disputed with us and have been frequent in your dispute with us} (49). It has been narrated from Ahmad that his prayer is invalidated by this, and this is the school of Abu Hanifah, because it is an address to a human, so it resembles speaking to him. It is also narrated from him that which indicates it is not invalidated, for he said regarding one who was told: Your father has died. He replied: {Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.} He does not repeat the prayer. He used as evidence the hadith of 'Ali, when he said to the Khariji: {So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth.} Similar to this has been narrated from Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abi Layla. Abu Bakr al-Khallal narrated with his chain of transmission from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib, who said: We asked permission to enter upon 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla while he was praying, and he said: {Enter Egypt, if Allah wills, safe} (50). We said: How did you do that? He said: We asked permission to enter upon 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud while he was praying, and he said: {Enter Egypt, if Allah wills, safe}. This is because he was reciting the Quran, so his prayer is not corrupted, just as if he had not intended the alert. The Qadi said: If he intended the recitation and not the alerting, his prayer is not corrupted [even if the alerting occurred] (51). If he intended the alerting without the recitation, his prayer is corrupted because he addressed a human. If he intended both, there are two opinions: One of them is that his prayer is not corrupted, which is the school of al-Shafi'i, based on the reports and meanings we have mentioned. The second is that his prayer is corrupted because he addressed a human, resembling the case where he did not intend the recitation. As for if he brings what cannot be distinguished as Quran from others, such as saying to a man named Ibrahim: O Ibrahim, or to 'Isa: O 'Isa, and the like, his prayer is corrupted; for this is the speech of people and is not distinguished from their speech by that which distinguishes the Quran, so it resembles the case where he combines scattered words (52) of the Quran, saying: O Ibrahim, take the great Book.
Section: It is disliked for one who is in prayer to prompt (fath) someone who is in another prayer, or someone who is not in prayer at all, because that distracts him from his prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, in prayer there is a preoccupation" (53).
(49) Surah Hud: 32. (50) Surah Yusuf: 99. (51) Omitted from: A, M. (52) In A and M: "scattered".