[Q 422] Loud Recitation in Sirri Salah, Imam Recites Loudly in Silent Prayer, Invalidity Due to Loud Recitation

QUESTION:

If during a sirri salaah e.g Asar, imam reads sura Fatiha and other Surah loud enough that a person standing 5th/6th place on imam’s right side could tell what imam is reading and could hear recitation clearly even though imam is not reading vocally but just loud enough to be heard; what is the ruling of such salah?

ANSWER:

If in a Sirri (silent) prayer, such as ʿAsr, the Imam recites in such a voice that five to six people on the left side of the first row can clearly hear his recitation without even trying to listen attentively, then this falls under Jahr (loud recitation). And doing Jahr in Sirri Rakʿahs is considered Tark-e-Wājib (abandoning a Wājib act). If done out of forgetfulness, Sajda-e-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) becomes Wājib (obligatory), and if done deliberately, repeating the Salah becomes Wājib.

Therefore, in the given case, due to Tark-e-Wājib, repeating the prayer is Wājib. And since the Imam is doing this intentionally, it is also Makruh Taḥrīmi (prohibitively disliked) and a sin.

The detail is as follows: in Sirri Rakʿahs, reciting in a low voice is Wājib. Doing Jahr in those Rakʿahs is Tark-e-Wājib. The Fuqahā’ (Islamic jurists) have stated that the minimum level of Jahr is that, hypothetically, if one or two people near the Imam can hear it, this would still be within the range of Sirri recitation. But if the voice is louder than that, it would be considered Jahr. And if people in the first row can hear, that is considered Jahri recitation. This has been clearly mentioned by ʿAllāmah Shāmī رحمه الله.

Therefore, in the mentioned case, the recitation clearly falls into the category of Jahr. The Imam should be careful about the distinction between Sirri and Jahri recitation and should recite in Sirri Rakʿahs with such a low voice that only he himself can hear it.

While explaining the limits of Sirri and Jahri recitation, ʿAllāmah Shāmī رحمه الله تعالى writes:

فقد ظهر بهذا أن أدنى المخافتة إسماع نفسه أو من بقربه من رجل أو رجلين مثلا۔۔۔وأدنى الجهر إسماع غيره ممن ليس بقربه كأهل الصف الأول، وأعلاه لا حد له فافهم

[Radd al-Muḥtār, Volume 1, Page 535]

ʿAllāmah Ḥaṣkafī رحمه الله writes:

وأدنى الجهر إسماع غيره، وأدنى المخافتة إسماع نفسه ومن بقربه، فلو سمع رجل أو رجلان فليس بجهر

[al-Durr al-Mukhtār, Page 74]

Under this statement, Imām Aḥmad ibn Ismāʿīl Ṭaḥāwī رحمه الله تعالى says:

قولہ: (وادنى الجهر۔۔۔الخ) ولا حد لاعلاه؛ والمراد بالغیر: الذی لیس بقربہ لما یأتی فی المخافتۃ قولہ: “وادنى المخافتۃ”

[Ḥāshiyat al-Ṭaḥṭāwī ʿala al-Durr al-Mukhtār, Volume 2, Page 229]

ʿAllāmah ʿAynī رحمه الله writes:

ولو جهر الإمام فيما يخافت، أو خافت فيما يجهر، تلزمه سجدتا السهو؛ لأن الجهر في موضعه، والمخافتة في موضعها من الواجبات

[al-Bināyah Sharḥ al-Hidāyah, Volume 2, Page 614]

Sayyidī Imām Ahl-e-Sunnat Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمه الله writes:

“If the Imam recites, even out of forgetfulness, in an audible voice during those Rakʿahs in which quiet recitation is Wājib (like all Rakʿahs of Ẓuhr and ʿAsr, the last two of ʿIshā’, and the third of Maghrib), and that recitation includes enough Qur’ān to fulfill the obligation (which according to Imām Aʿẓam رضي الله تعالى عنه is one verse), then without a doubt Sajda-e-Sahw becomes Wājib. If Sajda-e-Sahw is not done without a Sharʿī excuse, or the recitation was that loud intentionally, then repeating the Salah becomes Wājib. If less than that (e.g., one or two words) were recited loudly, then according to stronger opinions there is no harm.”

[Fatāwā Riḍawiyyah, Volume 6, Page 251]

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 5th July 2025.