1. To give luqmah to anyone other than the imam while one is in salaat makes that salaat invalid. To give luqmah means to correct someone who has made a mistake in reciting the Quran. Note: Since there is a difference of opinion among the jurists with regard to the masa’il of luqmah, some ulama have written special books on this subject. We are therefore mentioning a few details over here.
2. If the muqtadi gives a luqmah to his imam, his salaat will not become invalid. This is irrespective of whether the imam has recited the specified amount or not. The “specified amount” in this context refers to that amount of qira’at which is the recommended amount. But in this case, it will be better for the imam to go into ruku, as will be mentioned in the next mas’ala. 3. If the imam has recited the specified amount, he should go into ruku and should not force the muqtadis to give him luqmah. (To do so is makruh) The muqtadis should also note that as long as there is no genuine need, they should not give luqmah to the imam. (To do so is also makruh) Here “genuine need” means that the imam wishes to continue forward despite making a mistake, or that he does not go into ruku, or that he keeps silent and remains standing. Even if they correct him without any “genuine need”, the salaat will not become invalid – as has been mentioned in the previous mas’alas. 4. If a person gives luqmah to another person who is in salaat and the person who gave the luqmah was not his muqtadi – irrespective of whether he was offering any salaat or not – then if the person accepts the luqmah then his salaat will become invalid. However, if the person remembers on his own, either at the same time when the luqmah was given or prior to that, or he was not influenced by the luqmah from the back, but reads from his memory, then the salaat of the one to whom luqmah was given will not become invalid. 5. If a person who is offering salaat gives luqmah to someone who is not his imam, irrespective of whether the latter is offering salaat or not, then the former’s salaat will become invalid.
