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Does Changing the Letters Invalidate Salah?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by DarulIftaBirmingham

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Khan

Question:

In fardh Namaaz, while reciting Surah Ikhlaas, If I replace the first ق by ك then will this invalidate my Namaz?

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

Answer:

Ibn e Abidin Shaami R mentions in relation to mistakes:

The principle according to the latter scholars is that whatever changes the meaning to such an extent that it constitutes blasphemy it will invalidate salah in all of that whether it is in the Qur’an or not [the changed word]. If the meaning of the word is in the Qur’an but it is far from the meaning and changed the sentence to a bad meaning it will invalidate also. [1]

Imam al Haskafi mentioned:

‘Salah is not invalidated as long as the meaning does not change except for what is difficult to distinguish such as Daad and Thaa so most of them do not invalidate them’. [2]

Which Imam Shaami R further clarified on this topic with:

‘The principle when he mentioned a letter in place of another letter is that it changes the meaning if it is possible to differentiate between them without difficulty then salah will become invalid.’ [3]

In the context of the ayah, it does change the meaning quite significantly whilst it is easy to tell you changed it therefore it will invalidate the salah.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Yusuf Khan

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

1] Raddul Muhtaar- V. 1 P.631

والقاعِدَةُ عِنْدَ المُتَقَدِّمِينَ أنَّ ما غَيَّرَ المَعْنى تَغْيِيرًا يَكُونُ اعْتِقادُهُ كُفْرًا يُفْسِدُ فِي جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ، سَواءٌ كانَ فِي القُرْآنِ أوْ لا إلّا ما كانَ مِن تَبْدِيلِ الجُمَلِ مَفْصُولًا بِوَقْفٍ تامٍّ وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ التَّغْيِيرُ كَذَلِكَ، فَإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِثْلُهُ فِي القُرْآنِ والمَعْنى بَعِيدٌ مُتَغَيِّرٌ تَغَيُّرًا فاحِشًا يُفْسِدُ أيْضًا كَهَذا الغُبارِ مَكانَ هَذا الغُرابِ

[2] Durrul Mukhtaar- v.1 p.86

– لم تفسد ما لم يتغير المعنى إلا ما يشق تمييزه كالضاد والظاء فأكثرهم لم

٨٦

يفسدها

[3] Raddul Muhtaar- V.1 P.33

الأصْلُ فِيما إذا ذَكَرَ حَرْفًا مَكانَ حَرْفٍ وغَيَّرَ المَعْنى إنْ أمْكَنَ الفَصْلُ بَيْنَهُما بِلا مَشَقَّةٍ تَفْسُدُ، وإلّا يُمْكِنْ إلّا بِمَشَقَّةٍ كالظّاءِ مَعَ الضّادِ المُعْجَمَتَيْنِ والصّادِ مَعَ السِّينِ المُهْمَلَتَيْنِ والطّاءِ مَعَ التّاءِ قالَ أكْثَرُهُمْ لا تَفْسُدُ

This answer was collected from DarulIftaBirmingham.co.uk, which is run under the supervision of Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah from the United Kingdom.

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