Repeating the prayer on the assumption that it was invalid

Question

If the congregational prayer is repeated in the certainty that the first time the prayer was not valid, and afterwards it is established that the first time the prayer had been valid and repeating it was not proper — what is the ruling in such a case? Especially if this happens in the Fajr or ‘Asr prayer, when after it there is no time for nafl either. Also, if in this case some people did not take part in the first congregation but joined the second congregation, what is the ruling on their prayer?

Answer

If the Fajr prayer was repeated on the basis of certainty that the prayer had not been valid, while in fact the prayer had been valid, then the prayer performed the second time became nafl, and the worshippers did not commit anything makruh. [ar]وَكُرِهَ نَفْلٌ قَصْدًا[/ar] “And a nafl is makruh [when performed] deliberately.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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