During my prayer, I suspect that I forgot the basmalah at the beginning of my wudu, so I say "Bismillah" at the beginning and the end, silently in my heart. What is the ruling on my prayer?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. Sometimes I perform wudu and forget the basmalah at the beginning, and I do not remember it until during my prayer. Then I say "Bismillah" at the beginning and the end, silently in my heart, and I continue the prayer. Is my prayer valid with this wudu in which I did not say the basmalah at the beginning? May Allah reward you with good. I should mention that I have already repeated my prayer because I doubted the basmalah at the beginning of the wudu.

Answer:
The basmalah is prescribed at the beginning of wudu by consensus, but the majority hold that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) and not obligatory. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) held that it is obligatory in the case of one who remembers it, but there is nothing required of the one who forgets. So if you forget and perform wudu without saying the basmalah at the beginning until you have finished the wudu, your wudu is valid, and praise be to Allah; the basmalah is dropped.
from you, because you are excused by forgetfulness. However, if you remember it during the wudu, you say the basmalah and proceed with your wudu; you say it for the remainder and complete the wudu, and praise be to Allah. As for saying the basmalah in the prayer, this is not prescribed and is not permissible. But the questioner's prayer is valid because he was ignorant of the ruling; his prayer is valid, but he should not return to doing such a thing.