Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
What should I do if I mistakenly said “Allahu Akbar” while giving salam in the prayer?
If I said just “Allahu” and then I remember and said “Assalamu ‘Alaykum” is my prayer valid?
Answer
I pray you are well.
You don’t have to do anything. The prayer is valid. Saying ‘Allahu Akbar’ is a form of dhikr and saying it at any point in the prayer is fine, in the sense that it does not invalidate the prayer. If you said the salam after starting the dhikr, the prayer is valid. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
We ask Allah to fill our prayers with the perception of Him being greater than all else.
May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani