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Repeating Tashahhud in the same position during the prayer

Question

Al-slamu AL-laikom .... Briefly, while I was on my way to the Friday prayer, a girl had mistakenly touched my sweater. Although, I have had felt her finger on my shoulder I didn't renew my ablution and continued to the mosque to perform the prayer. Moreover, during the last unit of the prayer I have read the tashahod more than once due to some personal inconvenient satisfaction in pronouncing the correct words and then a man who completed his prayer had passed in front of me not knowing that I was still kneeling in a middle of a prayer !! .. My questions are does a unintentional touch from the oppoisite sex requires a new ablution in order to perfrom a prayer. Plus, is it possible to read the (Tashahod) more than once? finally, was my prayer fully correct under the mentioned circumstances. Jazakom Allahu Khair ...

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Your ablution is valid and is not invalidated by the girl touching your shoulder with your sweater on. We have already issued Fataawa 85184 and 84131 clarifying that touching a woman does not invalidate one's ablution unless it is done with desire and if one touches her body directly without any clothing that separates them.

As regards repeating the Tashahhud in the same position, then this is not legislated, and the jurists  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them stated that it is disliked to repeat the Faatihah (opening chapter of the Quran) and gave evidence that this was never reported from the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) or his companions  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them. Likewise, the Tashahhud was not reported that they ever repeated it in the same sitting position, so it is disliked to do so; however, the prayer is correct.

Finally, we advise you not to open the door of whispering, as this is a widespread evil, and if one indulges in whispering, this spoils his mind and his acts of worship.

Allaah Knows best.

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