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Prayer and Worship

Prostration of Forgetfulness: When Is It Before Salam or After It?

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Forgetfulness is part of human nature. It may happen to a Muslim in his prayer, so he adds something, leaves something out, or doubts the number of rakahs. From Allah’s mercy, He legislated the prostration of forgetfulness to repair the defect that occurs unintentionally, and to teach the worshipper how to complete his prayer without hardship or waswasah.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"I am only a human being like you. I forget as you forget, so when I forget, remind me."

Agreed upon.

Sujud as-sahw is two prostrations that the worshipper performs because of forgetfulness that occurred in the prayer. It is authentically reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed them sometimes before the salam and sometimes after it. For that reason, scholars gathered between the hadiths, and their madhhabs differed in some details.

The Brief Summary: When Is It Before Salam or After It?
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The Brief Summary: When Is It Before Salam or After It?

One of the strongest ways of reconciling the hadiths, chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and a group of verifying scholars, is as follows:

Sujud as-Sahw Is Before Salam in Two Well-Known Cases

  1. If the worshipper omits an obligatory act from the obligations of prayer, such as forgetting the first tashahhud.
  2. If he doubts the number of rakahs and neither possibility becomes stronger to him, so he builds upon certainty, which is the lesser number, then prostrates before salam.

Sujud as-Sahw Is After Salam in Three Well-Known Cases

  1. If he adds to the prayer a rakah, bowing, prostration, or sitting from the kind of the prayer by forgetfulness.
  2. If he gives salam before completing the prayer, then remembers and completes what remains.
  3. If he doubts in the prayer, then strives to determine what is correct and builds upon what is most likely, then he gives salam and prostrates twice.

This division is best in its proper places as a way of gathering between the hadiths. If someone prostrates before salam in a place where after salam is better, or after salam in a place where before salam is better, his prayer is valid according to a group of scholars. So this issue should not become a door to waswasah or dispute.

First: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Addition
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First: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Addition

If the worshipper adds an act from the kind of prayer by forgetfulness, such as praying Dhuhr as five rakahs, bowing twice in one rakah, or prostrating three times, he must stop the addition when he remembers, complete his prayer, and perform sujud as-sahw.

The better place for sujud when there is addition is after salam.

Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed Dhuhr as five. It was said to him: Has something been added to the prayer? He said: What is that? They said: You prayed five. So he prostrated twice after he had given salam."

Agreed upon.

Whoever stands for a fifth rakah and then remembers, or the people praying behind him alert him, must sit immediately. It is not permissible for him to continue in the extra rakah after he knows it is extra, because deliberate addition invalidates the prayer.

Second: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Omission
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Second: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Omission

Not every omission in prayer is the same. One must distinguish between a pillar, an obligation, and a sunnah.

If He Leaves a Pillar of the Prayer

A pillar includes the opening takbir, bowing, prostration, tranquility, reciting al-Fatihah for the one required to recite it, the final tashahhud, and sitting for it.

Sujud as-sahw alone does not repair a missed pillar. Whoever forgets a bowing or a prostration must perform the pillar and what follows it according to the details known among the jurists, then perform sujud as-sahw.

If he remembers the pillar before reaching its place in the next rakah, he returns to it and performs it and what comes after it. If he reaches the same pillar in the next rakah before remembering, the next rakah takes the place of the deficient rakah according to a group of scholars, then he completes his prayer.

In these two cases related to making up bowing or prostration, sujud as-sahw is after salam according to this preferred view. As for the opening takbir, the prayer does not begin without it in the first place, and sujud as-sahw does not repair it.

These cases may differ depending on the pillar and the time of remembering. Whoever is confused about his situation, especially after salam or after a long interval, should ask a trustworthy scholar and should not suffice with two prostrations of forgetfulness while a pillar was left.

If He Leaves an Obligation from the Obligations of Prayer

Examples include forgetting the first tashahhud, or leaving the tasbih of bowing or prostration by forgetfulness according to those who view it as obligatory. If he has passed the place of that obligation, he completes his prayer and performs sujud as-sahw before salam.

Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Buhaynah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:

"The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed Dhuhr with them. He stood after the first two rakahs and did not sit, so the people stood with him. When he completed the prayer and the people awaited his salam, he said takbir while sitting, prostrated twice before giving salam, then gave salam."

Agreed upon.

What Should Someone Do If He Forgot the First Tashahhud?

If he remembers before fully standing upright, he returns, sits, recites the tashahhud, then completes his prayer and performs sujud as-sahw. But if he has fully stood upright, he does not return to the tashahhud. Rather, he completes his prayer and prostrates twice before salam.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"If the imam stands after the first two rakahs, then if he remembers before standing upright, let him sit. If he has stood upright, then he should not sit, and he should perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness."

Narrated by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah, and authenticated by al-Albani.

If He Leaves a Sunnah from the Sunnahs of Prayer

Whoever leaves a sunnah, such as reciting a surah after al-Fatihah, his prayer is not invalid, and sujud as-sahw is not obligatory upon him. Some scholars allowed prostration when some sunnahs are left by forgetfulness, but it is not obligatory, and the worshipper should not prostrate for every sunnah he misses so he does not open the door of waswasah upon himself.

Third: Whoever Gives Salam Before Completing the Prayer
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Third: Whoever Gives Salam Before Completing the Prayer

Whoever gives salam forgetfully before completing the prayer, then remembers after a short time, stands and completes what remains, then recites tashahhud and gives salam, then prostrates twice for forgetfulness, then gives salam again.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led us in one of the two afternoon prayers. He prayed two rakahs with us, then gave salam. He stood by a piece of wood set across the mosque and leaned on it as if angry. He placed his right hand over his left, interlaced his fingers, and placed his right cheek on the back of his left hand. The quick people left through the doors of the mosque and said: Has the prayer been shortened? Among the people were Abu Bakr and Umar, but they were hesitant to speak to him. Among the people was a man with long hands called Dhu al-Yadayn. He said: O Messenger of Allah, did you forget or has the prayer been shortened? He said: I did not forget and it has not been shortened. He said: Is it as Dhu al-Yadayn says? They said: Yes. So he stepped forward and prayed what he had left, then gave salam, then said takbir and prostrated like his prostration or longer, then raised his head and said takbir, then said takbir and prostrated like his prostration or longer, then raised his head and said takbir."

Agreed upon.

But if the interval becomes very long, or his wudu is broken, or he does something that prevents building the prayer upon what came before, the matter has detail, and he may be required to repeat the prayer.

Fourth: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Doubt
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Fourth: Sujud as-Sahw Due to Doubt

Doubt has two different situations:

The First Situation: Neither Possibility Becomes Stronger

If he doubts whether he prayed three or four, and neither possibility is stronger to him, he builds upon certainty, which is the lesser number. So he counts it as three, brings the fourth, then prostrates twice before salam.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"If one of you doubts in his prayer and does not know how much he prayed, three or four, let him cast away doubt and build upon what he is certain of. Then let him prostrate twice before giving salam. If he had prayed five, they will make his prayer even; and if he had prayed complete as four, they will be humiliation for Shaytan."

Narrated by Muslim.

The Second Situation: One Possibility Becomes Stronger

If he doubts whether he prayed three or four, and it is most likely to him that they are four, he acts upon what is most likely and completes his prayer based on that. Then he gives salam, prostrates twice after salam, and gives salam again.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"If one of you doubts in his prayer, let him strive to determine what is correct, complete upon that, then give salam, then prostrate twice."

Agreed upon.

Doubt After Finishing the Prayer
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Doubt After Finishing the Prayer

If a Muslim finishes the prayer and then mere doubt occurs to him, he should not pay attention to it, because the default is that the prayer is valid. But if he becomes certain that he added or omitted something, he acts according to certainty.

Likewise, whoever is overwhelmed by repeated doubts until they become constant waswasah should not pay attention to them, and should not repeat the prayer or sujud as-sahw every time, because following them only increases them.

How Does the Worshipper Perform Sujud as-Sahw?
Case

If the Prostration Is Before Salam

  1. He completes the final tashahhud, sending prayers upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and supplication.
  2. He says takbir while sitting and prostrates the first prostration.
  3. He says in his prostration what he says in the prostration of prayer, such as: "Subhana Rabbiyal-Ala", and he supplicates with what is easy.
  4. He rises saying takbir and sits between the two prostrations, saying: "Rabbi ighfir li."
  5. He says takbir and prostrates the second prostration.
  6. He rises saying takbir, then gives salam.
Case

If the Prostration Is After Salam

  1. He completes the prayer and gives salam.
  2. He says takbir and prostrates twice like the regular prostration, sitting between them.
  3. He rises from the second prostration, then gives salam again.

No specific dhikr is established for sujud as-sahw other than the normal adhkar of prostration, and a new tashahhud after the two prostrations of forgetfulness is not obligatory according to the stronger view.

It is legislated to say takbir when prostrating and when rising from it, and the worshipper does not raise his hands with these takbirs because raising the hands is not established for prostration.

What Should the Follower Do If the Imam Forgets?
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What Should the Follower Do If the Imam Forgets?

The follower must follow his imam in sujud as-sahw if he will complete the prayer with him, whether the prostration is before salam or after it, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"The imam has only been appointed to be followed, so do not differ from him."

Agreed upon.

If the follower alone forgets behind the imam in an obligation that the imam carries for him, and he was not late to the prayer, he does not prostrate alone, because following the imam takes priority. As for leaving a pillar, the imam does not carry it for him; rather, it must be made up.

As for the latecomer who missed part of the prayer, he follows the imam if the imam prostrates before salam, then stands to make up what he missed. If the imam’s sujud is after salam, the latecomer does not give salam before completing his prayer. The way he prostrates after completing what he missed has detail depending on when the imam forgot, so he should ask if the situation is unclear.

What Should the Follower Say If He Alerts the Imam?
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What Should the Follower Say If He Alerts the Imam?

If the imam forgets, the men say: "Subhan Allah", and the women clap.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Whoever is alerted by something in his prayer should say tasbih, for when he says tasbih he will be noticed, and clapping is only for women."

Agreed upon.

The imam should not stand or return merely because one person alerted him if he is certain that what he did was correct. But if it is most likely that the alert is correct, or more than one trustworthy person alerts him, he acts upon what becomes clear to him.

Common Mistakes in Sujud as-Sahw
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Common Mistakes in Sujud as-Sahw

  1. Believing that every forgetfulness invalidates the prayer.
  2. Sufficing with sujud as-sahw while leaving a pillar such as bowing or prostration.
  3. Continuing in an extra rakah after knowing that it is extra.
  4. Repeating the prayer because of a passing doubt after finishing it.
  5. Repeating sujud as-sahw because of waswasah.
  6. Believing that there is a special supplication for this prostration that is not said elsewhere.
  7. The follower opposing his imam in sujud as-sahw without an excuse.
  8. Being overly strict about whether the prostration is before or after salam, even though the matter is broad among the scholars, while following the placement reported in the Sunnah is better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question

I forgot the first tashahhud. Should I return to it?

If you remembered before fully standing upright, return and sit for the tashahhud. If you had already fully stood upright, do not return. Complete the prayer and perform sujud as-sahw before salam.

Question

I prayed an extra rakah and did not remember until after salam. What should I do?

If you remembered after a short time, prostrate twice for forgetfulness and then give salam. Your prayer is valid if the addition was by forgetfulness. But if the interval was very long, the matter has detail.

Question

I doubted whether I prayed three or four. What should I do?

If neither possibility is stronger to you, count it as three, bring the fourth, and prostrate before salam. If one of the two is most likely to you, act upon what is most likely, then prostrate after salam.

Question

I forgot a prostration. Is sujud as-sahw enough?

No, because the prostration is a pillar, and a pillar is not repaired by sujud as-sahw alone. You must perform the prostration and what follows from it according to where you remembered, then perform sujud as-sahw.

Question

I forgot to say "Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim" in bowing. Should I perform sujud as-sahw?

Whoever views the tasbih of bowing as obligatory says: if you left it by forgetfulness, you perform sujud as-sahw before salam. As for a follower who is not late to the prayer and forgot it behind the imam, the imam carries this forgetfulness for him.

Question

I forgot to recite a surah after al-Fatihah. Should I prostrate?

Sujud as-sahw is not obligatory, because reciting a surah after al-Fatihah is a sunnah, and the prayer is valid without it.

Question

I prostrated after salam even though its place was before salam. Should I repeat the prayer?

Do not repeat the prayer merely because of that. Prostration before salam and after it are both established, and a group of scholars held that both are valid, though following the detail reported in the Sunnah is better.

Question

I forgot sujud as-sahw and only remembered after salam. What should I do?

If you remembered shortly after salam, prostrate twice and then give salam. If the interval was long, the prostration has fallen according to a group of scholars, and in some situations there is disagreement. So do not repeat the prayer merely because of doubt.

Question

I forgot more than once in the prayer. Do I prostrate for each forgetfulness?

No. If several causes of forgetfulness occur in one prayer, two prostrations suffice for all of them by agreement of the four madhhabs. If one cause requires prostration before salam and another requires it after salam, two prostrations suffice, and prostration before salam is given priority according to a group of scholars.

Question

Is sujud as-sahw legislated in voluntary prayer?

Yes. If forgetfulness occurs in a voluntary prayer in a way that would require sujud in an obligatory prayer, sujud as-sahw is legislated for it, because the rulings of forgetfulness include obligatory and voluntary prayers in general.

Question

Should I perform sujud as-sahw if I make a mistake in recitation?

A passing mistake in a surah after al-Fatihah usually does not require sujud as-sahw. As for a mistake in al-Fatihah that changes the meaning, or leaving an ayah from it, it must be corrected because al-Fatihah is a pillar for the one required to recite it, and sujud as-sahw is not enough for leaving part of it.

An Easy Practical Summary to Memorize
Summary

An Easy Practical Summary to Memorize

  1. Addition in the prayer: stop the addition, and it is better to prostrate after salam.
  2. Leaving an obligation: complete the prayer and prostrate before salam.
  3. Leaving a pillar: return and perform the pillar and what follows; prostration alone is not enough.
  4. Doubt without a stronger possibility: build on the lesser number and prostrate before salam.
  5. Doubt with one side more likely: act upon what is most likely and prostrate after salam.
  6. Salam before completing the prayer: complete what remains, then give salam, prostrate after salam, then give salam again.
  7. Repeated waswasah: do not pay attention to it and do not repeat the prostration.

The basic principle is that the Muslim learns the description of prayer, its pillars, and its obligations, and acts upon what is authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, without exaggeration or negligence. If a complicated case becomes unclear to him, he asks the people of knowledge, preserves his prayer, and does not open the door of waswasah upon himself.