Crying During Prayer: Understanding the Impact of Personal Distress and Fear of Allah
Question: Is it permissible to cry in prayer due to personal distress, sorrow, or grief, or does it invalidate the prayer? Or is it only permissible to cry out of fear of Allah?
Answer: Prayer is an act of worship and servitude to Allah, so during prayer, our focus should be on Allah and not on worldly issues and personal problems. In the Hadith of Jibreel, while defining Ihsan, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned that you should worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then know that He sees you. This means we should worship Allah in this manner. If unintentionally, a thought comes to mind during prayer or one remembers their distress and cries, it will not affect the prayer. However, our responsibility is to not deliberately focus on our problems during prayer but to remain focused on Allah. If tears flow from the eyes out of fear and reverence for Allah, there is no issue in this state either.
✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (May Allah protect him)
❪Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia❫