Does It Invalidate the Prayer to Recite a Verse Twice?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

If I recite a verse or dhikr or dua in the prayer and then recite it again knowingly so as to make it better or with any other intention, is the prayer invalid?

For example, can I repeat a verse from Fatiha? I have heard that adding an obligation to salah will make salah invalid. Is there any proof for this statement?

Answer

Thank you for your question.

Repeating a Verse

Please see the following answer to answer your question about repeating a verse of the Fatiha:
Does Repeating Verses of Surah Fatiha out of Waswas Breaks Continuity?

Repeating Dhikr

As for repeating a formula of remembrance, such as what is said during the bowing, here is the ruling “One then says, ‘My Lord Most Great is exalted above all limitation,’ three times, the least that is optimal. If praying alone, or the imam of a limited number of followers who do not mind the extra length, one may increase the number of times one says this to five, seven, nine, or eleven.” [Keller, The Reliance of the Traveller]

If you want to specify about a certain dhikr, do let us know.

May Allah 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.