Does Mispronunciation of Letters Invalidate the Prayer?

Does mispronunciation of letters invalidate the prayer?

Reciting a part from the Qur’an in prayer is a fardh of it. The Qur’an should be recited correctly and duly in order to fulfill this fardh. Slip of tongue and mistake of the reciter is called dhallatu’l-qari or lahn.

The prayer is not invalidated when the letters cannot be pronounced from the exact articulation point, in the pieces recited in prayer where there are letters whose articulation points are close like the letters sin and sad. If some letters are used instead of others as they are confused commonly although there is no closeness in their articulation points, many scholars say that prayer is not invalidated. This applies when the letter ( ذ ) is recited instead of letter ( ض ), or the letter ( ظ ) is recited instead of
( د ). Because in such conditions there is an unintentional and ineluctable situation (umum al-balwa). However, if the letters with different articulation points are pronounced in place of each other and the meaning changes, the prayer is invalidated. The prayer will be valid if one goes back and pronounces them correctly (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, I, 87; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, II, 394-396).

According to the Shafi’i school, if a person changes a letter with another in Surah al- Fatiha although he has the ability and opportunity to learn it correctly, his qiraat will not be valid. However, if he recites the correct version right after the mistake, his prayer will be valid. In this context, for example, if a person who has the chance to learn the articulation point of letter ( ض ) in the expression “waladdallin” in Surah al-Fatiha, pronounces letter ( ظ ) instead of this letter, his prayer is invalidated according to the preferred opinion. However, if he does not have the ability and opportunity to learn the correct pronunciation, his prayer is not invalidated (Ramli, Nihayatul-Muhtaj, I, 481). Mistakes in recitation and articulation points in surahs or verses other than Surah al-Fatiha do not affect the validity of the prayer.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWAS