Darul Ifta Ibn Masood

Imaam stuttering in Salaah

· 12 Ramadan 1443 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

If a person leading the Taraweeh Salaah has a speech impediment such as very bad stuttering, and as a result, he lengthens the first letter of the words very long, and it takes him a while to get to the word he wants to say, is Taraweeh behind this person valid?

Answer

If it is just minimal stuttering (whereby the word is not recited too clearly), then he should be allowed to continue with Imaamat. However, if he is not pronouncing the words correctly due to excessively lengthening the words (as a result of stuttering), and there are other good readers present, then the Imaamat of such a person is not valid.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

سئل الخير الرملي عما إذا كانت اللثغة يسيرة. فأجاب بأنه لم يرها لأئمتنا، وصرح بها الشافعية بأنه لو كانت يسيرة بأن يأتي بالحرف غير صاف لم تؤثر. قال وقواعدنا لا تأباه اهـ وبمثله أفتى تلميذ الشارح المرحوم (رد المحتار ص582 ج1)

ولا يجوز إمامة الألثغ الذي لا يقدر على التكلم ببعض الحروف إلا لمثله إذا لم يكن في القوم من يقدر على التكلم بتلك الحروف فأما إذا كان في القوم من يقدر على التكلم بها فسدت صلاته وصلاة القوم (الفتاوي الهندية ص86 ج1)

Answered by
Mufti Mohammed Desai
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Source: Darul Ifta Ibn Masood — https://fataawa.co.za/imaam-stuttering-in-salaah/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/ibnmasood-17687

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