If a man forgets how many times he circumambulated the Ka'bah or how many times he performed sa'y, what should he do?
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The questioner : He says: If a man forgets how many times he circumambulated the Ka'bah or how many times he performed sa'y, whether it was six or seven, what should he do?
The Shaykh : As for tawaf, forgetting it is a possibility. A person performs tawaf and does not know if it is the fifth, sixth, or seventh round. If he is in doubt, and he has a preponderant opinion, let him act according to his preponderant opinion. For example, if his preponderant opinion is that it is seven rounds, he makes it seven and ends the tawaf. If his preponderant opinion is that it is six or seven, but six is more likely, he makes it six. However, if nothing is preponderant in his opinion and it is a possible doubt, let him act according to the lesser number, because that is the certainty. So if he doubts whether it is five or six without one being more likely, let him make it five. As for sa'y, the error in it is slight. Why? Because there is a marker. If you finish at al-Safa, you are either one round over or one round over with certainty. If you finish at al-Marwah, you are either correct, one round over, or one round short. In any case, we say in it what we said about tawaf: if one of the two numbers is preponderant in your opinion, act according to it. If the doubt is equal, take what? The lesser number. I ask you a question: Does he prostrate for forgetfulness? In tawaf and sa'y, sa'y does not involve prostration. And tawaf, if it is said that tawaf around the House is a prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech in it, we say to him: prostrate, because prostration is not a form of worship in tawaf. So if the original state does not include prostration, how can it be compensated with prostration when there is doubt? That is, how can it be corrected with prostration when the original state does not include prostration?
The questioner : He says: If we are a group and with us is a woman who has started menstruating, and we do not have lodging, and this woman has taken complete precautions, is it permissible for her to sit in the sa'y area for the sake of the cold, or should she go outside the mosque to the new expansion, or what should she do?
The Shaykh : As for tawaf, forgetting it is a possibility. A person performs tawaf and does not know if it is the fifth, sixth, or seventh round. If he is in doubt, and he has a preponderant opinion, let him act according to his preponderant opinion. For example, if his preponderant opinion is that it is seven rounds, he makes it seven and ends the tawaf. If his preponderant opinion is that it is six or seven, but six is more likely, he makes it six. However, if nothing is preponderant in his opinion and it is a possible doubt, let him act according to the lesser number, because that is the certainty. So if he doubts whether it is five or six without one being more likely, let him make it five. As for sa'y, the error in it is slight. Why? Because there is a marker. If you finish at al-Safa, you are either one round over or one round over with certainty. If you finish at al-Marwah, you are either correct, one round over, or one round short. In any case, we say in it what we said about tawaf: if one of the two numbers is preponderant in your opinion, act according to it. If the doubt is equal, take what? The lesser number. I ask you a question: Does he prostrate for forgetfulness? In tawaf and sa'y, sa'y does not involve prostration. And tawaf, if it is said that tawaf around the House is a prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech in it, we say to him: prostrate, because prostration is not a form of worship in tawaf. So if the original state does not include prostration, how can it be compensated with prostration when there is doubt? That is, how can it be corrected with prostration when the original state does not include prostration?
The questioner : He says: If we are a group and with us is a woman who has started menstruating, and we do not have lodging, and this woman has taken complete precautions, is it permissible for her to sit in the sa'y area for the sake of the cold, or should she go outside the mosque to the new expansion, or what should she do?