Is it permissible to reply to a greeting (salam) with speech while performing prayer (Salah)?

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It is forbidden to reply to a greeting with speech while praying, and doing so invalidates the prayer. This ruling is supported by figures such as Abu Dharr, 'Ata', An-Nakha'i, Malik, Ash-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and Abu Thawr. The evidence for this prohibition is the narration by Jabir that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated he was not prevented from returning the greeting except because he was praying. Furthermore, the narration of Ibn Mas'ud where the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, 'Indeed, in the prayer is a preoccupation,' indicates the nature of the distraction. Speech by the worshipper is considered human speech, analogous to responding to a sneezer (tashmeet).