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Fatwa CenterHe cannot recite the Quran in his prayer
Question
I got married some years ago. I have children and I work. When I pray, I cannot remember anything of the prayer. I recite the Quran daily but I cannot memorize anything, not even a word. Even at school, I used to study at a special school due to my poor memory. Some people took me to a psychiatrist. Please advise me. What should I do?
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The Sharee‘ah of Islam is built upon easiness and tolerance. It includes no trial or difficulty. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {And has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.} [Quran 22:78]
· {So fear Allaah as much as you are able} [Quran 64:16]
· {Allaah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2:286]
Know that the Muslim should learn Al-Faatihah because it is a pillar without which prayer is not valid, for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever does not recite Al-Faatihah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
If you can remember Al-Faatihah but cannot memorize anything other than it, your prayer is valid because reading a portion of the Quran after Al-Faatihah is an act of the Sunnah, not an obligation or a duty.
If one cannot recite Al-Faatihah depending on his memory, he may read it from a Mus-haf and try to learn it. If he could not, the Sharee‘ah gave him solutions, praise be to Allaah, through certain issues:
1- To pray in congregation behind an Imaam; thereupon, he would not be harmed for not reading Al-Faatihah or anything according to many scholars whether it is an audible or inaudible prayer. Adhering to praying in congregation is a treatment for the problem of forgetting the number of Rak‘ahs as well.
2- To say instead of Al-Faatihah: Subhaan Allaah wal-Hamdu lillaah wa La Ilaaha Illa Allaah wallaahu Akbar wa La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah, and praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship but Allaah, and Allaah is The Greatest, and there is no might and no strength save in Allaah). ‘Abdullaah ibn Abi Awfa, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, narrated that a man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said: I cannot memorize anything of the Quran so teach me something which is sufficient for me. He said: "Say Subhaan Allaah wal-Hamdu lillaah wa La Ilaaha Illa Allaah wallaahu Akbar wa Laa Hawla wa la Quwwata Illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah, and praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and Allaah is the Greatest, and there is no might and no strength save in Allaah.)" [Ahmad, Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’i]
3- If he could only remember some of this, he may repeat them with the length of the above mentioned supplication.
4- If he cannot remember any supplications, he should stand for a period that equals the period of reciting Al-Faatihah then complete his prayer.
These solutions as you can see are extremely easy and they eliminate all difficulties. You should always remember Allaah especially by saying the supplications of morning, evening, bedtime, eating, entering and exiting, for remembering Allaah is a fortified castle with which man protects himself against Satan and his whispers.
Allaah Knows best.
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