Does a Person Who Unknowingly Prayed Invalid Prayers Die as a Muslim?


Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Does a person who unknowingly prayed invalid prayers die as a Muslim? What if waswas about purity led to invalid prayers?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Prayer is a right from Allah (Most High). He can forgive whom He wants and not hold a person accountable for any of their shortcomings, especially those done unknowingly in prayers. Similarly, this applies if a person is afflicted with misgivings.

Rights of Allah upon His Servants

Mu‘adh Ibn Jabal (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “O Mu‘adh, do you know what the right of Allah is upon His servants?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet said, “To worship Him alone and to associate none in worship with Him. And do you know what their right is upon Him?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet said, “Not to punish them if they do so.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Every Discomfort Is an Expiation for Sins

Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Nothing afflicts a Muslim of hardship, nor illness, nor anxiety, nor sorrow, nor harm, nor distress, nor even the pricking of a thorn, but that Allah will expiate his sins by it.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.

Related

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I pray this helps with your question.

Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat 

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.