A Summary on the Prostration of Forgetfulness and the Urging to Teach People the Issues of the Prostration of Forgetfulness
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The Shaykh : From all of this, we know that the prostration of forgetfulness is sometimes performed before the closing salam and sometimes after the closing salam. It is performed before the salam if one has added [to the prayer].
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I, and what should I say? It is performed before the salam if one has added. If I made a mistake, please correct me.
The student: If one has decreased [the prayer].
The Shaykh : If one has decreased? Yes, because we mentioned that if the obligatory first tashahhud is left out, it is performed before the salam. It is performed before the salam if one has decreased, and after the salam if one has added. In the case of doubt, it is performed before the salam if no side is preferred, and after the salam if a side is preferred. Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you.
I heard a brother say: The imams prostrate before the salam. And we say: Yes, and we have heard that the imams prostrate for forgetfulness before the salam in all cases. This is not free from one of two things: either ignorance or independent legal reasoning.
Either ignorance, because some of them do not know what is before the salam and what is after it.
Or independent legal reasoning, because some imams say: If I delay the prostration of forgetfulness until after the salam, it will cause confusion for the worshippers. Listen, we say to this one who exercised independent legal reasoning: This is a wrong independent legal reasoning, because independent legal reasoning that necessitates the invalidation of the Sunnah is defective and wrong. We say: Perform the Sunnah so that people become accustomed to it, and then they will not disapprove of it. But if it remains always not following the Sunnah, then people will disapprove of the Sunnah. However, perform the Sunnah so that people know it, and then they will not disapprove of it afterwards.
And the one who performs the Sunnah, prostrating after the salam in its proper place, falls under the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1017a.
So we say: Perform the Sunnah and be confident that people will become accustomed to this matter.
One person says: The first time I said the salam, and I was in a state of forgetfulness, so I prostrated for forgetfulness after the salam. When I said the salam, the people looked at me. What were they saying? Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah. Why did they say Glory be to Allah? Because they were not accustomed to it and had not become used to it. But after they became accustomed to it, and it became so that whenever he prostrated for forgetfulness, he would talk to the people and say: O people, I prostrated for forgetfulness after the salam for such and such a reason, or he would say: I prostrated before the salam for such and such a reason. When the people became accustomed to it and knew it, they would not disapprove if he prostrated after the salam. If he prostrated before the salam, they would not disapprove of it. Rather, if he prostrated before the salam in a place where the prostration is after the salam, they would disapprove and say: Why did you prostrate after the salam when you added to the prayer, for example, for example.
So it is obligatory, indeed it is obligatory, upon the students of knowledge to clarify the Sunnah, either by speech or by action. Which is more eloquent, action or speech? Action. For this reason, if the imam constantly reminds the worshippers of the prostration of forgetfulness and teaches them its rulings, and then comes two days later and asks them, the answer is: By Allah, I do not know. Guide me, may Allah reward you with good. Yes, but if he prostrated once after the salam and it settled in their hearts and they began to remember it, they would say: Our imam prostrated after the salam. Why?
Then they ask for the reason, and when they know the reason, the wonder ceases, and they know that the prostration of forgetfulness is sometimes before the salam and sometimes after the salam. Is that clear?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I, and what should I say? It is performed before the salam if one has added. If I made a mistake, please correct me.
The student: If one has decreased [the prayer].
The Shaykh : If one has decreased? Yes, because we mentioned that if the obligatory first tashahhud is left out, it is performed before the salam. It is performed before the salam if one has decreased, and after the salam if one has added. In the case of doubt, it is performed before the salam if no side is preferred, and after the salam if a side is preferred. Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you.
I heard a brother say: The imams prostrate before the salam. And we say: Yes, and we have heard that the imams prostrate for forgetfulness before the salam in all cases. This is not free from one of two things: either ignorance or independent legal reasoning.
Either ignorance, because some of them do not know what is before the salam and what is after it.
Or independent legal reasoning, because some imams say: If I delay the prostration of forgetfulness until after the salam, it will cause confusion for the worshippers. Listen, we say to this one who exercised independent legal reasoning: This is a wrong independent legal reasoning, because independent legal reasoning that necessitates the invalidation of the Sunnah is defective and wrong. We say: Perform the Sunnah so that people become accustomed to it, and then they will not disapprove of it. But if it remains always not following the Sunnah, then people will disapprove of the Sunnah. However, perform the Sunnah so that people know it, and then they will not disapprove of it afterwards.
And the one who performs the Sunnah, prostrating after the salam in its proper place, falls under the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها إلى يوم القيامةSo we say: Perform the Sunnah and be confident that people will become accustomed to this matter.
One person says: The first time I said the salam, and I was in a state of forgetfulness, so I prostrated for forgetfulness after the salam. When I said the salam, the people looked at me. What were they saying? Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah. Why did they say Glory be to Allah? Because they were not accustomed to it and had not become used to it. But after they became accustomed to it, and it became so that whenever he prostrated for forgetfulness, he would talk to the people and say: O people, I prostrated for forgetfulness after the salam for such and such a reason, or he would say: I prostrated before the salam for such and such a reason. When the people became accustomed to it and knew it, they would not disapprove if he prostrated after the salam. If he prostrated before the salam, they would not disapprove of it. Rather, if he prostrated before the salam in a place where the prostration is after the salam, they would disapprove and say: Why did you prostrate after the salam when you added to the prayer, for example, for example.
So it is obligatory, indeed it is obligatory, upon the students of knowledge to clarify the Sunnah, either by speech or by action. Which is more eloquent, action or speech? Action. For this reason, if the imam constantly reminds the worshippers of the prostration of forgetfulness and teaches them its rulings, and then comes two days later and asks them, the answer is: By Allah, I do not know. Guide me, may Allah reward you with good. Yes, but if he prostrated once after the salam and it settled in their hearts and they began to remember it, they would say: Our imam prostrated after the salam. Why?
Then they ask for the reason, and when they know the reason, the wonder ceases, and they know that the prostration of forgetfulness is sometimes before the salam and sometimes after the salam. Is that clear?