What is the ruling regarding the quantity of speech that does not invalidate prayer?
Chapter on the Two Prostrations of Forgetfulness
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
Any speech that we rule does not invalidate the prayer is applicable only if the amount is minor (Yaseer). If the speech becomes frequent and prolonged, it invalidates the prayer. This is the explicit view of Ash-Shafi'i. Al-Qadi mentioned in Al-Mujarrad that if the speech of the forgetful person is prolonged, the prayer must be repeated (one narration). However, in Al-Jami', Al-Qadi stated that based on the manifest text of Ahmad, there is no distinction between little and much, because what is excused due to forgetfulness has its little and much treated equally, like eating during fasting.
Supporting text
Our evidence is that the general prohibition on speech in the Hadiths was left in abeyance only for the minor instances mentioned in the reports, so it remains in force for all other instances according to the general rule. It is incorrect to equate prolonged speech with minor speech because the minor speech is difficult to avoid, and an allowance was made for non-prayer related actions when minor, unlike prolonged speech.