What is the ruling on one who doubts about his prostration; did he prostrate the second prostration or not?

The Shaykh: Until I doubted whether I prostrated once or twice, in the second rak'ah, in the second rak'ah.

The questioner: In the second rak'ah.

The Shaykh: The doubt is whether I prostrated once or twice? In the first rak'ah or the second?

The questioner: It makes no difference, he was in prostration. The first rak'ah or the second, O Shaykh?

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Do you know the story? He said to him: What is it? He said: This is it? It is haste from you, do not rush. You say: I doubted whether I prostrated once or twice; is that not how you say it?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Okay; I am clarifying this with you now; was this doubt you are talking about in the second rak'ah or the first?

The questioner: No, in the second.

The Shaykh: Okay; do we understand each other?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Good; when did you notice your doubt?

The questioner: When I was about to finish.

The Shaykh: Meaning before the taslim and you were aware?

The questioner: Yes, approximately.

The Shaykh: Okay; when you remembered the doubt that occurred to you at that moment, you want to do one of two things; one is easy and the other is difficult, a little difficult but not too much. What is the difficult one? It means you examine yourself while you are in prayer, you make a judgment; perhaps it was the first prostration or the second, one or two. Of course, you do not drag it out for a long time, just a moment. If you find that you have formed a stronger opinion, the sudden doubt is resolved, and you act on what is stronger in your opinion. For example, I am now assuming I am you. The doubt occurred to me that I prostrated once or twice. I am now expressing to you what you must do. I express it to you with my tongue, but in prayer there is no speech, do you understand me?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: I say to myself: It is more likely in my opinion that it was the second. I continue the prayer and I prostrate the prostration of forgetfulness for the doubt that occurred to me. Good? But it is not always the case that a person has a stronger opinion. So this is the first scenario. The first or the second? The first or the second? No, the second. So you prostrate the prostration of forgetfulness. Sometimes it happens with you: the first or the second? The first or the second? No, it was the first; you did not prostrate the second. You prostrate the second at that moment, you prostrate the second right then, you recite the tashahhud and complete your prayer. The prostration of forgetfulness is not necessary.
In a third case - and the last - you say: Is it the first or the second? The first or the second? You have no stronger opinion that it is the first or that it is the second. Here you build on the lesser. What does the lesser mean? It means you count that you prostrated only once. And then you come with the second and complete your prayer and recite the full tashahhud. If you wish, you can say the taslim and then prostrate the prostration of forgetfulness. If you wish, you can prostrate the prostration of forgetfulness before the taslim. Is that clear?

The questioner: Yes. What is strange about my action?

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner: What is strange about my action?

The Shaykh: What is strange about your action?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Perhaps I misunderstood you to have prayed two rak'ahs. When I asked you: How many rak'ahs? Four. And I confirmed with you, I said: Do you recite the tashahhud once or twice? You said: Twice, with one taslim. At that point, your confusion was in its place. I would have wanted to deny that you... were at the head of two rak'ahs, and this is forbidden by some, and praise be to Allah, you are not among those who do this.