Laughing in Salaah
Question:-
If a person is reading Taraweeh Salaah and laughs in such a manner that it is only heard by him, but his laughter is a result of not being able to keep the laugh in, so it is as though he is just ‘sighing’ very softly. It is known to him that the sound coming out of his mouth is laughter, as he was trying to suppress the laughter. However, another person wouldn’t be able to tell that it was soft laughter, as hardly any Huroof are uttered, rather it is just like a sigh or breathing heavily, so does this fall into مسموع لنفسه. Ibn Aabideen Rahimahullah states that definition of ضحك which is مسموع لنفسه, is that a person’s soft laughter should be heard by the person who is on his right and left.
If the Salaah is invalid and Qadhaa is necessary, then what will be the ruling of a Saahib-e-Tarteeb if more than 6 salaahs have passed?
Below is the text of Shaami;
ومقتضى تعريف الضحك بما كان مسموعا له فقط أن القهقهة ما يسمعها غيره من أهل مجلسه فهم جيرانه لا خصوص من عن يمينه أو عن يساره لأن كل ما كان مسموعا له يسمعه من عن يمينه أو يساره تأمل (رد المحتار 1/ 144-145)
Answer:-
If a person smiles in Salaah (without any sound whatsoever) and as a result only the teeth become visible, then neither is the Wudhu or the Salaah of the person nullified. This is referred to as ‘Tabassum.’ If he utters a sound whereby he was able to hear himself or those extremely close to him (that are on his right and left), then his Salaah will be nullified but not his Wudhu. This is referred to as ‘Dhik.’ And if he laughs so loud that the gathering was able to hear (his laugh) then his Wudhu and Salaah will both be nullified with the proviso that he was Baaligh, as the laughing of a minor (in Salaah) doesn’t invalidate his Wudhu. This is referred to as ‘Qahqaha.’
In your particular instance, the Salaah was nullified but the Wudhu remained intact as the person was able to hear the laugh himself and he was fully aware that the sound created was as a result of him trying to suppress the laugh, which he did not manage to do, although it is described as ‘sighing very softly’ in your query. This type of laugh is referred to as ‘Dhik’ in the terminology of the Fuqha.
Because his Wudhu remains intact, the subsequent Salaah performed besides the one in which he laughed with a slight sound, will be valid. Hence, the remaining Tarweeh and Witr Salaah will be valid and will not affect his Tarteeb of Salaah. There is Qadhaa for Taraweeh Salaah after the time but he will be required to recite the content recited in the two Rakaats (in which he laughed) so that his Khatm may be complete.
باشتراط إظهار القاف والهاء لأحد، بل الذي توارد عليه كثير من المشايخ كصاحب المحيط والهداية والكافي وغيرهم ما يكون مسموعا له ولجيرانه. وظاهره التوسع في إطلاق القهقهة على ما له صوت وإن عري عن ظهور القاف والهاء أو أحدهما
واحترز به عن الضحك، وهو لغة أعم من القهقهة. واصطلاحا ما كان مسموعا له فقط فلا ينقض الوضوء بل يبطل الصلاة
وعن التبسم وهو ما لا صوت فيه أصلا بل تبدو أسنانه فقط فلا يبطلهما، وتمامه في البحر؛ ولم أر من قدر الجواز بشيء، ومقتضى تعريف الضحك بما كان مسموعا له فقط أن القهقهة ما يسمعها غيره من أهل مجلسه فهم جيرانه لا خصوص من عن يمينه أو عن يساره. لأن كل ما كان مسموعا له يسمعه من عن يمينه أو يساره، تأمل. (رد المحتار ص145 ج1 – سنن الوضوء)