What is the ruling on speech during the core structure of the prayer, without concluding salutation or belief in completion?
Chapter on the Two Prostrations of Forgetfulness
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
If someone speaks during the core of the prayer, without having performed the concluding salutation or believing the prayer is complete, the prayer is invalidated regardless of whether they are an Imam or follower, and regardless of whether the speech was for the prayer's benefit or not. Al-Qadi mentioned the three narrations concerning this situation, and Al-Kharqi's text may imply this view, which is the doctrine of Al-Awza'i. Al-Awza'i stated that if a person tells the Imam, who is reciting aloud in Asr prayer, 'It is Asr,' the prayer is not invalidated. This is because the Imam might encounter a situation requiring speech, such as forgetting recitation in one rak'ah and remembering it in the second, necessitating replacing the faulty rak'ah (which would appear as a fifth rak'ah to the followers) by informing them, which is only possible through speech. Doubting the prayer also requires asking questions, thus permitting speech.
Supporting text
No textual evidence from the Prophet, his Companions, or the Imam is known regarding speech in a state other than having concluded the prayer with the belief of completion and then speaking afterward. Analogy between speech during the core of the prayer and this latter situation is invalid because the latter involves forgetfulness, which is difficult to avoid, and a situation where ignorance of the prohibition might occur. Since there is no textual evidence, no consensus, and analogy is invalid, establishing a ruling in this case is forbidden as it would be establishing a ruling without proof.