Firstly, not speaking Arabic does not necessarily entail an error in reciting the Qur᾽ān by itself; the Qur᾽ān has its own structure that transcends the barrier of language comprehension, and instances of those who recite the Qur᾽ān correctly among non-Arabic speakers are not sufficient for comprehension of the language.

Therefore, the criterion is knowing the correct pronunciation of the Quranic words and the rules of Tajwīd (recitation rules), regardless of the reader’s origin.

Secondly, given the aforementioned description, it should be noted that scholars differ regarding the ruling on someone who makes mistakes in reciting the Qur᾽ān during prayer. There is even disagreement within the same school of Islamic thought between strictness and leniency, and this revolves around major issues, including whether the reciter generally recites well or only masters the parts he usually recites, whether the mistake changes the meaning, and whether the mistake occurs while leading the prayer or praying individually. If leading, whether there is someone behind them who recites better or if all are equal in their abilities.

Thirdly, the opinions of scholars on this matter can be summarized as follows:

1. Ḥanafī scholars: They have detailed discussions and differences among early and later scholars. In summary:
   • Prayer is invalid by clear pronunciation errors that change the meaning and lead to concepts of disbelief. For example, reciting “᾽Iyyaki na῾budu” (You (feminine) alone we worship) instead of “᾽Iyyaka na῾budu” (You (masculine) alone we worship) [Al-Fātiḥah: 5].
   • Prayer is invalid if the meaning is drastically altered, such as reciting “mithla hādha al-ghubār” (like this dust) instead of “mithla hādha al-ghurāb” (like this raven) [Al-Mā᾽idah: 31], or “liman kāna lahu kalb” (for those who have a dog) instead of “liman kāna lahu qalb” (for those who have a heart) [Qāf: 37].
   • If the mispronounced word has a counterpart in the Qur᾽ān that sounds similar coincidently, scholars are of two views: validity and invalidity of the prayer. Imam Abū Ḥanīfah and his companion Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan leaned towards the invalidity of the prayer, while Abū Yūsuf said that the prayer is not invalidated due to the presence of a similar counterpart of the mispronounced word.
   • If the mispronounced word does not have a counterpart in the Qur᾽ān and does not change the meaning, such is reciting “qiyāmīn” (standing up) instead of “qawwāmīn” (protecting) [An-Nisā᾽: 135]. The Ḥanafī scholars disagreed. Imam Abū Ḥanīfah and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan stated that the prayer is valid, while the judge Abū Yūsuf stated that it is invalid because the mispronounced word does not have a counterpart in the Qur᾽ān.

In general, the earlier Ḥanafī school is cautious about pronunciation errors.

The later Ḥanafī scholars are more lenient, stating that grammatical errors do not invalidate the prayer due to people’s limited knowledge of such types of errors.

2. Mālikī scholars: In the most authentic view, they believe that prayer is not invalidated by any errors, even in the Fātiḥah (Opening Chapter of the Qur᾽ān). However, the reciter is considered sinful for making mistakes that alter the meaning. They, as usual, look at things from various perspectives. They distinguish between validity and invalidity in one side, and sinfulness and soundness in another side; the latter is a separate issue from the former.
3. Shāfi῾ī and Ḥanbalī scholars: They have further elaboration:
   • If the Imam makes a mistake in reciting other than the Fātiḥah, the prayer is valid, even with clear errors, because the prayer is valid without the recitation of something after Al-Fātiḥah.
   • If the mistake is in the Fātiḥah, they consider the type of error. If it does not change the meaning, such as reciting “ghayru” with a ḍammah instead of “ghayri” with a kasrah, the prayer is valid but disliked. If it changes the meaning and the reciter has the capacity to learn, the prayer is invalidated, and they must repeat it. If the reciter does not have the capacity to learn due to recent conversion to Islam or speech impediment, their prayer is valid.

This is a summary of the four schools of Islamic thought.

Our personal opinion is that we must distinguish between situations before and after the occurrence of such errors in recitation. We lean towards strictness before the occurrence of such errors in recitation and urge people to follow the most stringent view, which is the leadership of a knowledgeable Quranic reciter, as mentioned in one of the ḥadīths. After the occurrence of such errors in recitation, it is easier to urge people to adopt the view of the Mālikī school, which considers the prayer valid in all cases.

Fatwa issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr