What Is the Correct Way to Perform the Tashahhud, and Are My Prayers Valid If I Mispronounced Certain Words?
Question
Salam sheikh,
What is the correct way to do the tashahhud? I see many different variations online.
I also noticed I have been saying:
- waṭ-tayyibat as wat-tayyabto
- as-salamu as as-salama
Are my prayers valid if I have been saying the second forms?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
This question involves three matters:
the authentic forms of the tashahhud,
the reason for multiple variations,
and the effect of pronunciation mistakes on the validity of salah.
1. The Shar‘i Context
The tashahhud is a pillar or essential component of salah according to the majority of scholars (Shafii and Hanbali), and a wajib according to the Hanafi school. It must be recited in Arabic as transmitted from the Prophet.
Ibn Masud said:
“The Messenger of Allah taught me the tashahhud as he taught me a surah from the Qur’an.”
This indicates precision, but also that the Prophet taught more than one wording.
2. Why There Are Multiple Valid Versions
The Prophet taught the tashahhud in more than one authentic form, including narrations from:
- Ibn Masud
- Ibn Abbas
- Umar ibn al Khattab
All of these are authentic and accepted by the scholars. This is why you see different versions online.
The most widely used version is the narration of Ibn Masud, which begins with:
“At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat…”
Using any authentic version is valid. There is no obligation to memorize or recite all of them.
3. Ruling on Mispronunciation
Here the scholars make an important distinction.
A. Mistakes That Do Not Change the Meaning
If a person:
- Makes pronunciation errors
- Is not fluent in Arabic
- Intends the correct wording
- Does not deliberately distort the text
then the prayer is valid, especially for non-Arabic speakers.
Allah says:
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Surat al Baqarah 2:286
The scholars agreed that unintentional mistakes due to language difficulty are excused.
B. Mistakes That Change the Meaning
If a pronunciation:
- Clearly changes the meaning
- Is done knowingly and deliberately
- And the person is capable of correcting it
then it should be corrected, especially in the tashahhud.
Saying wat-tayyabto instead of wat-tayyibat and as-salama instead of as-salamu are pronunciation errors, but for most non-Arabic speakers:
- They are not deliberate
- They are phonetic approximations
- They do not invalidate past prayers
Once a person becomes aware, they are required to correct going forward, not repeat past prayers.
4. Do You Need to Repeat Past Prayers
No.
The scholars are clear that:
- Past prayers done in good faith
- With genuine effort
- Without knowledge of the mistake
do not need to be repeated.
The obligation begins after knowledge and ability.
5. Relevant Usul Principles
ما لا يتم الواجب إلا به فهو واجب
What is necessary to fulfill an obligation becomes obligatory.
Once you know the correct pronunciation, learning and applying it becomes required.
Final Ruling
There are multiple authentic and valid versions of the tashahhud, all taught by the Prophet. You may follow any one of them consistently.
Your prayers are valid, even if you previously mispronounced certain words in the tashahhud, as long as this was unintentional and due to language difficulty.
You are not required to repeat past prayers. You should simply correct the pronunciation going forward to the best of your ability.
Allah accepts sincerity, effort, and repentance, not perfection.
And Allah knows best.