Acts which Invalidate Congregational Salaat

1. To give luqmah to anyone other than the imam while one is in salaat makes that salaat invalid. To give luqmah means to correct someone who has made a mistake in reciting the Quran. Note: Since there is a difference of opinion among the jurists with regard to the masa’il of luqmah, some ulama have written special books on this subject. We are therefore mentioning a few details over here.

2. If the muqtadi gives a luqmah to his imam, his salaat will not become invalid. This is irrespective of whether the imam has recited the specified amount or not. The “specified amount” in this context refers to that amount of qira’at which is the recommended amount. But in this case, it will be better for the imam to go into ruku, as will be mentioned in the next mas’ala.

3. If the imam has recited the specified amount, he should go into ruku and should not force the muqtadis to give him luqmah. (To do so is makruh) The muqtadis should also note that as long as there is no genuine need, they should not give luqmah to the imam. (To do so is also makruh) Here “genuine need” means that the imam wishes to continue forward despite making a mistake, or that he does not go into ruku, or that he keeps silent and remains standing. Even if they correct him without any “genuine need”, the salaat will not become invalid – as has been mentioned in the previous mas’alas.

4. If a person gives luqmah to another person who is in salaat and the person who gave the luqmah was not his muqtadi – irrespective of whether he was offering any salaat or not – then if the person accepts the luqmah then his salaat will become invalid. However, if the person remembers on his own, either at the same time when the luqmah was given or prior to that, or he was not influenced by the luqmah from the back, but reads from his memory, then the salaat of the one to whom luqmah was given will not become invalid.

5. If a person who is offering salaat gives luqmah to someone who is not his imam, irrespective of whether the latter is offering salaat or not, then the former’s salaat will become invalid.

6. If the muqtadi gives luqmah to the imam by hearing the recitation of someone else or by looking into the Quran, his salaat will become invalid. And if the imam accepts this luqmah, his salaat will also become invalid. If after looking into the Quran or by hearing the recitation of someone else, the muqtadi remembers the verse and gives the luqmah based on his memory, then the salaat will not become invalid.

7. Similarly, if a person is offering his salaat and recites one verse after looking into the Quran, his salaat will still become invalid. And if he had known this verse before looking into the Quran, his salaat will not become invalid. Alternatively, he did not remember this verse previously, but looked at less than the complete verse, then too his salaat will not become invalid.

8. If a woman stands near a man in such a way that any part of her body comes in line with any part of the body of the man, then the salaat will become invalid. So much so that when she goes into sajdah and her head comes in line with his feet, even then the salaat will become invalid. However, for the salaat to become invalid, the following conditions have to be found:

1. The woman is mature (irrespective of whether she is young or old), or she is immature but old enough for sexual intercourse. If a very young immature girl is in line with a man in salaat, the salaat will not become invalid.
2. Both, man and woman, have to be in salaat. If any one of them is not in salaat and they come in line, the salaat will not become invalid.
3. There must be no barrier between the two. If there is a curtain between the two, a sutra, or there is such a gap between the two that one person can stand there without any difficulty, the salaat will not become invalid.
4. All the prerequisites for the salaat to be valid have to be found in the woman. If a woman is a lunatic, in the state of menstruation or nifaas, then her coming in line with the man will not make the salaat invalid because she herself will not be considered to be in salaat.
5. The salaat must not be a janaazah salaat. Being in line with a man in janaazah salaat will not invalidate the salaat.
6. Being in line has to be to the extent of one rukn of salaat. If it is any less, the salaat will not become invalid. For example, they stand in line for such a short period of time that the ruku or anything else cannot be made, and thereafter she goes away. This little while will not invalidate the salaat.
7. The takbeer-e-tahreemah of both is the same. That is, this woman is a muqtadi of that man, or this man and woman are the muqtadis of a third person.
8. At the time of commencing the salaat, the imam had made the intention of imamat for the woman or made this intention in the midst of his salaat when she joined the jama’at. If the imam did not make an intention of imamat for her, the salaat will not become invalid. Instead, only her salaat will not be valid.

9. If the imam’s wudu breaks and he leaves the musjid without appointing anyone as his deputy, the salaat of all the muqtadis will become invalid.

10. The imam appointed such a person as his deputy who does not possess the requirements to be an imam. For example, he appointed a lunatic, an immature child or a woman. In this case, everyone’s salaat will become invalid.

11. If a woman kisses her husband while he is in salaat then his salaat will not become invalid. However, if at the time of being kissed, the man is overtaken by passion, then his salaat will become invalid. If a woman is in her salaat and a man kisses her, then her salaat will become invalid irrespective of whether he kissed her with desire or not, and irrespective of whether she was overcome by passion or not.

12. If a person tries to pass in front of a musalli, it is permissible for the musalli to push him aside or to s him from this act. This is on condition that this act of sping him does not involve a lot of movement. If it involves a lot of movement, his salaat will become invalid.