Question:

Please can you clarify this for me? Is it permissible in an obligatory prayer to make a supplication for one's worldly need in Sujood as well as in the final part of prayer before saying salaams to both angels on one's shoulders? The supplication made in the English language will it makes the prayer invalid.

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, may Allah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed in opinion about the ruling of making a supplication in another language than Arabic during the prayer. Some of them forbade it and some others permitted it. Moreover, some of them distinguished between the one who is able to supplicate in Arabic and the one who is not able to supplicate in Arabic.

Nevertheless, there is no text from the Quran so that one group would [base his evidence to] refute the opinion of the other group. However, the most correct opinion, Inshaa' Allah, [in our view] is that it is more appropriate for a person to supplicate in Arabic if he understands the meaning.

He can for instance choose to say the following supplication: [Allahumma inni as alukal-Jannah wa a'uuthu bika minan-naar] "O Allah! I ask you to grant me Paradise and I take refuge in You from Hellfire'', or [Allahumma inni as alukal-huda wat-tuqa, wal-'afaafa wal-ghina] "O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity and contentment.", or any other supplication in order to achieve the benefits of this world.

But if one is unable to make these supplications in Arabic, he can supplicate in his own language whether that is in relation to the matters of this world or the Hereafter. It is preferable, though, if these supplications include the translation of some legislated translations that are translated into English [in Hisnul-Muslim, i.e. the fortification of a Muslim, for instance].   

Allah knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb