A woman prayed a four-rak'ah prayer and forgot the first tashahhud, so she intended to perform sujud al-sahw, but she forgot and said the taslim in the final tashahhud. Does she have to perform prostration after the taslim?
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The questioner : A woman says she prayed a four-rak'ah prayer and forgot the first tashahhud, so she intended to perform sujud al-sahw, but she forgot and said the taslim in the final tashahhud. Does she have to perform prostration after the taslim?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for her to prostrate after the taslim because she forgot the prostration that was obligatory upon her and said the taslim. So we say: prostrate after the taslim. It is good for us to clarify here the causes of sujud al-sahw and when it is performed, before the taslim or after the taslim. We say the causes of sujud al-sahw are three: addition, omission, and doubt.
For example, addition is when a person prostrates three times in one rak'ah while forgetting. Omission is when a person stands up from the first tashahhud while forgetting. Doubt is when a person hesitates whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs.
As for addition, prostration is obligatory for it to compensate for the defect that occurred in it. The place for the obligatory prostration for addition is after the taslim. So this man who prostrated three times in one rak'ah while forgetting must perform sujud al-sahw, and his prostration is after the taslim. The evidence for this is what is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Dhuhr or 'Asr and said the taslim after two rak'ahs. Then it was said to him that he had said the taslim after two rak'ahs. So he moved forward and prayed what he had left, then said the taslim, then prostrated for sujud al-sahw after the taslim. This is because he added to his prayer, which was the taslim in the middle of the prayer. So this is an addition, and the prostration for it is after the taslim.
Similarly, the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five rak'ahs. When he said the taslim, it was said to him: Did you add to the prayer? He said: They said: We prayed five. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated for sujud al-sahw because he added to the prayer.
As for omission, for example, when a person stands up from the first tashahhud. If he stands up from the first tashahhud until he is fully standing, it is not permissible for him to go back. However, it is obligatory for him to perform sujud al-sahw, and his prostration is before the taslim, based on the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Buhaynah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up in the two rak'ahs and did not sit. When he finished the prayer and the people were waiting for his taslim, he prostrated two prostrations and then said the taslim.
Similarly, if he omits saying Subhan Rabbi al-A'la in prostration, or saying Subhan Rabbi al-'Azim in bowing, or forgets the takbir for bowing, or for prostration, or for standing up from prostration, he performs sujud al-sahw before the taslim, just as if he forgot the first tashahhud.
As for doubt, which is hesitating whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs, we say: if he is inclined to believe one of the things he is in doubt about, he builds upon his predominant belief and performs sujud al-sahw after the taslim. If he is not inclined to believe anything, he builds upon the lesser, which is certainty, and performs sujud al-sahw before the taslim. This is how the Sunnah came, distinguishing between doubt with a predominant belief and doubt where both sides are equal.
An example of this is a man who doubts whether he is in the third or fourth rak'ah, and neither the third nor the fourth is predominant for him. We say: make it the third, because that is the certainty. Then come with the fourth and perform sujud al-sahw before the taslim. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : We thank Allah for you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge and benefit the Muslims with you, O brothers.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for her to prostrate after the taslim because she forgot the prostration that was obligatory upon her and said the taslim. So we say: prostrate after the taslim. It is good for us to clarify here the causes of sujud al-sahw and when it is performed, before the taslim or after the taslim. We say the causes of sujud al-sahw are three: addition, omission, and doubt.
For example, addition is when a person prostrates three times in one rak'ah while forgetting. Omission is when a person stands up from the first tashahhud while forgetting. Doubt is when a person hesitates whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs.
As for addition, prostration is obligatory for it to compensate for the defect that occurred in it. The place for the obligatory prostration for addition is after the taslim. So this man who prostrated three times in one rak'ah while forgetting must perform sujud al-sahw, and his prostration is after the taslim. The evidence for this is what is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Dhuhr or 'Asr and said the taslim after two rak'ahs. Then it was said to him that he had said the taslim after two rak'ahs. So he moved forward and prayed what he had left, then said the taslim, then prostrated for sujud al-sahw after the taslim. This is because he added to his prayer, which was the taslim in the middle of the prayer. So this is an addition, and the prostration for it is after the taslim.
Similarly, the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five rak'ahs. When he said the taslim, it was said to him: Did you add to the prayer? He said:
And what is that?
وما ذاك؟As for omission, for example, when a person stands up from the first tashahhud. If he stands up from the first tashahhud until he is fully standing, it is not permissible for him to go back. However, it is obligatory for him to perform sujud al-sahw, and his prostration is before the taslim, based on the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Buhaynah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up in the two rak'ahs and did not sit. When he finished the prayer and the people were waiting for his taslim, he prostrated two prostrations and then said the taslim.
Similarly, if he omits saying Subhan Rabbi al-A'la in prostration, or saying Subhan Rabbi al-'Azim in bowing, or forgets the takbir for bowing, or for prostration, or for standing up from prostration, he performs sujud al-sahw before the taslim, just as if he forgot the first tashahhud.
As for doubt, which is hesitating whether he prayed three or four rak'ahs, we say: if he is inclined to believe one of the things he is in doubt about, he builds upon his predominant belief and performs sujud al-sahw after the taslim. If he is not inclined to believe anything, he builds upon the lesser, which is certainty, and performs sujud al-sahw before the taslim. This is how the Sunnah came, distinguishing between doubt with a predominant belief and doubt where both sides are equal.
An example of this is a man who doubts whether he is in the third or fourth rak'ah, and neither the third nor the fourth is predominant for him. We say: make it the third, because that is the certainty. Then come with the fourth and perform sujud al-sahw before the taslim. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : We thank Allah for you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge and benefit the Muslims with you, O brothers.