Question 547: Can you please tell us those things which invalidate the prayer?
Answer 547: There are a number of things which invalidate the prayer. They are called mubtilat, as follows:
1, The minor and major pollutions, (i.e., urine, feces, Janabat, etc.) They invalidate the prayer whenever they occur in the prayer, though at the time of reciting the letter “mim” which comes in the Salam (at the conclusion of the prayer), regardless whether it is done deliberately, erroneously or inadvertently, to the exclusion of one suffering from incontinence in urination, stool or a Mustahadah (a woman having undue menses), as has been mentioned earlier.
2, Takfir or Takattuf, which means putting one hand over the other in the way it is done by others than ourselves (i.e. the non-Shi’ahs). It invalidates the prayers, according to the stronger opinion, if done deliberately, but not if done inadvertently, though it is more cautious to offer the prayer again. There is, however, no objection if it is done by way of Taqiyyah.
3, Turning the whole body backwards or towards the right or left or between them, in a way that the person offering the prayer would cease to be facing the Qiblah. If it is done deliberately, it would invalidate the prayer in all circumstances. Rather even if a person turns his body in a way that it ceases to be between the east and west, even if it is done inadvertently or forcibly or the like. Of course, the prayer would not be invalidated if a person turns to the right or left in a way that he continues facing the Qiblah as soon as he becomes easy; otherwise, it would be rendered disapproved. If, however, the turning is so serious that the face of the person offering prayers turns to the right or left of the Qiblah, then, according to the stronger opinion, the prayer shall be rendered void.
4, Speaking deliberately, even if the word spoken contains two meaningless letters, i.e., the person offering the prayer uses a meaningless word consisting of two letters in its kind or type, which, according to the stronger opinion, would invalidate the prayer, and even in case otherwise it would invalidate the prayer, according to the more cautious opinion.
- 5. Laughter even if forcibly. Of course, there is no objection if done inadvertently, as there is no objection in smiling even if intentionally
Laughter means laughing loudly when the sound revolves in the throat According to the more cautious opinion, to this is added as a rule laughing which consists of only sound, and even if it consists of the sound as well as the sound revolving in the throat supposing the person to have controlled himself from laughing when, for example, his mouth becomes full of laughter and his face turns red and he start trembling. In such case his prayer is not rendered void except when its very appearance is changed.
6, Weeping deliberately and loudly on some mundane loss, except when one starts weeping for an error in prayer, or some matter relating to Hereafter, or while asking for some mundane thing from Allah, the Exalted, particularly when the thing asked for is preferable from the point of view of Shari’at, in which the prayer shall not be rendered void. If, however, the weeping does not consist of sound, it is more cautious to offer the prayer again, though its not being rendered void is not devoid of force. If a person is overwhelmed with weeping causing invalidation of the prayer under compulsion, it is more cautious for him to offer the prayer again; rather its being obligatory is not devoid of force.
As regards permissibility of weeping on the leader of all martyrs (i.e. Imam Hussain), May our lives be sacrificed for him, there is hesitation and difficulty (in accepting it), and so caution must not be given up.
7, Every act which changes the appearance of prayers in a way that it would deprive the prayer of its name as prayer, though a little, renders the prayer void deliberately or inadvertently.
As regards an act which does not change the appearance of the prayer, if it causes failure to observe uninterrupted succession in the prayer in the usual sense, according to the more cautious opinion, it would invalidate the prayer in case it were deliberate, but not when it were unintentional.
In case the act does not cause failure to observe the uninterrupted succession, then if it were deliberate, it would not render the prayer void, not to speak of the case when it was unintentional, even if it is a great deal like moving the fingers, sign by hand or the like to call someone, or killing a snake or scorpion, carrying a baby, placing it on the ground, taking it in one’s lap, nursing it or the like which does not cause interruption in succession nor does it change the appearance of the prayer.
8, Eating and drinking, even if were in a small quantity, according to the more cautious opinion.
Of course, there is no objection in swallowing the particles of food which have remained in the mouth or between the teeth, though it is more cautious to refrain from it.
Caution must not be given up by avoiding to keep sugar in the mouth, even if in a small quantity, so that it may dissolve and may slip down the throat bit by bit, even if does not cause any change in the appearance of the prayer nor does it cause failure in the uninterrupted sequence.
There is no difference in the application of the rules mentioned whether the prayer is obligatory or supererogatory, except in turning the face from the Qiblah in offering a supererogatory prayer while walking. In case it were a non-supererogatory prayer, according to the more cautious opinion, the prayer shall be rendered void.
This is to the exclusion of the case of a thirsty person who is busy in Du’ã in a Vitr prayer who intends to keep fast the same day, if he is afraid that the day may dawn, while the water is before him and requires to take only two or three steps, it would be permissible for him to walk and drink water to his fill, even if it takes a long time, provided that he has not done anything else invalidating the prayer, though when he intends to return to his former place, he must return backward so that his back may not be towards the Qiblah.
9, Uttering the word Ameen after completing the Sürat al-Fatihah (Chapter 1 of the Quran) except by way of Taqiyyah (Dissimulation), in which case there is no objection, as is the case who does it inadvertently.
10, Doubting the number (of Rak’ats) in prayers other than those having four Rak’ats from among the daily obligatory prayers, and doubting in the first two Rak’ats (in prayers having four Rak’ats) due to the reasons to be explained, God willing, in their relevant place.
11, Reducing or adding a part in all circumstances when it were a pillar (of the prayer), and doing so deliberately in case it were other than a pillar (of the prayer).[1]
[1] . Tawzih al-Masael of maraja’ (with annotation of Imam Khomeini), Vol. 1, Pgs. 614-634; Tahrir al-Wasilah of Imam Khomeini (ra), Vol. 1, Pgs. 212-217.