Q: I used to act on a fatwa from the hanbali site islamqa.info which states that you can recite loud in silent prayers such as asr, dhur, third rakah of maghrib and more and you should be careful to concentrate. I am a non native speaker of Arabic and I personally find praying loud in silent prayer is helpful to concentrate and reduce mistakes. Today I read a fatwa from a hanafi website and it states that reciting loud in silent prayers is invalid. I really want to follow the easier opinion of the hanbalis because I can’t afford making mistakes in prayer. Some scholars also say that Subhaana rabbiy al-‘azeem and Subhaana rabbiy al-a’laa, and the tashahhud should all be silently. What’s your thoughts?
A: Commit yourself to follow one specific imaam and thereafter don’t employ your own reasoning and limited understanding.
For further details regarding following one mazhab, refer to http://muftionline.co.za/node/12489
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)