Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
A man suffers from joint pain, and when rising from a sitting position, he involuntarily says, "Yā Allāh, have mercy!" This has become a habitual utterance, and sometimes he even says it during Salah. Is his prayer valid if these words are spoken during it?
✦ If these words are spoken unintentionally (sahwan) during Salah, the prayer remains valid.
Even if uttered deliberately but occasionally, such phrases are not considered regular worldly speech (kalām al-nās) and do not invalidate the prayer.
① Unintentional utterance during Salah due to pain or habit does not invalidate the prayer.
② Even if uttered intentionally on occasion, such duʿā-like phrases are not considered invalidating speech.
③ The prayer is valid, and no repetition is required.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
❀ Question:
A man suffers from joint pain, and when rising from a sitting position, he involuntarily says, "Yā Allāh, have mercy!" This has become a habitual utterance, and sometimes he even says it during Salah. Is his prayer valid if these words are spoken during it?
❀ Answer:
✦ If these words are spoken unintentionally (sahwan) during Salah, the prayer remains valid.
Even if uttered deliberately but occasionally, such phrases are not considered regular worldly speech (kalām al-nās) and do not invalidate the prayer.
✿ Legal Principle:
- Salah is invalidated by intentional worldly speech that is not part of the prayer.
- However, supplicatory phrases directed to Allah ﷻ—even if outside the standard prayer text—are not classified as kalām al-nās.
✿ Key Clarification:
- Expressions like "Yā Allāh, have mercy", when uttered due to pain or reflex, are not blameworthy.
- In such cases, the prayer remains valid, and no sin is incurred.
✔ Summary:
① Unintentional utterance during Salah due to pain or habit does not invalidate the prayer.
② Even if uttered intentionally on occasion, such duʿā-like phrases are not considered invalidating speech.
③ The prayer is valid, and no repetition is required.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
