Does touching one’s spouse break wuduʾ?

Question: Does touching one’s spouse break wudu? Answer: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ. The Qur’ān says: ﴿ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ ﴾“Or you touched women…” (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 43). The scholars differed in the interpretation of … Read more

Laughing during prayer

Question: Does chuckling out loud in response to a verse in the Quran during prayer invalidate the prayer? Answer: Laughter in prayer affects its validity, and all four Sunni schools agree that audible laughter—where sound comes out loud enough for the person next to you to hear—invalidates the prayer. What counts as “laughter”? A smile … Read more

Which Prayer Times to Follow When Travelling

Question:When travelling, many institutions give different times using different methods for calculating prayer times. One might say 3:40 AM for Fajr, while another says 4:30 AM.Who should we follow when abroad? Answer:When you are abroad, follow the prayer times of the masjid that is closest to you, or the one where you usually pray. This … Read more

Fiqh of Salah (Prayer-Related Issues)

Fiqh of Salah (Prayer-Related Issues) Q: Is reciting Al-Fatiha in Salah a pillar (rukn) of the prayer in all schools of thought?A: According to the Shafi‘i school of thought, reciting Al-Fatiha is a pillar (rukn) of Salah, and thus obligatory in every rak‘ah. If a person misses the recitation—even unintentionally—the rak‘ah is invalid and must … Read more

General Principles of Combining Salah

Fiqh Guide: Organized Q&A on Combining Salah (Prayer) Category: General Principles of Combining Salah Q: Is there evidence in Islam for combining two prayers, such as Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha? A: Yes, it is established through authentic Ahadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the Sunan collections (such as Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, … Read more

Fatwa: how many Rakats for taraweeh prayer

Salam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Alhamdulillah wa Salatu wa Salam ala Rasulillah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, My dear brothers and sisters, yesterday I received a very concerning email. Someone was accusing all the masajid that pray 20 rak’ahs, 21 rak’ahs with Witr, or 23 rak’ahs of going against the Sunnah. They referenced Shaykh Al-Albani … Read more