What is the ruling on an imam who stood up for the fifth rak'ah, and the people behind him said "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to Allah), so he returned, sat down, and performed the prostrations of forgetfulness?

The Shaykh: We are.

The questioner: And we tried after eight, but he is always busy.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Glory be to Allah.

The Shaykh: Okay, what do you have?

The questioner: I want to ask my uncle about the imam who stood up for the fifth rak'ah.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: So the people praying behind him said, "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to Allah).

The Shaykh: He did not respond to them.

The questioner: He did not respond to them, and he sat down when he was reciting the reading, meaning when they told him "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to Allah), he sat down and said the closing salam, and after that he performed the prostrations of forgetfulness. Is what he did correct, my uncle?

The Shaykh: Of course, what would he have done?

The questioner: The point is, he did not complete the rak'ah.

The Shaykh: No, no, but he realized his mistake, so he had to return, because the prayer was complete as long as it was the fifth rak'ah.

The questioner: Yes, so what he did is correct.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: He sits and reads the sitting recitation, says the salam, and performs the prostrations of forgetfulness.

The Shaykh: Yes, but if Allah wills, he says the salam and then prostrates, or if Allah wills, he does not say the salam and prostrates, because this first salam is not necessary, but the second salam is the necessary one. That is to say, it is permissible to prostrate before the salam and it is permissible after the salam.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: So what he did is correct.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.