Am I Excused If I Have Trouble Pronouncing Some Letters When I Pray?

Answered by Shaykh Farid Dingle

Question

If I find it hard to pronounce certain letters in prayer, am I excused?

Answer

Thank you for your important question.

If one has genuinely tried one’s best to pronounce a letter and, after trying for some time, genuinely cannot physically pronounce it, then one is excused, and the prayer is valid. [Ba ‘Ishan, Bushra al-Karim]

“Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.” [Quran, 2:286]

Being unable to pronounce such letters would mean that one would not lead to prayer unless those following also could not pronounce such letters. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]

“Let he among you who recites the Book of Allah the best lead you in prayer.” [Muslim]

There is a debate in the Shafi‘i school about certain letters being overlooked in general because of the general difficulty in pronouncing them, though this position is not relied upon. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]

At the end of the day, one should just try one’s best to pronounce Allah’s book as Sayyidna Jibril brought it.

I pray this helps.
[Shaykh] Farid Dingle
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.