary, “”has composed them oneself” means that they have not been transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), as al-Kurdi explained.”

Whoever wishes to memorize any supplications or invocations that have been transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) should refer to Imam Nawawi’s “Book of Invocations” (Kitab al-Adhkar).

Amjad Rasheed
Amman, Jordan
(Translated by Hamza Karamali)

السؤال : هل الدعاء في السجود بغير اللغة العربية مبطل للصلاة ؟

الجواب: إذا كان المصلي يُحْسن العربيةَ فتبطل صلاته بالدعاء والذكر بغير العربية سواء كان ذلك الدعاءُ والذكرُ مأثورين أم لا . أما من لا يحسن العربية فيجوز له الدعاء والذكر بغير العربية إذا كانا مأثورين فقط ، أما غير المأثورين فتبطل بهما الصلاة إذا تلفظ بهما بغير العربية .

قال في “التحفة” مع “المنهاج” (2/146) :” ( ولا تبطل بالذكر والدعاء ) الجائز لمشروعيتهما فيها , ومن ثَمّ لو أتى بها بالعجمية مع إحسان العربية أو لا مع إحسانه وقد اخترعهما … بطلت “اهـ .

وقوله ( وقد اخترعهما ) أي :لم يكونا مأثورين كما قال الكردي . اهـ “حاشية الشرواني”

ومن أراد حفظ شيء من الدعاء والذكر المأثورين فعليه بكتاب “الأذكار” للإمام النووي .

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