or blows on dust. Blowing out of fear is akin to weeping and groaning; this, however, is something different.

As for coughing, sneezing, yawning, weeping that can be suppressed, sighing, and groaning, these are like blowing: they convey meaning by their very nature. There is even greater reason for them not to invalidate prayer, since blowing resembles speech more closely than they do. Blowing resembles saying “uff” in annoyance, as Allah says:

“Do not say to them even ‘uff.’”

However, those among Ahmad’s fellow jurists who discussed these matters, such as Abū al-Khattāb and his followers, stated that they invalidate prayer if two letters are distinctly articulated, without mentioning any disagreement. Some then mentioned Ahmad’s explicit ruling on clearing the throat, while others mentioned the alternative report from him concerning blowing. This gave the misleading impression that the disagreement was confined to those cases. That is not so. Indeed, one cannot maintain that these invalidate prayer while blowing does not.

Consistent with his underlying principle, Abū Yūsuf holds that sighing and groaning do not invalidate prayer in any case. This is the soundest opinion on this issue.

Mālik, despite the differing reports of his position on clearing the throat and blowing, said: “Groaning does not invalidate a sick person’s prayer, but I dislike it for a healthy person.” There is no doubt that groaning without need is disliked, but he did not consider it to invalidate prayer.