Reciting “الهمد” instead of “الحمد”

Question

If the imam recites “الهمد” instead of “الحمد”, and likewise makes mistakes in other words too, will the prayer be valid or not?

Answer

A person who is unable to recite “الحمد” and instead recites “الهمد” — that is, pronounces the letter ha’ (ه) in place of the letter ḥa’ (ح) — his prayer too will be valid; so it is in “al-Kabiri”. However, such a person should not be made imam when another person is present who recites correctly and is fit for the imamate.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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