A man who doubted his prayer and acted on his predominant suspicion, then prostrated for forgetfulness and concluded the prayer, was told he had only prayed three units, so he stood up and performed the fourth; is the prostration for forgetfulness required of him?

The questioner : Your Eminence, a man is praying with the congregation and doubts his prayer: did he pray three or four? He leans toward the belief that he prayed four, so he prostrates for forgetfulness and concludes the prayer. Then the followers tell him that he prayed only three, and he stands up to perform the fourth. Does he prostrate for forgetfulness a second time? Or is the first prostration for forgetfulness sufficient?

The Shaykh : Yes, the question is heard. It says: A man doubted his prayer and acted on his predominant suspicion, so he prostrated for forgetfulness at the end of the prayer and concluded it. He was told: "You only prayed three." So he stood up and performed the fourth. We say: It is obligatory for him to prostrate for forgetfulness after concluding the fourth unit, because he concluded the prayer before completing it. Yes.

The questioner : Your Eminence, one of our relatives...

The Shaykh : Yes, because he concluded the prayer before completing it. Concluding the prayer before its completion necessarily involves forgetfulness, and the prostration is to be performed after the conclusion.