Does Reciting During Salah without Moving Lips Invalidate Salah?


By our Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abū ‘Abdirrahmān Yahya bin ‘Alī Al-Hajūri – may Allāh preserve him –

“If a person closes his mouth and doesn’t recite with his tongue, he doesn’t move his tongue, or his lips, the correct opinion is that his Salāh is not correct.

On the authority of Ibn Abbās, concerning His statement:

“لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ”

“Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran, O Muhammad ﷺ) to make haste therewith.” [Al-Qiyāmah,16]

He said: “He used move his lips from the severity of the revelation.”

So Ibn Abbās said to me: “I will move them the way the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to move them.”

So Saīd said: “I will move them the way Ibn Abbās moved them so he moved his lips.”….the hadith

Our Shaykh Yahya may Allāh preserve him said: “From what angle is this?

Al-Mussallsal with the moving of the lips, and it is an evidence for the obligation of moving the lips while reading in Salāh, moving the tongue, and if he prayed with his mouth closed and didn’t recite with his tongue, he doesn’t move his tongue or his lips, the correct opinion is that his Salāh is not accepted, so it is a must to move the tongue in the silent prayer in order to recite.

And in it (this hadith) is taking knowledge one from the other, this one took from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and this one took from Ibn Abbās, like so is how the scholars inherited knowledge, so Allāh revealed:

“لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ○ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ”

“Move not your tongue concerning (the Quran, O Muhammad ﷺ) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad ﷺ) the ability to recite it (the Quran).” [Al-Qiyāmah,16-17]

We said that the scholars inherit knowledge, i.e a scholar takes the knowledge from another scholar, in refutation to the Sufis, who say that they have the knowledge within, the Sufis say they have the knowledge within, i.e without having studied from anyone, my heart narrated to me from my Lord, ya’nī he doesn’t need a chain of narration or anything, ya’nī directly, ya’nī from his heart he narrates from his Lord without taking a verse or a hadith or fiqh or learning, this is heresy.

For indeed Allāh sent the Messengers and revealed the books, to clarify to the people, Allāh said:

“وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ”

“With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad ﷺ) the reminder and the advice (the Quran), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” [An-Nahl, 44]

And Allāh said:

“يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّك”

“O Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord.” [Al-Mā’idah, 67]

And Allāh said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

“O you who believe! Answer Allāh (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he ﷺ calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allāh comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.” [Al-Anfal, 24]

So if he is narrating from his heart on the authority of his Lord, what is the purpose of Prophets? What is the purpose of (revealing) the Books?”


Transcribed to Arabic and summarized by: Abū Abdillāh Ziyād Al-Malīkī (may Allāh reward him with good – on the 27th, Shawwāl, 1441H)

Translated by : Abu ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi

Click on the link to view the Arabic : https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/7064