Is the Prayer Still Valid Without Performing Salam in the Last Sitting?

Is the prayer still valid without performing salam in the last sitting?

According to Imam Abu Hanifa, a person who establishes prayer needs to end it by his own act that is performed deliberately and voluntarily at the end of the prayer. According to Imam Abu Yusuf and Muhammad, prayer is completed in terms of its rukns by sitting for tashahhud period (long enough to recite al-tahiyyat). Such person’s prayer is complete even if he does not give salam or commit an act out of prayer. However, it means to abandon a wajib of the prayer.

This dissensus has some results in terms of Islamic jurisprudence. Accordingly, if a person voluntarily commits an act that cannot be associated with prayer, after sitting for tashahhud period in qa’dah akhirah (the last sitting in prayer), for example, if he speaks to respond to someone’s greeting, says “bless you” or “yarhamukallah” to a person who sneezes, or he just stands up and leaves, his prayer will be valid according to the three imams mentioned (Marghinani, al-Hidayah, I, 386; Zaylai, Tabyin, I, 125, Bilmen, Ilmihal, p. 118).

However, if one’s prayer is invalidated by a cause other than his own will after sitting for tashahhud period, Imam Abu Yusuf and Muhammad says that his prayer is complete, but Imam Abu Hanifa says the exact opposite. Likewise if the prayer time ends before he leaves prayer voluntarily and by his own will after sitting for tashahhud period again in the last sitting, Imam Abu Yusuf and Muhammad say that his prayer is complete. But Imam Abu Hanifa says his prayer is nullified (Kasani, Bada’i, I, 124; Ibn al-Humam, al-Fath, I, 397).

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWAS