Does One Have to Repeat the Prayer If One Is Not Certain of Its Perfection?


Hanafi Fiqh

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I am someone that has doubts with every prayer and wudu. It is very difficult for me to finish praying because of these doubts.

I recently read that “scholars state that ending a prayer with Taslim without being certain of its perfection nullifies prayer.” Is this true? Do I need to repeat my prayers because I am rarely certain of perfection?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are well.

Thank you for your question.

What they mean by this statement is, if someone is not certain he has not performed his prayer fulfilling all the obligatory (fard) and necessary (wajib) actions, then he should repeat the prayer. Rest assured, your prayers are valid. You do not have to repeat.

I would like you to go through the Reader below, it will help you in every way:
A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)
Prayer Reader: The Ultimate Guide To Prayer in Islam

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on Seekersguidance?

May Allah (Most High) give you ease and relief from the misgivings and doubts, amin

I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.