Question:
Is the ruling on crying during the prayer without humility that it nullifies the prayer? With mentioning the evidence.
Answer:
The answer is ‘no’. For example a person is praying and remembered the death of his father or mother so he cried. Or while he is praying and someone came to him and said “your son fell and died” so he cried. The likes of this doesn’t nullify the prayer.
As for if he cried to show off to the people then this is something extra and it is not connected to condition or pillar of the prayer. However it is feared that he may nullify his worship because of his showing off and he is warned [of the punishment for showing off]. But do we say his prayer is nullified? No.
From the scholars are those who generalise and say that crying invalidates the prayer for the one who does it intentionally. However the correct opinion is that the one who is overwhelmed by crying and it is for the sake of Allah, fearing Allah and the fire, desiring Allah’s paradise and likewise whilst remembering some of the stories [from the Quran] and warnings and likes of this, then was overwhelmed by crying then there is no problem with this and it doesn’t harm his prayer.
As for purposely intending to cry then this is not good and the hadith “weep, and if you cannot weep then pretend to weep” (Reported by Ibn Mājah on the authority of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqās. Number 4196). then it is not authentic even if some of them [the scholars] call to this and say it causes humility and tranquillity then there is no need for this.
And Allah knows best.
Answered by: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)
Source: https://t.me/OfficialChannelShaykhBaajammaal/161
Translated by: Abu Musa Jamaal al-Britani