If the imam forgets the sitting between the two prostrations and stands up, does he return to it?
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The questioner : If the imam prays and forgets the sitting between the two prostrations, then stands up, and the followers recite the tasbih, does he return to it, or does he complete the prayer and perform an additional rak'ah?
The Shaykh : Now, this man left off the sitting and the second prostration. It is obligatory for him to return to it, even if he has recited al-Fatihah, even if he has bowed. I mean, if they did not remind him until after he had risen from the bowing in the second rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return, sit, then prostrate, then stand up and complete his prayer. Did you understand? But if he reached the sitting between the two prostrations in the second rak'ah, the second rak'ah takes the place of the first, because if we were to say to him now: "Return," what would he do? I ask you? If we said: "Return," he would return and sit. So the important thing is, take the rule and the criterion: if a person forgets a pillar of a rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return to it whenever he remembers, unless he has reached its place in the second rak'ah, in which case the first rak'ah is nullified and the second takes its place. So if he reaches its place in the second rak'ah, he intends that this is for the first rak'ah. Yes, that is right. Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : Now, this man left off the sitting and the second prostration. It is obligatory for him to return to it, even if he has recited al-Fatihah, even if he has bowed. I mean, if they did not remind him until after he had risen from the bowing in the second rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return, sit, then prostrate, then stand up and complete his prayer. Did you understand? But if he reached the sitting between the two prostrations in the second rak'ah, the second rak'ah takes the place of the first, because if we were to say to him now: "Return," what would he do? I ask you? If we said: "Return," he would return and sit. So the important thing is, take the rule and the criterion: if a person forgets a pillar of a rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to return to it whenever he remembers, unless he has reached its place in the second rak'ah, in which case the first rak'ah is nullified and the second takes its place. So if he reaches its place in the second rak'ah, he intends that this is for the first rak'ah. Yes, that is right. Yes, that is right.