Question # 525: Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh I have been reading thana after surah fatiha instead of before surah fatiha. Does this mean all my salahs are invalid. Jazak Allahu Khayran
bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,
Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
Dear questioner,
First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.
Shorter Answer: The prayer is not invalidated by reciting the opening supplication for the prayer after Soorah Fatihah. If a praying person recites a legislated Thikr (mention of Allah) in prayer at a position other than its proper place, then it is recommended for him to prostrate for forgetfulness, although it is not obligatory. Please refer to Question #53: Manner of reciting thana (sana) before Soorah Fatihah in salah
Long Answer: The prayer is not invalidated by reciting the opening supplication for the prayer [after Soorah Fatihah], and it [also] does not also necessitate prostration for forgetfulness.
Indeed, the jurists stated that if a praying person recites a legislated Thikr (mention of Allah) in prayer at a position other than its proper place, then it is recommended for him to prostrate for forgetfulness, but it is not obligatory.
Ibn Qudaamah said: “…What does not invalidate the prayer if one does it intentionally, and it is of two kinds: The first is to mention a legislated Thikr, but not at its particular place, such as reciting (the Quran) while bowing or prostrating; saying the Tashahhud when one is standing in prayer; sending salutations and blessings upon the Prophet (saws) in the first Tashahhud; reciting a Soorah in the last two Rak’ahs of prayers that have four Rak’ahs or in the last Rak’ah of the Maghrib; and so forth. If he did so out of forgetfulness, is it legislated for him to prostrate for forgetfulness? There are two views in this regard: one of which is that it is not legislated for him to prostrate for forgetfulness because the prayer does not become invalid by doing this intentionally, so it is not legislated to prostrate for doing it out of forgetfulness either, just like leaving the acts of the Sunnah (i.e., the sunnah actions which the Prophet (saws) did in the prayer). The second narration is that it is legislated for him to prostrate for forgetfulness, as the Prophet (saws) said, ‘If one of you happens to forget, then let him perform two prostrations while he is sitting.’ [Muslim] So if we say that it is legislated for him to prostrate, then this is only recommended and not obligatory…”
(The above reply is based on various answers on similar topics provided by Islamweb.net, a website belonging to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in the State of Qatar)
Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.
Wassalaam
