If a person is disturbed in prayer, can he say stop with a hand signal?

- Is it regarded as speaking and does it invalidate wudu? 

Dear Brother / Sister,

If a person is disturbed in prayer and if his peace and awe are prevented, it is permissible for him to make a hand signal without speaking; his prayer is not invalidated. 

Making a hand signal in prayer is not regarded as speaking and it does not invalidate prayer. For instance, to answer the greeting of a person by a hand signal in prayer is makruh tanzihi according to Hanafi madhhab and mustahab according to Shafii madhhab. (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami, 1/779)

However, it is necessary to be careful about something: If “being disturbed in prayer” is not much and if the signal we make will not be effective – for instance if a child causes the disturbance - , one needs to be careful before making a signal. If the disturbance is not much, it is more appropriate to continue prayer. If we think the hand signal will not probably make the person who disturbs him give up, it is better not to make a hand signal. 

Things that invalidate prayer:

If one of the rukns or fards of the prayer is missing, the prayer is invalidated. The word fasid or batil is used to express that a prayer has been invalidated. Along with rukns and fards, there are some things that are necessary to avoid; they are all called "mufsidat as-salah" (things that invalidate prayer).

Things that invalidate prayer can be classified as follows:

1. To speak in prayer.

To speak deliberately or by mistake in prayer invalidates the prayer.

To speak, to call someone, to address a person, to greet someone, to say hello, to answer one’s greeting by words, to say "yarhamukallah" or "bless you" to a person who sneezes invalidate prayer. It does not matter whether they are done deliberately or by mistake. If a person who is praying answers the greeting of a person by saying, for instance, "aleykum as-salam" by mistake, forgetting that he is in prayer, his prayer is invalidated. If a person utters salawat in prayer when the name of the Prophet (pbuh) is mentioned, his prayer is invalidated too. Similarly, if a person reads a verse of the Quran with the intention of giving an answer to a person, his prayer is also invalidated because it is regarded as speaking to others. If a person says "alhamdulillah" in prayer when he hears some good news or says "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun" when he hears some bad news or when he says "subhanallah" when he hears something surprising or when he reads the verse "Tilka hududullahi fala taqrabuha" (Those are limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto) in order to tell someone who wants permission to enter not to enter, his prayer is invalidated.

It is also stated that saying a supplication (dua) in a way that is similar to ordinary speaking in the last sitting will also invalidate the prayer.

2. To do amal kathir

Amal kathir means to do a lot of things or to do something excessive. It is not possible to determine clear limits for amal kathir but it is generally described as doing something that will make the onlooker think that he is not performing a prayer. Therefore, if deeds that are contrary to prayer, that do not resemble the deeds in prayer and that are not in compliance with prayer give others the impression that one is not in prayer, those deeds are regarded as amal kathir. However, when the narrations that when the Prophet (pbuh) was in prayer, his grandsons climbed his back and sat on his lap are considered, prayer is not invalidated when a person places a child on the ground or pushes him aside gently when he encounters similar situations. 

To shake hands with a person is regarded as amal kathir.

3. To turn away from the qiblah direction.

4. To eat or drink something.

If a person puts something in his mouth to eat after he starts a prayer, his prayer is invalidated even if it is as small as a sesame seed. However, if he swallows something that has remained between his teeth before the prayer, his prayer is not invalidated but if he chews something that has remained between his teeth before the prayer, his prayer is invalidated because it is something contrary to the prayer. Therefore, to chew a gum in prayer or to put a candy in one’s mouth before the prayer and to swallow it as it melts in prayer invalidates the prayer. 

5. To growl without an excuse and to try to cough. However, if a person coughs naturally or if he growls in order to eliminate the hoarse sound while reading the Quran, if he coughs to indicate that he is in prayer and in order to warn the imam, his prayer is not invalidated.

6. To blow something by saying puff, etc. or to express fatigue, tiredness etc. by saying ah, oh, etc. 

7. To groan.

To sigh and to groan invalidate prayer but if a person sighs or groans due to awe and deepness in prayer, his prayer is not invalidated. 

8. To laugh.

To laugh loudly enough to hear oneself invalidates the prayer only. If a person laughs loudly enough for the people next to him to hear him, both his prayer and wudu are invalidated. Laughing like that invalidates only the prayer of the children who have not reached the age of puberty, not their wudu. According to the other madhhabs, to laugh even with a laughter in prayer does not invalidate wudu.

9. If a person looks at a writing that catches his eye in prayer, his prayer is not invalidated. However, if he reads the verses of the Quran that he does not know by heart from a mushaf in front of him, his prayer is invalidated according to Abu Hanifa. According to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad, his prayer is not invalidated but it is makruh to do so since it means to resemble the People of the Book. According to Hanbalis, it is makruh for a person who knows those verses by heart but it is permissible to perform a prayer by looking at mushaf.

10. If a person thinks that the first sitting is the last sitting and salutes, his prayer is not invalidated but sajdah as-sahw becomes necessary. If a person salutes by thinking that the noon prayer he is performing is the Friday prayer or the night prayer is tarawih prayer (or thinking that he is safari (traveler)), his prayer is invalidated since he has intended to end the prayer.

11. If a person performs a rukn while his awrah place is open whether it is opened unconsciously or by forgetting or a time period long enough for a rukn (long enough to say subhanallah three times) or when there is impurity that prevents prayer on him, his prayer is invalidated. 

12. Prayer is also invalidated in the following cases that happen involuntarily or unconsciously:

If the sun rises while a person is performing the morning prayer, if zawal time starts while performing eid prayer, if the time period for the afternoon prayer starts while performing the Friday prayer, the prayer is invalidated. However, if the time period for the afternoon prayer starts while performing the noon prayer, the prayer is not invalidated.

If a person who is sahib at-tartib (a person who has not missed any prayers) remembers while performing a prayer that he has missed a prayer, his prayer is invalidated.

If a person who is performing a prayer by tayammum sees water that can be used in prayer, his prayer is invalidated.

If the excuse of a person ends, his prayer is invalidated.

If the time period for masah ends while a person is performing a prayer by having wiped over khuffs, his prayer is invalidated. This period is one day and night for a resident and three days and nights for a traveler. If a person takes of his khuffs that he has wiped over, his prayer is invalidated because his wudu becomes invalidated when he takes off his khuffs.

The prayer of a person is not invalidated if somebody, whether a man or a woman, walks in front of him. If the person who walks does it deliberately, he becomes a sinner. The passing in front of a praying person that is makruh is passing from the place of prostration in an open area or a big mosque, and passing from opposite him in a small mosque. It is mustahab for a person who is performing a prayer in a place where people can pass in front of him to have a sutrah before him, that is, to perform the prayer behind a column or to put a walking stick, hat or umbrella in front of him. In congregational prayer, the sutrah of the imam is regarded as the sutrah of the people following him. To circumambulate the Kaaba is regarded as a deed of worshipping like prayer; therefore, it is not necessary to have a sutrah for those who circumambulate the Kaaba while performing a prayer there.

13. If the wudu of a person is invalidated in a prayer, his prayer is also invalidated. The prayer of a person who does something that invalidates prayer deliberately is invalidated. However, if it is done at the end of the prayer, his prayer is not invalidated according to Hanafis since he will be regarded to have left the prayer with his own deed. In case of an excuse like the bleeding of the nose, the prayer is not invalidated unless a time period long enough to perform a rukn passes according to Hanafis. Such a person can make wudu again at once and can resume his prayer or he can perform it again if he wishes.

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