Chapter: Speaking in Prayer Regarding Matters of Prayer and Other Things

• It was said to Ahmad: An imam led people in the Maghrib prayer and, after praying two rak'ahs, he performed the taslim. When he performed the taslim, some of the people said to him, "You have prayed two rak'ahs." So he stepped forward, pronounced the takbir, prayed a [remaining] rak'ah (1), then performed the two prostrations of forgetfulness. Is our prayer valid? He said: "Whoever spoke must repeat the prayer, and whoever did not speak, his prayer is valid." It was said: What if the imam spoke? He said: "If he spoke in the manner the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke in the hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn, then there is no harm."

• I heard Ahmad another time when it was said to him: A man prayed two rak'ahs of the Maghrib prayer and performed the taslim. A man said to him, "You have prayed two rak'ahs." He said: "As for the man who said that to him, he must restart the prayer, but as for the imam and those with him, they should complete [the prayer] because they did not speak."

1005 - Nasr ibn 'Ali narrated to us, he said: Husayn ibn 'Uqbah al-Khuza'i narrated to us, he said: The imam of the mosque of Hammad ibn Zayd led us in the Maghrib prayer and performed the taslim after two rak'ahs. Hammad ibn Zayd was praying with us in the row. They glorified Allah (subbahu) to alert him, so he turned to Hammad ibn Zayd and said, "O Abu Isma'il, should I stand and pray a rak'ah?" Hammad ibn Zayd said to him: "Yes." He said: So Hammad stood behind him, and he led them in praying a rak'ah, then performed the taslim, then performed two prostrations [of forgetfulness].

A Man Speaking During Prayer

• Ahmad was asked about a man who speaks during the prayer? He said: "He must repeat the prayer."