The Fifth Deviation from the Sunnah: The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah and the Hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn Regarding the Fact That the Speech of People and the Ignorant Does Not Invalidate the Prayer

The Shaykh : Then he said, fifthly, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah and the hadith of Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami regarding the fact that the speech of people and the ignorant does not invalidate the prayer. These are two hadiths. The hadith of Abu Hurayrah is the hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn, which is well known: "Has the prayer been shortened, or did you forget?" He said: . They said: "Yes, it was so." He looked at his companions; they said: "Dhu al-Yadayn has spoken the truth." He was far from the place of prayer, so he returned to it, came back, and performed the two rak'ahs and the prostrations of forgetfulness.
This entire speech was not considered by him (peace and blessings be upon him) as invalidating the prayer, because he was forgetful. Likewise, the hadith of Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, which we have mentioned in some gatherings, in which he sniffed the person who was beside him. He said to him while he was praying, "May Allah have mercy on you." The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to repeat the prayer because he was ignorant.