He says in his letter: How should I act if I do not know whether I prostrated two prostrations or one, or whether I bowed two times or one, or whether I recited al-Fatihah or not, or whether I recited the tashahhud?
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The questioner : He says in his letter: How should I act if I do not know whether I prostrated two prostrations or one, or whether I bowed two times or one, or whether I recited al-Fatihah or not, or whether I recited the tashahhud?
The Shaykh : This, in reality, praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions, his question first asks: What should I do if I doubt whether I bowed two times or one? It appears that he means two bowings or one bowing. We say: If you doubt whether you bowed two times or one, you owe nothing, because this is a doubt regarding the cause that necessitates the prostration for forgetfulness, which is the addition if it were to be confirmed. The original state is that the prostration for forgetfulness is not obligatory, based on the principle that the original state is the absence of its cause.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if he is certain that he added a bowing, it is obligatory for him to perform the prostration for forgetfulness, and its place is after the taslim, as previously mentioned. As for if he doubts whether he prostrated one prostration or two, we ask him: What is more likely in your opinion? If he says it is more likely that it was two prostrations, we say: Build upon what is more likely in your opinion, and you must prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he says: It is more likely in my opinion that it was one prostration, we say to him: Also build upon what is more likely in your opinion, and complete the second prostration, then prostrate two prostrations for forgetfulness before the taslim. And if he says: It is not more likely in my opinion that it was one prostration nor that it was two prostrations, we say: Build upon the assumption that it was one prostration, and complete the second prostration, then prostrate two prostrations for forgetfulness before the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this is a doubt where its two sides are equal, whereas the first and second cases are doubts where one of the two sides is more likely.
It has been known from the previous session that if a doubt has one side that is more likely, one acts according to what is more likely and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if its two sides are equal, one takes the certainty and then prostrates for forgetfulness before the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is in the case of doubt regarding one prostration or two prostrations, and it remains... I think?
The questioner : He says: Or did I recite al-Fatihah or not?
The Shaykh : Yes, likewise, if he doubts whether he recited al-Fatihah or not, we say to him: What is the original state, or what is more likely in your opinion? If he says it is more likely that I recited it, we say to him: Build upon what is more likely in your opinion and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he says: It is more likely that I did not recite it, we say: Recite it and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he says: It is not more likely in my opinion that I recited it nor that I did not recite it, we say: Build upon the assumption that you did not recite it, then recite it and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. Yes.
The questioner : He also says: Or did I recite the tashahhud, meaning he doubts whether he recited the tashahhud or did not recite it?
The Shaykh : We say regarding the doubt in reciting the tashahhud as we said regarding the doubt in reciting al-Fatihah. Yes.
The Shaykh : This, in reality, praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions, his question first asks: What should I do if I doubt whether I bowed two times or one? It appears that he means two bowings or one bowing. We say: If you doubt whether you bowed two times or one, you owe nothing, because this is a doubt regarding the cause that necessitates the prostration for forgetfulness, which is the addition if it were to be confirmed. The original state is that the prostration for forgetfulness is not obligatory, based on the principle that the original state is the absence of its cause.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if he is certain that he added a bowing, it is obligatory for him to perform the prostration for forgetfulness, and its place is after the taslim, as previously mentioned. As for if he doubts whether he prostrated one prostration or two, we ask him: What is more likely in your opinion? If he says it is more likely that it was two prostrations, we say: Build upon what is more likely in your opinion, and you must prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he says: It is more likely in my opinion that it was one prostration, we say to him: Also build upon what is more likely in your opinion, and complete the second prostration, then prostrate two prostrations for forgetfulness before the taslim. And if he says: It is not more likely in my opinion that it was one prostration nor that it was two prostrations, we say: Build upon the assumption that it was one prostration, and complete the second prostration, then prostrate two prostrations for forgetfulness before the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this is a doubt where its two sides are equal, whereas the first and second cases are doubts where one of the two sides is more likely.
It has been known from the previous session that if a doubt has one side that is more likely, one acts according to what is more likely and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if its two sides are equal, one takes the certainty and then prostrates for forgetfulness before the taslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is in the case of doubt regarding one prostration or two prostrations, and it remains... I think?
The questioner : He says: Or did I recite al-Fatihah or not?
The Shaykh : Yes, likewise, if he doubts whether he recited al-Fatihah or not, we say to him: What is the original state, or what is more likely in your opinion? If he says it is more likely that I recited it, we say to him: Build upon what is more likely in your opinion and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he says: It is more likely that I did not recite it, we say: Recite it and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he says: It is not more likely in my opinion that I recited it nor that I did not recite it, we say: Build upon the assumption that you did not recite it, then recite it and prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim. Yes.
The questioner : He also says: Or did I recite the tashahhud, meaning he doubts whether he recited the tashahhud or did not recite it?
The Shaykh : We say regarding the doubt in reciting the tashahhud as we said regarding the doubt in reciting al-Fatihah. Yes.