Ruling on Restarting a Broken Obligatory Prayer

Ruling on Repeating an Interrupted Obligatory (Farḍ) Prayer

Question:​

If a person is praying a farḍ prayer and has completed three rakʿāt, but then ends the prayer (says salām) due to the congregation for the next prayer starting, should he perform two rakʿāt again or the full four?

Answer by:​

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir (ḥafiẓahullāh)

Sharʿī Ruling:​

✔ If a person invalidates or terminates their obligatory prayer, they must start the entire prayer from the beginning.

• If it was a four-rakʿāt prayer (e.g., Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, or ʿIshā’), they must repeat all four rakʿāt.
• If it was a two-rakʿāt prayer (e.g., Fajr), then they should repeat two rakʿāt.

The partially completed prayer does not count, and it must be offered afresh in full.