7. Forgetfulness in Ṣalāh (Sahw)
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1202No grade recorded
«إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَلْيُلْقِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَنَ التَّمَامَ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ تَامَّةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ نَافِلَةً وَالسَّجْدَتَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ نَاقِصَةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ تَمَامًا لِصَلَاتِهِ وَالسَّجْدَتَانِ يُرْغِمَانِ أَنْفَ الشَّيْطَانِ»
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “If one of you doubts in his prayer, let him cast aside the doubt and build on what he is certain of. If he becomes certain that he has completed it, he should perform two prostrations. If his prayer was complete, then the (extra) rak‘ah and the two prostrations will be voluntary; and if it was incomplete, then the rak‘ah will complete his prayer, and the two prostrations will rub Satan’s nose in the dust.”
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1203No grade recorded
«إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَا يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَةً يُحْسِنُ سُجُودَهَا وَرُكُوعَهَا ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ»
✧ When one of you prays and does not know whether he prayed three or four, let him pray one rak'ah, perfecting its prostration and bowing, then prostrate twice.
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1204No grade recorded
أَنَّهُ قَالَ «صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَاةً مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ فَقَامَ مِنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَسَبَّحَ بِهِ فَمَضَى حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا السَّلَامُ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ»
✧ He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in one of the prayers and stood up after two rak'ahs, so they glorified Allah to alert him, but he continued until he finished his prayer and only the salam remained. Then he prostrated twice while sitting before he said the salam.'
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1205No grade recorded
أَنَّهُ «نَهَضَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فَسَبَّحُوا بِهِ فَاسْتَتَمَّ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ» حِينَ انْصَرَفَ وَقَالَ أَكُنْتُمْ تَرَوْنِي كُنْتُ أَجْلِسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ كَمَا «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَصْنَعُ»
✧ He got up after two rak'ahs, so they glorified Allah to alert him, but he continued and completed it, then prostrated the two prostrations of forgetfulness when he finished. He said: 'Do you think I would sit? I only did as I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do.'
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1206No grade recorded
«صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَغْرِبَ فَسَهَا فَسَلَّمَ فِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ» فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ سَهَوْتَ فَسَلَّمْتَ فِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ «فَأَمَرَ بِلَالًا فَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ ثُمَّ أَتَمَّ تِلْكَ الرَّكْعَةَ» فَسَأَلْتُ النَّاسَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ سَهَوْتَ فَقِيلَ لِي أَتَعْرِفُهُ؟ قُلْتُ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ أَرَاهُ فَمَرَّ بِي رَجُلٌ فَقُلْتُ هُوَ هَذَا قَالُوا هَذَا طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ
✧ I prayed Maghrib with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he forgot and said the salam after two rak'ahs, then left. A man said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, you forgot and said the salam after two rak'ahs.' He ordered Bilal, who called the iqamah for the prayer, then he completed that rak'ah. I asked the people about the man who said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you forgot,' and it was said to me: 'Do you know him?' I said: 'No, unless I see him.' Then a man passed by me and I said: 'It is this one.' They said: 'This is Talhah b. 'Ubayd Allah.'
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1207No grade recorded
«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ تَشَهَّدَ فِي سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ»
✧ The Prophet ﷺ recited the tashahhud in the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then said the salam.
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1208No grade recorded
«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى بِهِمْ فَسَهَا فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَي السَّهْوِ بَعْدَ السَّلَامِ وَالْكَلَامِ»
✧ The Prophet ﷺ led them in prayer and forgot in his prayer, so he prostrated the two prostrations of forgetfulness after the salam and after speaking.
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1209No grade recorded
«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ سَمَّى سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ الْمُرْغِمَتَيْنِ»
✧ The Prophet ﷺ called the two prostrations of forgetfulness 'the two humiliators' (al-murghimatayn).
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1210No grade recorded
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ فَقُلْتُ أَحَدُنَا يُصَلِّي فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَحْدَثْتَ فَلْيَقُلْ كَذَبْتَ إِلَّا مَا وَجَدَ رِيحًا بِأَنْفِهِ أَوْ سَمِعَ صَوْتًا بِإِذْنِهِ
✧ I asked Abū Sa'īd al-Khudrī: 'One of us prays and does not know how many rak'ahs he prayed.' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When one of you prays and does not know how many he prayed, let him prostrate twice. And if Satan comes to one of you and says: You have broken your ablution, let him say: You have lied, unless he finds a smell with his nose or hears a sound with his ear.'
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1211No grade recorded
«مَنْ سَهَا فِي صَلَاتِهِ فِي ثَلَاثٍ وَأَرْبَعٍ فَلْيُتِمَّ فَإِنَّ الزِّيَادَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النُّقْصَانِ»
✧ Whoever forgets in his prayer regarding three or four [rakʿahs], let him complete [it], for the addition is better than the deficiency.
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1212No grade recorded
«لَا سَهْوَ فِي وَثْبَةِ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَّا قِيَامٌ عَنْ جُلُوسٍ وَجُلُوسٌ عَنْ قِيَامٍ»
✧ There is no [prostration for] forgetfulness in the leap of prayer except for standing after sitting or sitting after standing.
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1213No grade recorded
سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ مَا يَذْكُرُ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَهَا الْمَرْءُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ؟ قُلْتُ لَا أَوَمَا سَمِعْتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟ قَالَ لَا فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ فَقَالَ فِيمَا أَنْتُمَا؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ سَأَلْتُهُ هَلْ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يَذْكُرُ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَهَا الْمَرْءُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عِنْدِي عِلْمٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ هَلُمَّ فَأَنْتَ الْعَدْلُ الرِّضَا فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا وَاحِدَةً وَإِذَا شَكَّ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلَاثِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا شَكَّ فِي الثَّلَاثِ وَالْأَرْبَعِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ يُتِمُّ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْوَهْمُ فِي الزِّيَادَةِ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ»
✧ Have you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or from any of his Companions anything that mentions what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded when a person forgets in his prayer? I said: No. Or have you not heard, O Commander of the Believers? He said: No. Then ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf came in to us and said: What are you two discussing? ʿUmar said: I asked him whether he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or any of his Companions mention what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded when a person forgets in his prayer. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān said: I have knowledge of that. ʿUmar said: Come, for you are the just and acceptable one. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'When one of you doubts regarding the two [rakʿahs], let him make them one; and when he doubts regarding the two and the three, let him make them two; and when he doubts regarding the three and the four, let him make them three; then let him complete the remainder of his prayer so that the uncertainty is in the addition; then let him prostrate twice while sitting before he gives the salutation.'
al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 1214No grade recorded
«صَلَّى بِنَا عُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيُّ فَقَامَ وَعَلَيْهِ جُلُوسٌ» فَقَالَ النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ «فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ وَمَضَى عَلَى قِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ» فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُكُمْ آنِفًا تَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ لِكَيْمَا أَجْلِسَ لَكِنَّ السُّنَّةَ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُ
✧ ʿUqbah b. ʿĀmir al-Juhanī prayed with us and stood up while he had to sit. The people said: Subḥān Allāh, Subḥān Allāh. But he did not sit and continued standing. When he was at the end of his prayer, he prostrated twice while sitting. When he gave the salutation, he said: I heard you just now saying Subḥān Allāh so that I would sit, but the Sunnah is what I did.