I used not to pray, but I have repented and started to pray again, praise be to Allah. But the problem now is that I forget and make a lot of mistakes in my prayer.
I will mention some of the mistakes, and please tell me whether my prayer in this case is valid or not?
For example, if I recite Soorat al-Faatihah, then after it I recite a word, or two or three letters, of a soorah after al-Faatihah, but then I stop and start to recite a different soorah, is that permissible?
Also, is it permissible for me to pray reciting the same soorah in every prayer?
Sometimes, after coming up from prostration and standing up to perform the second rak‘ah, I find myself raising the hands with the takbeer by mistake, but I stop it and put my hands on my chest straightaway. Is my prayer valid in this case?
Sometimes when rising from bowing, I raise my hands because I forget, and I find myself letting them fall by my sides instead of putting them on my chest, then when I realize I put them back on my chest to correct the mistake. Is this permissible?
Is it permissible either when sitting between the two prostrations or when sitting to recite the first or second tashahhud, to sit with both feet upright and sitting on them (sometimes I put them together and sometimes I separate them a little, and I do same thing when I am prostrating)?
Sometimes when reciting during the prayer, I forget a letter; for example I say “At-Tahiyyaatu Lillahi as-salawaatu al-tayyibaat (All compliments, prayers, pure words are due to Allah)” – if you notice I do not say “wa as-salawaatu wa at-tayyibaat (All compliments [and] prayers and pure words).” Similarly in as-salaat al-Ibraaheemiyyah [durood] sometimes I say: “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers and blessings upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”, and sometimes I forget a phrase from it. Is that acceptable?
If I make a mistake in recitation of a soorah, but then I repeat it in the correct manner, is that acceptable and can I apply that to everything I recite during the prayer? Is that permissible?
Is it permissible to look at something other than the precise spot of prostration?
Also, with regard to what is worn during the prayer, I wear a garment that has buttons and is open at the neck and a little at the chest, and I wear over it a large head covering that covers my chest and neck, but when I bow or prostrate, they both show if looking from behind and below; is that permissible?
If my prayer is wrong, does this mean that my fasting is also invalid?
I'm sorry for such a long message. May Allah reward you with good.
