done forgetfully. Thus, if we suppose that a person forgot that he was praying and began moving about—writing, counting coins, using the tooth-stick, and doing many other things—then the prayer is invalidated. This is because such actions alter the form of the prayer; hence, the state of being mindful and the state of forgetfulness are alike in this regard.
The word “even if” here indicates a point of disagreement, for some scholars (1) hold that if a person does this forgetfully, his prayer is not invalidated, based on the well-known general principle: “Doing something prohibited forgetfully entails neither sin nor invalidation.” However, those who hold that it does have an effect say that it changes the form of the prayer and removes it from being a prayer; it is not merely an act that has no effect. This is a matter concerning which I seek Allah’s guidance as to which view is more preponderant.
Movements that are not part of the prayer fall into five categories:
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Obligatory.
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Recommended.
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Permissible.
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Disliked.
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Prohibited.
The category that invalidates the prayer is the prohibited one.
An obligatory movement is one upon which the validity of the prayer depends; this is its governing criterion. Its examples are numerous, among them: if a man begins the prayer