Answered by Shaykh Abu Usamah
I had a question on a line from the Mukhtasar al-Quduri (I’m reading it from al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab, al-Ghunaymi). Under “Bab sifat as-Salah,” where the shaykh is talking about what invalidates the salah (e.g. when a mutayammim sights water, etc.) it mentions that if an “ummi” learns a portion of the Quran, this invalidates his salah.
Could you please explain what this means? Was the ummi praying with no recitation of the Qur’an, and now, during his prayer, he memorizes a portion and is able to recite it? Why does this invalidate the prayer? And what is the definition of ummi here, one who can read, or one who can read and/or recite?
My friend is particularly interested in the last question as she is doing her Master’s thesis work on literacy in the early period.
Al-Salam `alaykum
Ummi refers to a person who is unable to recite a portion of the Qur’an due to his not having memorised any of it, perhaps due to his being new into the fold of Islam or his inability to memorise or loss of memory. If such an excused person was praying without recitation and during his prayer he learns a sura or a portion of the Qur’an (for. e.g. by remembering something that he had forgotten or by listening to someone reciting) then his salah is invalidated.
The reason for the invalidation of his prayer as explained by `Allama Kasani in Bada’i` is that Qira’a or recitation is an integral part (rukn) of salah. It is only waived in the case of inability throughout the entire salah. Thus when a person becomes able to recite during his salah this condition of inability throughout the entire salah’ is lost and it makes clear that the salah discharged thus far was not valid due to recitation’s not being waived.
Another reason is that the person’s Tahrima (i.e. his initiation of his salah) was undertaken for a salah without recitation and now since he has become able recitation has become one of the rukns of salah and it cannot be discharged without a Tahrima. Thus the rukn of recitation will remain invalid and consequently the entire salah.
A third reason is that building of a strong action i.e. salah with recitation cannot take place upon a weak foundation i.e. the beginning of salah without recitation. This is similar to the case of a person who had made tayammum finding water and a naked person’s finding clothing.
(Kasani, Bada’i` al-Sana’i` 1:547, Dar al-Kitab, Deoband)
Allah Ta`ala knows best.