When is the prostration for forgetfulness obligatory, and how is it performed?
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The questioner : He asks when it is obligatory and how it is performed.
The Shaykh : The prostration for forgetfulness is obligatory in the general framework of any act that invalidates the prayer if done intentionally. Anything that the worshipper does intentionally that invalidates his prayer, if he forgets it, he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness for it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the general principle regarding what makes the prostration for forgetfulness obligatory.
The questioner : He asks how it is performed.
The Shaykh : As for its performance, it is sometimes done before the closing salam and sometimes after the closing salam. It is done before the closing salam in two cases:
The first is when its cause is a deficiency in the prayer.
The second is when its cause is a doubt where both possibilities are equal and neither is more likely than the other.
An example of this is forgetting the first tashahhud in a three- or four-unit prayer, so he did not sit and did not recite the tashahhud. Here, he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness, and it is done before the closing salam because the first tashahhud was a deficiency in his prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Buhaynah, when he prayed the midday prayer with them and stood up from the two units without sitting. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer and the people were waiting for his closing salam, he said Allahu Akbar, prostrated two prostrations while sitting, and then said the closing salam. Here, the prostration was before the closing salam, and its evidence is this hadith established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner : O Allah, send blessings.
The Shaykh : Also, the meaning necessitates this, because this deficiency should not cause a person to exit his prayer until he completes it. Therefore, the prostration for it was prescribed before the closing salam.
As for the second issue, it is when a person doubts and both possibilities are equal in his mind, and neither of the two matters is more likely to him. An example of this is: he doubts whether this unit of his is the third or the fourth, and neither side is more likely to him. Here, he builds upon certainty, and certainty is the lesser number, so he considers this unit the third, then he performs the fourth, sits, and recites the final tashahhud, and prostrates two prostrations before he says the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason it is so, meaning the prostration for forgetfulness is before the closing salam, is that this doubt that arose regarding this unit, causing confusion for the person as to whether it is part of his prayer or extra, undoubtedly affects the prayer. Therefore, it was prescribed that the prostration be before it, in order to rectify the prayer before he exits it.
As for the prostration after the closing salam, it is also in two cases. The first is when he adds to his prayer.
The second is when he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him. Here, the prostration is done after the closing salam.
As for the first, which is that the cause of the prostration for forgetfulness is an addition, an example is if a person prays five units.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In the midday prayer, for example, if he sits for the tashahhud and remembers that he prayed five, here we tell him to complete the tashahhud and say the closing salam, then prostrate two prostrations after the closing salam and say the closing salam. Likewise, if he bows twice in one unit or prostrates three prostrations, this is an addition, so the prostration for it is after the closing salam. Or if he stands up for an extra unit, such as standing up for the fifth in a four-unit prayer and then remembering, he returns.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If he says the closing salam, he prostrates the two prostrations of forgetfulness. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the midday prayer with them for five units. When he finished, they said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, was there an addition in the prayer?" He said: They said: "We prayed five." So he turned his feet (peace and blessings be upon him), then prostrated two prostrations after he said the closing salam, then he turned to the people and informed them that he is a human being and forgets just as they forget, to the end of it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Here, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated after the closing salam because he added a unit to his prayer.
Someone might say that the prostration here after the closing salam is a necessity, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not know about the addition until after he said the closing salam, so we cannot make this a rule and say: if the prostration for forgetfulness is for an addition, it is done after the closing salam. Someone might say this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This would invalidate our use of this hadith as evidence that the prostration for forgetfulness for an addition is done after the closing salam. We answer this by saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated after the closing salam, and since he did not say: "I only prostrated after the closing salam because I did not know, so prostrate before it," it is known that this is its place. If it were not its place, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it, because the people will follow his example.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Also, there is a corroborating narration from the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with them one of the two evening prayers, either the midday or the afternoon prayer. He said the closing salam after two units, then they alerted him, so he completed his prayer and said the closing salam, and prostrated two prostrations after the closing salam. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the prostration for this addition that occurred from him, which was the closing salam and the tashahhud and sitting for a longer duration than if he had been sitting for the first tashahhud. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the place of the prostration for forgetfulness in this case after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This fully supports what he did in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and that the prostration is done after the closing salam. Also, the meaning necessitates this, because if we said that the prostration for the addition that necessitates the prostration for forgetfulness is done before the closing salam, two additions would be combined in the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The addition he added out of forgetfulness and the prostration for forgetfulness. This is not appropriate, so the two prostrations for forgetfulness were made after the closing salam.
Therefore, it is necessary that we define this situation by saying: if the cause of the prostration for forgetfulness is an addition, whether it is an actual addition like a unit, bowing, or prostration, or a verbal addition like the closing salam before the completion of the prayer, and then he completes it after he knows, then the place of the prostration in it is after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second issue: if the prostration for forgetfulness is due to a doubt where one of the two possibilities is more likely, here he builds upon what is more likely to him, then he says the closing salam, then he prostrates two prostrations after the closing salam. Its evidence is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud which we referred to earlier, for in its end it says:Sunan Abi Dawud 1020Sahih (Al-Albani) and I think he said: .
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Accordingly, if a person doubts whether he prayed four or three, and it is more likely to him that it is three, he performs the fourth, then says the closing salam, then prostrates for forgetfulness, then says the closing salam. And if he doubts whether he prayed four or five, and it is more likely to him that he prayed four, he sits, recites the tashahhud, and says the closing salam, then prostrates two prostrations and says the closing salam. Accordingly, the ruling for this issue, if he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him, is that he builds upon what is more likely to him, then completes his prayer, then prostrates two prostrations after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason it is so, in terms of meaning, is that if he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him, the prostration is after the closing salam, because this doubt is incidental to the prayer, and he will build upon his predominant suspicion. So this incidental doubt, which we considered as a mere thought and did not act upon, is extra. It is like a verbal or actual addition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the place of the prostration in it after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Therefore, also, after answering regarding the prostration for forgetfulness and detailing it, we leave the rest of his question so that it becomes more firmly established in the mind of the listener himself, and in our minds, and in the minds of the listeners. In a future meeting, if Allah wills, we will complete the remainder of this question of his.
The Shaykh : Okay...
The questioner : Thank you to Shaykh Muhammad, and thank you to you, ladies and gentlemen...
The Shaykh : The prostration for forgetfulness is obligatory in the general framework of any act that invalidates the prayer if done intentionally. Anything that the worshipper does intentionally that invalidates his prayer, if he forgets it, he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness for it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the general principle regarding what makes the prostration for forgetfulness obligatory.
The questioner : He asks how it is performed.
The Shaykh : As for its performance, it is sometimes done before the closing salam and sometimes after the closing salam. It is done before the closing salam in two cases:
The first is when its cause is a deficiency in the prayer.
The second is when its cause is a doubt where both possibilities are equal and neither is more likely than the other.
An example of this is forgetting the first tashahhud in a three- or four-unit prayer, so he did not sit and did not recite the tashahhud. Here, he must perform the prostration for forgetfulness, and it is done before the closing salam because the first tashahhud was a deficiency in his prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Buhaynah, when he prayed the midday prayer with them and stood up from the two units without sitting. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer and the people were waiting for his closing salam, he said Allahu Akbar, prostrated two prostrations while sitting, and then said the closing salam. Here, the prostration was before the closing salam, and its evidence is this hadith established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner : O Allah, send blessings.
The Shaykh : Also, the meaning necessitates this, because this deficiency should not cause a person to exit his prayer until he completes it. Therefore, the prostration for it was prescribed before the closing salam.
As for the second issue, it is when a person doubts and both possibilities are equal in his mind, and neither of the two matters is more likely to him. An example of this is: he doubts whether this unit of his is the third or the fourth, and neither side is more likely to him. Here, he builds upon certainty, and certainty is the lesser number, so he considers this unit the third, then he performs the fourth, sits, and recites the final tashahhud, and prostrates two prostrations before he says the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason it is so, meaning the prostration for forgetfulness is before the closing salam, is that this doubt that arose regarding this unit, causing confusion for the person as to whether it is part of his prayer or extra, undoubtedly affects the prayer. Therefore, it was prescribed that the prostration be before it, in order to rectify the prayer before he exits it.
As for the prostration after the closing salam, it is also in two cases. The first is when he adds to his prayer.
The second is when he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him. Here, the prostration is done after the closing salam.
As for the first, which is that the cause of the prostration for forgetfulness is an addition, an example is if a person prays five units.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In the midday prayer, for example, if he sits for the tashahhud and remembers that he prayed five, here we tell him to complete the tashahhud and say the closing salam, then prostrate two prostrations after the closing salam and say the closing salam. Likewise, if he bows twice in one unit or prostrates three prostrations, this is an addition, so the prostration for it is after the closing salam. Or if he stands up for an extra unit, such as standing up for the fifth in a four-unit prayer and then remembering, he returns.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If he says the closing salam, he prostrates the two prostrations of forgetfulness. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the midday prayer with them for five units. When he finished, they said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, was there an addition in the prayer?" He said:
And what is that?
وما ذاك؟The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Here, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated after the closing salam because he added a unit to his prayer.
Someone might say that the prostration here after the closing salam is a necessity, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not know about the addition until after he said the closing salam, so we cannot make this a rule and say: if the prostration for forgetfulness is for an addition, it is done after the closing salam. Someone might say this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This would invalidate our use of this hadith as evidence that the prostration for forgetfulness for an addition is done after the closing salam. We answer this by saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated after the closing salam, and since he did not say: "I only prostrated after the closing salam because I did not know, so prostrate before it," it is known that this is its place. If it were not its place, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it, because the people will follow his example.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Also, there is a corroborating narration from the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with them one of the two evening prayers, either the midday or the afternoon prayer. He said the closing salam after two units, then they alerted him, so he completed his prayer and said the closing salam, and prostrated two prostrations after the closing salam. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the prostration for this addition that occurred from him, which was the closing salam and the tashahhud and sitting for a longer duration than if he had been sitting for the first tashahhud. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the place of the prostration for forgetfulness in this case after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This fully supports what he did in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and that the prostration is done after the closing salam. Also, the meaning necessitates this, because if we said that the prostration for the addition that necessitates the prostration for forgetfulness is done before the closing salam, two additions would be combined in the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The addition he added out of forgetfulness and the prostration for forgetfulness. This is not appropriate, so the two prostrations for forgetfulness were made after the closing salam.
Therefore, it is necessary that we define this situation by saying: if the cause of the prostration for forgetfulness is an addition, whether it is an actual addition like a unit, bowing, or prostration, or a verbal addition like the closing salam before the completion of the prayer, and then he completes it after he knows, then the place of the prostration in it is after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second issue: if the prostration for forgetfulness is due to a doubt where one of the two possibilities is more likely, here he builds upon what is more likely to him, then he says the closing salam, then he prostrates two prostrations after the closing salam. Its evidence is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud which we referred to earlier, for in its end it says:
and when any of you is in doubt about his prayer he should aim at what is correct, and complete his prayer in that respect, then give the salutation and afterwards made two prostrations.
إذا شك أحدكم في صلاته فليتحر الصواب ثم ليبن عليه ثم ليسلم ثم يسجد سجدتينand let him say the closing salam.
ويسلمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Accordingly, if a person doubts whether he prayed four or three, and it is more likely to him that it is three, he performs the fourth, then says the closing salam, then prostrates for forgetfulness, then says the closing salam. And if he doubts whether he prayed four or five, and it is more likely to him that he prayed four, he sits, recites the tashahhud, and says the closing salam, then prostrates two prostrations and says the closing salam. Accordingly, the ruling for this issue, if he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him, is that he builds upon what is more likely to him, then completes his prayer, then prostrates two prostrations after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason it is so, in terms of meaning, is that if he doubts and one of the two possibilities is more likely to him, the prostration is after the closing salam, because this doubt is incidental to the prayer, and he will build upon his predominant suspicion. So this incidental doubt, which we considered as a mere thought and did not act upon, is extra. It is like a verbal or actual addition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the place of the prostration in it after the closing salam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Therefore, also, after answering regarding the prostration for forgetfulness and detailing it, we leave the rest of his question so that it becomes more firmly established in the mind of the listener himself, and in our minds, and in the minds of the listeners. In a future meeting, if Allah wills, we will complete the remainder of this question of his.
The Shaykh : Okay...
The questioner : Thank you to Shaykh Muhammad, and thank you to you, ladies and gentlemen...