The Places of Prostration for Forgetfulness in Prayer
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The Shaykh : Another example: The scholars know that the prostration for forgetfulness, when a person forgets in his prayer, is sometimes before the closing salam and sometimes after the closing salam. It is before the salam in two cases, and it is after the salam in two cases.
It is before the salam in two cases: when one leaves an obligatory act of the prayer, whether it is verbal or physical, and when one doubts the number of rak'ahs and nothing is more probable to him, in which case he builds upon the lesser number and then prostrates for forgetfulness before the salam. So, in two cases. Brother? Yes, and you are standing.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning, nothing was more probable to him, so he builds upon the lesser number?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you.
In how many cases is the prostration for forgetfulness before the salam? In two cases. The first: when one leaves an obligatory act of the prayer. The second: when one doubts the number of rak'ahs and neither the increase nor the decrease is more probable to him, in which case he builds upon the lesser number and prostrates before the salam. All of this is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the first, it is established from him (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) that he forgot the first tashahhud and stood up. When he completed the prayer and the people were waiting for his salam, he said Allahu Akbar and prostrated two prostrations, then he said the salam. What did he leave? An obligatory act of the prayer, and he prostrated before the salam.
The wisdom behind this is that he prostrated for a deficiency. He prostrated for a deficiency, so it was better to make up the deficiency before he said the salam.
Now, a man forgot to say Subhan Rabi al-Azim in the ruku', meaning he bowed but did not say Subhan Rabi al-Azim, then he stood up. When does he prostrate? Hmm?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, before the salam, before the salam, because he left an obligatory act, which is saying Subhan Rabi al-Azim.
Another man forgot to say Allahu Akbar for the prostration. He prostrated but forgot to say Allahu Akbar. When does he prostrate? Before the salam, because he left an obligatory act.
Now, the second case where the prostration is before the salam is when one doubts the number of rak'ahs but nothing is more probable to him. For example: he doubts whether he prayed three or four, and neither four nor three is more probable to him. How many does he make it? He makes it three, completes the fourth, and prostrates before he says the salam. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the one who doubts and does not know whether he prayed three or four: let him discard the doubt and build upon what he is certain of, then prostrate two prostrations before he says the salam.
The prostration for forgetfulness is after the salam in two cases. The first case: when one adds to the prayer a ruku', a prostration, a standing, or a sitting. If one adds to the prayer, the prostration for forgetfulness is after the salam. An example of the addition, brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He prayed five rak'ahs and did not realize it until he was in the tashahhud. Yes, good, that is all. Here he prostrates after the salam. Meaning, in the final tashahhud, he realized that he prayed five. We say: complete it, say the salam, and prostrate after the salam. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five and said the salam, then they informed him that he had prayed five, so he prostrated two prostrations after the salam.
So, the addition is after the salam.
Now, a person bowed twice while forgetting. When does he prostrate? After the salam. He prostrated three times? After the salam.
The second case: when one doubts in the prayer and one of the two possibilities is more probable to him, he builds upon the more probable one and prostrates after the salam. When is the second case? When one doubts the number of rak'ahs and one of the two matters is more probable to him, he completes it and prostrates after the salam.
An example of this: he is now in the fourth rak'ah of the Dhuhr prayer. A man is praying Dhuhr, he is now in the fourth, and he doubts whether this is the fourth or the third. But the third is more probable to him. What does he do? He comes with the fourth and prostrates after the salam.
Now, if the fourth is more probable to him, does he come with a rak'ah or not? He does not come with one. He completes it and prostrates after the salam. This is established by the Sunnah, as in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who doubts in his prayer to seek the truth and build upon it, then prostrate two prostrations after he says the salam.
So we now know that the prostration for forgetfulness is of two types: some is before the salam and some is after the salam.
Some imams do not prostrate except before the salam, always. They always prostrate before the salam, so the other Sunnah dies. The other Sunnah, which is after the salam, dies. For this reason, the common people deny the prostration after the salam; they reject it. So some imams fear them and make their prostration always before the salam. We say: this is a mistake. What do we call this scholar?
The student: A fool.
The Shaykh : A fool.
It is before the salam in two cases: when one leaves an obligatory act of the prayer, whether it is verbal or physical, and when one doubts the number of rak'ahs and nothing is more probable to him, in which case he builds upon the lesser number and then prostrates for forgetfulness before the salam. So, in two cases. Brother? Yes, and you are standing.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning, nothing was more probable to him, so he builds upon the lesser number?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you.
In how many cases is the prostration for forgetfulness before the salam? In two cases. The first: when one leaves an obligatory act of the prayer. The second: when one doubts the number of rak'ahs and neither the increase nor the decrease is more probable to him, in which case he builds upon the lesser number and prostrates before the salam. All of this is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the first, it is established from him (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) that he forgot the first tashahhud and stood up. When he completed the prayer and the people were waiting for his salam, he said Allahu Akbar and prostrated two prostrations, then he said the salam. What did he leave? An obligatory act of the prayer, and he prostrated before the salam.
The wisdom behind this is that he prostrated for a deficiency. He prostrated for a deficiency, so it was better to make up the deficiency before he said the salam.
Now, a man forgot to say Subhan Rabi al-Azim in the ruku', meaning he bowed but did not say Subhan Rabi al-Azim, then he stood up. When does he prostrate? Hmm?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, before the salam, before the salam, because he left an obligatory act, which is saying Subhan Rabi al-Azim.
Another man forgot to say Allahu Akbar for the prostration. He prostrated but forgot to say Allahu Akbar. When does he prostrate? Before the salam, because he left an obligatory act.
Now, the second case where the prostration is before the salam is when one doubts the number of rak'ahs but nothing is more probable to him. For example: he doubts whether he prayed three or four, and neither four nor three is more probable to him. How many does he make it? He makes it three, completes the fourth, and prostrates before he says the salam. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the one who doubts and does not know whether he prayed three or four: let him discard the doubt and build upon what he is certain of, then prostrate two prostrations before he says the salam.
The prostration for forgetfulness is after the salam in two cases. The first case: when one adds to the prayer a ruku', a prostration, a standing, or a sitting. If one adds to the prayer, the prostration for forgetfulness is after the salam. An example of the addition, brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He prayed five rak'ahs and did not realize it until he was in the tashahhud. Yes, good, that is all. Here he prostrates after the salam. Meaning, in the final tashahhud, he realized that he prayed five. We say: complete it, say the salam, and prostrate after the salam. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five and said the salam, then they informed him that he had prayed five, so he prostrated two prostrations after the salam.
So, the addition is after the salam.
Now, a person bowed twice while forgetting. When does he prostrate? After the salam. He prostrated three times? After the salam.
The second case: when one doubts in the prayer and one of the two possibilities is more probable to him, he builds upon the more probable one and prostrates after the salam. When is the second case? When one doubts the number of rak'ahs and one of the two matters is more probable to him, he completes it and prostrates after the salam.
An example of this: he is now in the fourth rak'ah of the Dhuhr prayer. A man is praying Dhuhr, he is now in the fourth, and he doubts whether this is the fourth or the third. But the third is more probable to him. What does he do? He comes with the fourth and prostrates after the salam.
Now, if the fourth is more probable to him, does he come with a rak'ah or not? He does not come with one. He completes it and prostrates after the salam. This is established by the Sunnah, as in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who doubts in his prayer to seek the truth and build upon it, then prostrate two prostrations after he says the salam.
So we now know that the prostration for forgetfulness is of two types: some is before the salam and some is after the salam.
Some imams do not prostrate except before the salam, always. They always prostrate before the salam, so the other Sunnah dies. The other Sunnah, which is after the salam, dies. For this reason, the common people deny the prostration after the salam; they reject it. So some imams fear them and make their prostration always before the salam. We say: this is a mistake. What do we call this scholar?
The student: A fool.
The Shaykh : A fool.