Forgetfulness is one of three types:
يُسْتَحَبُّ وَالسَّهْوُ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةِ أَضْرُبٍ
The Book of Prayer
Two Prostrations of Forgetfulness
بَابُ سَجْدَتَيْ السَّهْوِ
Two Prostrations of Forgetfulness
[Types of Forgetfulness]
The First Type: Addition This involves the addition of an action that is similar to the actions of the prayer; such as adding an additional rak‘ah or pillar. The prayer is invalidated if that was done intentionally; if done absentmindedly, the prostration for forgetfulness must be done for it. If one remembers while he is performing an additional rak‘ah, he must sit down immediately. 287 If he makes tasleem while having missed a part of the prayer, he must perform that which he left out of it, and then prostrate. 288
.أَحَدُهَا: زِيَادَةُ فِعْلٍ مِنْ جِنْسِهَا، كَرَكْعَةٍ، أَوْ رُكْنٍ، فَتَبْطُلُ الصَّلاَةُ بِعَمْدِهِ، وَيَسْجُدُ لِسَهْوِهِ .وَإِنْ ذَكَرَ وَهُوَ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الزَّائِدَةِ، جَلَسَ فِي الْحَالِ .وَإِنْ سَلَّمَ عَنْ نَقْصٍ فِيْ صَلاَتِهِ، أَتَى بِمَا بَقِيَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهَا، ثُمَّ سَجَدَ
287 For example, being in the fourth rak‘ah in the maghrib prayer or in the fifth rak‘ah in the ‘aṣr prayer. If one knowingly continues this additional rak‘ah, the prayer becomes invalid. (If the person made tashahhud before standing up, he only needs to sit down and make tasleem; if not, he must do the tashahhud and then the tasleem.)
288 If the omitted part was from other than the last rak‘ah, one must redo an entire rak‘ah. If it was the last tashahhud or tasleem, one should do them and prostrate. If it was another part of the last rak‘ah, there are two opinions in the madh-hab: (A/SM): One should do an entire rak‘ah. (al-Mardâwi in al-Inṣâf): One should do just the omitted part and what comes after it.
[Addition of an Action Foreign to the Prayer]
If he does an action that is not similar to the actions of the prayer, then it is all the same whether he did it intentionally or absentmindedly. If that action is not trivial, it invalidates it, and if it is trivial – like the action of the Prophet (SA) in his carrying of Umâmah (RAH) and opening the door for ‘Â’ishah (RAH) – then there is no harm.
وَلَوْ فَعَلَ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْ جِنْسِ الصَّلاَةِ، لاَسْتَوَى عَمْدُهُ وَسَهْوُهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ كَثِيْرًا، أَبْطَلَهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسِيْرًا، كَفِعْلِ النَّبِيِّ فِيْ حَمْلِهِ أُمَامَةَ، وَفَتْحِ الْبَابِ لِعَائِشَةَ، فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ
The Second Type: Omission Such as forgetting a mandatory action. 289 If he stands up before [performing] the first tashahhud and remembers before he is fully erect, then he should go back and perform it. However, if he remembers after he
.الضَّرْبُ الثَّانِيْ: النَّقْصُ. كَنِسْيَانِ وَاجِبٍ فَإِنْ قَامَ عَنِ التَّشّهُّدِ الأَوَّلِ، فَذَكَرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْتَتِمَّ قَائِمًا، رَجَعَ، فَأَتَى بِهِ. وَإِنِ اسْتَتَمَّ
This was put under the category of addition, not omission, because the net actions of the prayer after he makes up for what he missed would be more, for they will include an added tashahhud and tasleem at least.
289 This refers to the omission of a mandatory action, since that is the only omission that requires the prostration of forgetfulness (unlike the preferable actions) and does not require being made up for (unlike the pillars). As a result, the net actions of the prayer will end up being fewer than what is prescribed. The omission of a sunnah act still makes the net actions of the prayer fewer, but it does not call for the prostration of forgetfulness. (See the previous chapter regarding the sunnah acts and the prostration of forgetfulness.)
becomes fully erect, he should not go back. 290 If he forgets a pillar and remembers it before he begins the recitation in another [next] rak‘ah, he must go back and perform it and whatever is after it. If he remembers it after that [the recitation of the next rak‘ah], then the rak‘ah in which he missed the pillar is invalidated. 291291 If he forgets four prostrations out of four rak‘ahs,292 and remembers while he is in the tashahhud, he should prostrate immediately, thus validating one rak‘ah, and then he must perform three rak‘ahs.
.قَائِمًا، لَمْ يَرْجِعْ وَإِنْ نَسِيَ رُكْنًا، فَذَكَرَهُ قَبْلَ شُرُوْعِهِ فِيْ قِرَاءَةِ رَكْعَةٍ أُخْرَى، رَجَعَ، فَأَتَى بِهِ وَبِمَا بَعْدَهُ، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَهُ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ، بَطَلَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ الَّتِيْ تَرَكَهُ مِنْهَا. وَإِنْ نَسِيَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ مِنْ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ، فَذَكَرَ فِي التَّشَهُّدِ، سَجَدَ فِي الْحَالِ، فَصَحَّتْ لَهُ رَّكْعَةُ، ثُمَّ يَأْتِيْ بِثَلاَثِ رَكَعَاتٍ
The Third Type: Doubt As regards one who doubts 293 whether he has missed a pillar, it is as if he missed it.
.الضَّرْبُ الثَّالِثُ: الشَّكُّ فَمَتَى شَكَّ فِيْ تَرْكِ رُكْنٍ، فَهُوَ كَتَرْكِهِ، وَإِنْ شَكَّ فِيْ عَدَدِ الرَّكَعَاتِ، بَنَى عَلَى
290 (A/SM): Going back after standing fully erect is disliked, and it is forbidden after beginning the recitation. If one goes back to the first tashahhud, knowing that it is forbidden, their prayer becomes invalid.
291 So if the person was in the third rak‘ah, he or she should consider himself or herself to be in the second rak‘ah.
292 This is an example used to clarify what is to be done when you remember skipping pillars of previous and current rak‘ahs. In this case, the person made one prostration in every rak‘ah, thus invalidating the first three rak‘ahs, since he or she is now well into the fourth. There is still a way to salvage the fourth rak‘ah: by first going back and prostrating to make up for the one missed, and then rising to redo the first three rak‘ahs.
293 The doubt meant here is significant doubt, not the whisperings of Satan that affect some people, making them repeat acts of worship compulsively because they fear that they missed something.
294 Doubts about the Number of Rak‘ahs
There are two main reports pertaining to this issue. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:
“When one of you has doubts about his prayer, let him seek what is correct [or ‘closer to correctness’, as in a different report by (M)] and proceed accordingly, [make tasleem, then perform two prostrations (of forgetfulness) (B)].” (Ag – from Ibn Mas‘ood)
وإذا شَكَّ أحدكم في صَلَاتِهِ فَلْيَتَحَرَّ الصَّوَابَ [أَقْرَبَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الصَّوَابِ (م)] فَلْيُتِمَّ عليه، [ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمْ، ثُمَّ يَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ. (بخ)]
The Messenger of Allah (SA) also said:
“If one of you has doubts about his prayer, let him cast the doubt away and proceed on the basis of certainty, then perform two prostrations before the tasleem.” (M – from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri)
إذا شَكَّ أحدكم في صَلَاتِهِ فلم يَدْرِ كَمْ صلى ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَطْرَحْ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ على ما اسْتَيْقَنَ، ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ
Based on these reports and others, the scholars disagreed about what should be done when you have doubts: (A) + (+M, +S): If you doubt the number of rak‘ahs, you should base your actions on the lesser number. If you doubt whether or not you performed a pillar, you should presume that you did not. (-H and al-Layth): If the doubt is recurrent, you may try to determine the correct number; if you cannot, then you should proceed based on certainty, by taking the lesser number. Ath-Thawri and al-Awzâ‘i: You should try to determine the correct number and proceed on the basis of propensity (what is more likely). (a) + (-t): Doubt is divided into types:
1- When you cannot discern which possibility is more probable, you must proceed on the basis of certainty, in compliance with the hadith of Abu Sa‘eed (RA).
2- When you can discern which possibility is more probable, you should follow that, in compliance with the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ood (RA).
[When to Make the Prostration of Forgetfulness]
Prescribed for every forgetfulness [that is, every element of the prayer that one forgets to perform] are two prostrations before the tasleem, 296 except for: 1) One who makes tasleem [too early,] prior to actually completing his prayer; 2) The imam, if he proceeded on the basis of the more probable; and 3) One who forgets to prostrate [on account of forgetting to perform any part of the prayer] before the tasleem. [In these three cases,] they should make two prostrations after the tasleem, and then make tashahhud and tasleem. 297
وَلِكُلِّ سَهْوٍ سَجْدَتَانِ قَبْلَ السَّلاَمِ إِلاَّ: (1-) مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَنْ نَقْصٍ فِيْ صَلاَتِهِ (2-) وَالإِمَامُ إِذَا بَنَى عَلَى غَالِبِ ظَنِّهِ. (3-) وَالنَّاسِيْ لِلسُّجُوْدِ قَبْلَ السَّلاَمِ. فَإِنَّهُ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ سَلاَمِهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَشَهَّدُ وَيُسَلِّمُ.
[About the Ma’moom]
The prostration of forgetfulness is not mandatory upon one who is led in the
وَلَيْسَ عَلَى الْمَأْمُوْمِ سُجُوْدُ سَهْوٍ، إِلاَّ أَنْ
295 According to (A2), this would be another way to reconcile the reports. Allowing the imam to base his actions on propensity, since the congregation behind him would alert him if he erred.
296 (A/SM): It would be acceptable to make all prostrations of forgetfulness before or after the tasleem. When in doubt, it is preferable to prostrate before the tasleem.
297 (a) + (Ibn Seereen, Ibn al-Mundhir, -t): One should make the tasleem without tashahhud. They deemed the reports on tashahhud after the prostration of forgetfulness weak.
prayer, except when his imam forgets, then he prostrates with him.298 For one whose imam forgets, or who is concerned about something during his prayer, saying Subḥân Allah (Glory be to Allah) [is prescribed] for men, and clapping for women. 299
يَسْهُوَ إِمَامُهُ، فَيَسْجُدُ مَعَهُ. وَمَنْ سَهَا إِمَامُهُ، أَوْ نَابَهُ أَمْرٌ فِيْ صَلاَتِهِ، فَالتَّسْبِيْحُ لِلرِّجَالِ، وَالتَّصْفِيْقُ لِلنِّسَاءِ
298 (A/SM): If the imam failed to perform the obligatory prostrations before and after the tasleem, the ma’moom should perform them themselves. Also, the ma’moom will be responsible for any forgetfulness in the part of the prayer they performed while not being led by the imam, such as when they join the imam late in the prayer.
299 The Messenger of Allah (SA) said,
“…He who is concerned about something during his prayer should say Subḥân Allâh, for if he says Subḥân Allâh, he will be noticed; clapping is only for women.” (Ag – from Sahl ibn Sa‘d)
من نَابَهُ شَيْءٌ في صَلَاتِهِ فَلْيُسَبِّحْ فإنه إذا سَبَّحَ الْتُفِتَ إليه. إنما التصفيق للنساء
Doubts after finishing the prayer are inconsequential. Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbali said in Taqreer al-Qawâ‘id:
“If, after finishing the ṣalât or other acts of worship, he had doubts about missing a pillar, he should overlook that doubt.”
وإذا شَكَّ بَعْدَ الفَرَاغِ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ أو غَيرِها مِنَ العِباداتِ في تَركِ رُكنٍ مِنها فإنَّهُ لا يَلتَفِت إلى الشَّك.