Does Repeating Verses of Surah Fatiha out of Waswas Breaks Continuity?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah
Question
Does repeating verses of Surah Fatiha out of waswas break continuity in Surat al-Fatiha in the Shafi‘i Madhab?
Answer
I pray you’re well insha’Allah.
The Shafi‘i fuqaha have mentioned the case of a person suffering from waswasa during the recitation of the Fatiha in prayer and stated that such a person is excused on condition.
Ruling on Waswasa during the Fatiha in Prayer
The ruling is that as long as they intend by their repetitions that they are reciting the Fatiha, the recital is valid and is not interrupted.
‘Intending’ simply means that one knows one is reciting the Fatiha each repetition and does not intend by his words some other reason. [Bughyat al-Mustarshidin]
Waswasa
Try to put aside the rulings for now and do your best and continue. If you are suffering from severe waswasa while knowing the correct ruling, then know that shaytan is at work. He wants you to keep beating yourself up and going over the same matter over and over again, so all your time gets wasted on it, and you can’t complete your worship or move on to any other worship to Allah. The first step is to say the ta‘awwudh before commencing prayer, and in each rak‘a, before the Fatiha.
If you find your condition worsening, it may be worth seeking counseling to help surface the reasons behind your misgivings.
Please also refer to the following answers:
Waswasa Archives
A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)
May Allah give you ease in all your affairs.
Warmest salam,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah
Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.
