A person asks about the validity of their prayers after reading a second Surah in the third and fourth rak'ahs, not knowing it was incorrect.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Ayatollah Khamenei (may God protect him):
- In the third and fourth rak'ahs of obligatory prayers, it is sufficient to recite the four praises (Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar) once, although it is recommended to repeat them three times. Reciting Al-Fatiha suffices in place of them.
- Therefore, the addition you made was the extra Surah. If you were mistaken in your reading and were ignorant of the ruling, your prayer is considered invalid. However, if you were genuinely unaware and believed you were correct, your prayer is valid for what has passed.
To calculate the missed prayers, you can refer to question 12779.
Source: Message on Prayer and Fasting, Prayer, Obligations of Prayer, Recitation, M 184 + Special Inquiry.
Ayatollah Sistani (may God protect him):
- The person praying, whether an imam or a follower, has the option in the third rak'ah of Maghrib and the last two rak'ahs of four-unit prayers to choose between Al-Fatiha and the praises, which include: (Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar). It is necessary to maintain the Arabic language, and this suffices once, although it is recommended to repeat it three times, and it is preferable to add seeking forgiveness to it.
Thus, the addition you made was the extra Surah. If the addition was due to ignorance, your prayer is invalid. However, if you were excused in your ignorance, your prayer is valid.
To calculate the missed prayers, you can refer to question 12779.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Recitation, M 625 + Commentary on Al-Urwah Al-Wuthqa, Vol. 2, Errors in Prayer, Issue 3, Commentary No. 891
May you be successful in all good.