Should I Repeat My Prayer Out of Fear That I Showed Off?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

If someone is praying beside me and follows the sunnah in rising from prostration and I also follow him to show off him due to fear of fitna, but still ignored thoughts of riya (showing off) in that prayer, do I have to repeat prayer because thoughts of showing off came in prayer?

Answer

Thank you for your question. No, you don’t need to repeat the prayer. You should focus on educating yourself further in your religion so that you don’t get doubts or baseless misgivings [waswasa], and learn specifically what invalidates one’s prayer.

We all struggle with focus in our prayer and the key is continuously repent, return to Allah and renew our intentions. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said, “A man returns after saying his prayer while a tenth part of his prayer, or a ninth part, or an eighthpart, or a seventh part, or a sixth part, or a fifth part, or a third part, or half of it, is recorded for him. [Abu Dawud]

Please see the links below:
How Do I Get Rid of My Anxiety About Praying To Show Off?
What Is Riya (Ostentation)?
First Principles of Islamic Spirituality: Ibn Ashir’s Introduction to Sufism Explained
Absolute Essentials of Islam (Shafi‘i)

May Allah aid us in establishing the prayer for His sake, and give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.