Chapter: The Prohibition of Speaking in Prayer (1)

Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We used to speak during the prayer; one of us would address the man beside him while praying, until the verse was revealed: ‘And stand before Allah in devout obedience.’ Thereupon we were commanded to keep silent and forbidden to speak.” (2)

Explanation of Unfamiliar Terms
qānitīn: The word qanut has several accepted meanings—obedience, humility, supplication, prolonged standing, and silence. The intended sense here is silence, for the Companions understood from it that they were prohibited from talking during the prayer and were ordered to keep quiet. The lām in the phrase “ʿan al-kalām” is referential, pointing to the particular type of conversation they had been accustomed to.

Overall Meaning
Zayd ibn Arqam relates that, in the early period of Islam, the Muslims would converse during prayer whenever a need arose; a man would speak to the companion next to him, and this occurred within earshot of the Prophet ﷺ, who offered no objection. Because prayer is an act of intimate communion with Allah, however, it is unfitting to occupy oneself with talk directed to people. Therefore Allah Most High commanded them to safeguard the prayers, to stand in reverent silence, and He forbade them to speak, revealing: “Maintain the prayers—including the middle prayer—and stand before Allah in devout obedience.” From this verse the Companions understood the prohibition of speech in prayer, and they duly refrained, may Allah be pleased with them.

Scholarly Differences
The scholars unanimously agree that the prayer of anyone who speaks deliberately for a purpose unrelated to the prayer, while knowing its prohibition, is invalid. They disagree, however, about the one who speaks out of forgetfulness, ignorance, compulsion, sleep, while guiding a blind person, or for the benefit of the prayer itself.

The Hanbali jurists hold that the prayer is nullified in all of these circumstances, basing their ruling on the present hadith and on the report: “We used to greet you during the prayer and you would return our greeting; he said, ‘Indeed, the prayer is entirely engrossing.’ ” This narration is agreed upon, alongside other supporting evidence.