The imam in a four-rak'ah prayer sat for the tashahhud in the first rak'ah out of forgetfulness, then sat in the second rak'ah; what is the ruling on his prayer?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, the Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : One of them prayed a four-rak'ah prayer, and after the first rak'ah he sat for the tashahhud, then he sat after the second rak'ah, and no one recited the tasbih; what is the ruling on the prayer?
The Shaykh : You mean he sat twice?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it was out of forgetfulness, he owes nothing; the prayer is valid. However, it is obligatory for him to perform the prostration for forgetfulness after the taslim, because this forgetfulness involved an addition. When forgetfulness involves an addition, the prostration is performed after the taslim. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgot and said the taslim after two rak'ahs of the Dhuhr or 'Asr prayer, and they reminded him, he completed the prayer and then prostrated after the taslim. And when he once prayed five rak'ahs for the Dhuhr, and when he said the taslim he was informed that he had added, he bent his legs and prostrated two prostrations.
The questioner : What is the ruling on his sitting for the tashahhud a second time?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : What is the ruling on his prostration? His sitting for the tashahhud a second time?
The Shaykh : I said: There is no harm. He was forgetful; he did not intend this sitting. The first sitting, in which he forgot, is excused. But because this sitting changes the form of the prayer, he was ordered to prostrate two prostrations to make up for the prayer. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : One of them prayed a four-rak'ah prayer, and after the first rak'ah he sat for the tashahhud, then he sat after the second rak'ah, and no one recited the tasbih; what is the ruling on the prayer?
The Shaykh : You mean he sat twice?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it was out of forgetfulness, he owes nothing; the prayer is valid. However, it is obligatory for him to perform the prostration for forgetfulness after the taslim, because this forgetfulness involved an addition. When forgetfulness involves an addition, the prostration is performed after the taslim. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgot and said the taslim after two rak'ahs of the Dhuhr or 'Asr prayer, and they reminded him, he completed the prayer and then prostrated after the taslim. And when he once prayed five rak'ahs for the Dhuhr, and when he said the taslim he was informed that he had added, he bent his legs and prostrated two prostrations.
The questioner : What is the ruling on his sitting for the tashahhud a second time?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : What is the ruling on his prostration? His sitting for the tashahhud a second time?
The Shaykh : I said: There is no harm. He was forgetful; he did not intend this sitting. The first sitting, in which he forgot, is excused. But because this sitting changes the form of the prayer, he was ordered to prostrate two prostrations to make up for the prayer. Yes.