Chapter: One Who Laughs During Prayer

• I asked Abu Abdillah Ahmad ibn Hanbal, I said: A man laughed during prayer? He said: "He does not repeat wudu (ablution)." I said: What about the prayer? He said: "He repeats the prayer; there is no disagreement regarding this."

• I asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal—another time—about laughing during prayer? He said: "If he wishes, he may repeat the wudu, and if he wishes, he does not have to."

• And I heard Ishaq say: "If a man guffaws (laughs aloud) during his prayer, he repeats the prayer. Scholars have differed regarding repeating the wudu:

• The general body of the scholars of Iraq made wudu obligatory upon him for that,

• While the scholars of the Hijaz, and groups from the people of Sham and Iraq, did not make it obligatory upon him.

And what is more beloved to us is the repeating of the prayer, and he does not repeat the wudu. Similarly, if he guffaws during the prayer over the funeral, or voluntary prayer, or obligatory prayer; wudu is not required of him."

1036 - Ishaq narrated to us, saying: Jarir informed us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Sufyan, from Jabir ibn Abdullah—may Allah be pleased with them both—who said: "If a man laughs during prayer, he repeats the prayer, and he does not repeat the wudu."

1037 - Ishaq narrated to us, saying: Al-Nadr ibn Shumayl informed us, from Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah, from Humayd ibn Hilal, that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari—may Allah be pleased with him—led the people in prayer, and some people laughed during the prayer, and he ordered them to repeat the prayer.