Are there cases where the prostration for forgetfulness is performed before the closing salam and cases where it is performed after the closing salam?

The questioner : The listener also says, "May Allah reward you, from al-Dhahran: Are there cases where the prostration for forgetfulness is performed before the closing salam and cases where it is performed after the closing salam? If so, what is the ruling for one who prostrates for forgetfulness before the closing salam when the original ruling is that it should be performed after it, or the reverse? I mean by the closing salam the two salams. I hope you will clarify this with some detail. May Allah reward you."

The Shaykh : This question is very important because the ruling regarding the prostration for forgetfulness is hidden from many people. It is obligatory for a person to learn from his religion what establishes his religion, especially in this issue, and especially for the imams. The cause of the prostration for forgetfulness is either an addition, a deficiency, or doubt. As for the addition, the prostration is performed after the closing salam. As for the deficiency, the prostration is performed before the closing salam. As for the doubt, there is a detailed ruling: if one builds upon his estimate, the prostration is after the closing salam; if one builds upon the doubt, the prostration is before the closing salam. These are the general rules regarding the prostration for forgetfulness.

The questioner : If you please, Your Eminence, repeat the rule?

The Shaykh : Yes, I will provide the details.
As for the addition, for example, if a person adds a bowing by bowing twice, or a prostration by prostrating three times, or a standing by standing up for the fifth rak'ah in the midday prayer, for instance, and then remembers, or for the fourth rak'ah in the sunset prayer and then remembers, or for the third rak'ah in the dawn prayer and then remembers and returns. If this addition occurs from a person due to forgetfulness, he prostrates after the closing salam.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed one of the two evening prayers, meaning either the midday or the afternoon prayer, one day. He gave the closing salam after two rak'ahs, then they reminded him, so he completed his prayer and gave the closing salam, then he prostrated two prostrations after the closing salam. The addition here is the addition of the closing salam, for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the closing salam during his prayer. This is an addition of a pillar, so he prostrated after the closing salam.
And he prayed the midday prayer five rak'ahs one day. When he gave the closing salam, it was said, "Did you add to the prayer?" He said: They said, "We prayed five rak'ahs." So he faced the qiblah, sat down, and prostrated two prostrations. The wisdom of the prostration for forgetfulness being after the closing salam in the case of an addition is that two additions do not gather in the prayer: the addition in which he forgot and the addition of the two prostrations. So it was wise that the two prostrations be after the closing salam.
As for the deficiency, it is when a person omits an obligatory act from the obligatory acts of the prayer. If he omits an obligatory act from the obligatory acts of the prayer, the prostration for forgetfulness is before the closing salam. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the midday prayer one day and stood up from the two rak'ahs without sitting, meaning he did not sit for the first tashahhud. When he finished the prayer and the people were waiting for his closing salam, he prostrated two prostrations and then gave the closing salam. Similarly, if a person forgets to say "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High" in the bowing, or forgets to say "Glory be to my Lord, the Most Exalted" in the prostration, or forgets one of the takbirs other than the takbir of intiation, he prostrates before the closing salam because that is due to a deficiency. The wisdom of the prostration for a deficiency being before the closing salam is that the prayer was deficient by this deficiency, so it was wise that the making up of the deficiency be before exiting from it.
As for the doubt, which is the third cause of the prostration for forgetfulness, if a person builds upon his estimate, the prostration is after the closing salam. If he builds upon the doubt, the prostration is before the closing salam.
An example of an estimate is if a person doubts whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs, but it is more likely in his mind that it was four. Then he should complete it as four, give the closing salam, and prostrate for forgetfulness after the closing salam. Or if he doubts whether it was four or three, and it is more likely in his mind that it was three, then he should perform the fourth rak'ah, give the closing salam, and prostrate after the closing salam. The evidence for this is the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that in the case of doubt, one should seek the truth and complete upon it, then give the closing salam, then prostrate two prostrations. The wisdom of this is that this doubt that occurred to him, in which there was a stronger estimate, the weaker one was a mistake and an error, which is an added matter. Therefore, the prostration in this case is after the closing salam.
As for building upon the doubt, which is when nothing is more likely in his mind, he should build upon the certainty, which is the lesser number, and prostrate two prostrations before he gives the closing salam. An example of this is a man who doubts whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs and nothing is more likely in his mind. Then he should build upon the lesser number, which is three, perform the fourth rak'ah, and prostrate for forgetfulness before he gives the closing salam. He performs the prostration before he gives the closing salam because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The wisdom of this is that this doubt that occurred to him did not affect anything in reality, because the addition is imagined, not guaranteed, and not dominant in the estimate. So the prostration in this case is before the closing salam because this is a type of deficiency in the prayer. It has become clear thereby that the causes of the prostration for forgetfulness are three: addition, deficiency, and doubt. In the case of addition, the prostration is after the closing salam. In the case of deficiency, the prostration is before the closing salam. In the case of doubt, if one side is more likely in his estimate, the prostration is after the closing salam. If neither side is more likely in his estimate, the prostration is before the closing salam, but he builds upon the certainty, which is the lesser number. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you. So, some of the general public, Shaykh Muhammad, say that you are given a choice, whether after the closing salam or before the closing salam?

The Shaykh : Yes, you just reminded me of a paragraph in the question.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : It says, "In the case where one prostrates before the closing salam when its place is after the closing salam, or the reverse."

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : We say that the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the prostration being before the closing salam or after it is a matter of preference only, and not a matter of obligation. Based on this, if one prostrates after the closing salam when its place is before the closing salam, or before the closing salam when its place is after it, there is no sin upon him.

The questioner : Very well.

The Shaykh : However, some of the scholars, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, held that what its place is before the closing salam must be before the closing salam, and what its place is after the closing salam must be after the closing salam. Based on this, if a person prostrates before the closing salam when its place is after it, or after the closing salam when its place is before it, he would thereby commit a sin.
As for what you mentioned regarding the statement of the general public that a person is given a choice, this has no basis.

The questioner : Very well.

The Shaykh : And it has no basis from the perspective of the legal evidence. Rather, the legal evidence indicates that each has a specific place. However, whether this place is on the basis of obligation or on the basis of preference is the disagreement that I mentioned.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : Yes.