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Fatwa CenterCan not pray where others are talking
Question
salam alaikum
Please i have a problem that I cant pray where others are talking or if there is noise its so bad that I have to use my hand to cover my ears before I can pray that is if I am not able to find a quite place, does this affect the validity of my prayer?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Putting the hands over one’s ears while performing the prayer is not legislated in principle, as this is not among the acts of the prayer. By doing so, one fails to observe the Sunnah of putting the right hand over the left hand on one’s chest when performing the prayer, and the jurists 
stated that if an act that is not among the acts of the prayer is so often repeated without a necessity, then this invalidates the prayer whether one did so deliberately or out of forgetfulness, but if there is a necessity for doing so, then it does not invalidate the prayer. Therefore, your circumstance may be included in the necessity for which the prayer is not invalidated. Indeed, there is evidence in the Sunnah that it is permissible to carry a son during the prayer, carrying the son and putting him down when bowing and when prostrating, and carrying him again when standing up, all these are many movements but the prayer is not invalidated by doing them for the necessity so that the son may stop screaming, and in this way, he will not be harmed, and the person would pray in peace and tranquility.
It is also confirmed that a companion 
performed the prayer while holding the reins of his camel who would try to escape while he would move with it and follow it, and his prayer did not become invalidated for the necessity because it is difficult for him to walk without his camel. In the same way, if you know that you are not able to perform your prayer with submissiveness except by putting your fingers in your ears, then we do not see any obstacle for you to do this. Also, if you can put some cotton in your ears at the time of the prayer, then this may be better. Allaah Knows best.
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