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Is My Prayer Valid If I Omit a Wajib Recital?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Seekersguidance.org

Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum. Is my prayer accepted if I only recite Sura al-Fatiha with no other sura after it in all my raka’s (including the first two raka’s of Fard Salah)?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

Valid – Yet Deficient

Technically, the prayer valid – but grossly deficient. Acceptance is in Allah’s hands, but usually acts need to be done according to the way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with sincerity to be accepted. (Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah)

Here, the first element is missing. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) saw someone rushing his prayer and he told him, “Stand and pray because you have not prayed.” [Bukhari]

Imagine giving your wife a bunch of roses as an expression of your love – except that they are a week old, going black, and wilting. How successfully will they convey your undying love to her?

See Qadas As a Fresh Opportunity

I understand the need to want to perform all your qada prayers as soon as you can, especially if there are decades worth of them. However, do not skip the wajib elements. Reciting the additional verses can take just a few seconds. Just recite the first three verses of Sura al-Rahman for brevity.

You can save time by reciting one tasbih in the ruku’ and sujud if you like, but making more omissions will not save you that much time- a few seconds at best. Perhaps praying a more complete prayer will be the deed that makes you beloved to Allah.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

This answer was collected from Seekersguidance.org. It’s an online learning platform overseen by Sheikh Faraz Rabbani. All courses are free. They also have in-person classes in Canada.

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