The Ruling on Exaggerating in the Prostration of Forgetfulness
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
I frequently perform the prostration of forgetfulness. Is there anything wrong with this?
Answer:
That is not recommended. The Sunnah is only two prostrations. Even if one forgets a hundred times, even if a person forgets a hundred times in his prayer, the Sunnah for him is only two prostrations. He does not increase beyond that, and it is not permissible to increase beyond that. For example, if one stands up from the first tashahhud in the Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, or 'Isha' prayer, standing up from the tashahhud while forgetting, and then, for example, forgets the tasbih in the ruku': (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim), or forgets the tasbih in the sujud: (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la), or forgets (Rabbighfir li) between the two prostrations, or forgets some of the takbirs when standing up or sitting down, then two prostrations are sufficient for all of it. He does not have the right to repeat two other prostrations. No, two prostrations are sufficient for all forgetfulness. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it. At times, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say the taslim after two rak'ahs, then stand up and face the people, thinking he had completed the prayer. Then he was reminded, so he stood up and completed his prayer, and he did not prostrate except two prostrations, even though he had said the taslim twice, stood up, left, and returned, having done some of the actions in a state of forgetfulness, but he prostrated only two prostrations, peace and blessings be upon him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good! It seems to me that I understood, O Shaykh, another aspect of the question.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: And that is that she prays, for example, Zuhr, then prays the prostration of forgetfulness, even if she did not notice that she forgot, and prays 'Asr, then prays the prostration of forgetfulness, and so on?
The Shaykh: No, that is a mistake. That is not permissible. As long as she has no forgetfulness, she does not prostrate the prostrations of forgetfulness. Suspicions are not valid. Suspicions and waswas (whispers) are not permissible. This is from the work of Satan. One only prostrates for forgetfulness if she knows that she forgot in a way that obligates the prostration of forgetfulness. She knows, for example, that she left the first tashahhud and stood up forgetting, or she knows, for example, that she forgot (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la) in the sujud, or forgot (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim) in the ruku'. The most correct view in this is that she prostrates for forgetfulness in such a case. Even though some scholars do not consider it obligatory, the correct view is that the first tashahhud is obligatory, and (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la) in the sujud is obligatory, and (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim) in the ruku' is obligatory, even if only once. (Rabbighfir li) between the two prostrations is obligatory according to the most correct view. So if one leaves it in a state of forgetfulness, he prostrates for it. If these matters coincide, and he forgets in the first tashahhud, and forgets in leaving the tasbih in the ruku' or in the sujud, two prostrations are sufficient. And praise be to Allah.
And likewise, if, for example, one doubts whether he prostrated one prostration or two, and he performs a second prostration to be certain that he prostrated two, then two prostrations are sufficient for forgetfulness regarding this and the other forgetfulness. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
I frequently perform the prostration of forgetfulness. Is there anything wrong with this?
Answer:
That is not recommended. The Sunnah is only two prostrations. Even if one forgets a hundred times, even if a person forgets a hundred times in his prayer, the Sunnah for him is only two prostrations. He does not increase beyond that, and it is not permissible to increase beyond that. For example, if one stands up from the first tashahhud in the Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, or 'Isha' prayer, standing up from the tashahhud while forgetting, and then, for example, forgets the tasbih in the ruku': (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim), or forgets the tasbih in the sujud: (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la), or forgets (Rabbighfir li) between the two prostrations, or forgets some of the takbirs when standing up or sitting down, then two prostrations are sufficient for all of it. He does not have the right to repeat two other prostrations. No, two prostrations are sufficient for all forgetfulness. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it. At times, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say the taslim after two rak'ahs, then stand up and face the people, thinking he had completed the prayer. Then he was reminded, so he stood up and completed his prayer, and he did not prostrate except two prostrations, even though he had said the taslim twice, stood up, left, and returned, having done some of the actions in a state of forgetfulness, but he prostrated only two prostrations, peace and blessings be upon him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good! It seems to me that I understood, O Shaykh, another aspect of the question.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: And that is that she prays, for example, Zuhr, then prays the prostration of forgetfulness, even if she did not notice that she forgot, and prays 'Asr, then prays the prostration of forgetfulness, and so on?
The Shaykh: No, that is a mistake. That is not permissible. As long as she has no forgetfulness, she does not prostrate the prostrations of forgetfulness. Suspicions are not valid. Suspicions and waswas (whispers) are not permissible. This is from the work of Satan. One only prostrates for forgetfulness if she knows that she forgot in a way that obligates the prostration of forgetfulness. She knows, for example, that she left the first tashahhud and stood up forgetting, or she knows, for example, that she forgot (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la) in the sujud, or forgot (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim) in the ruku'. The most correct view in this is that she prostrates for forgetfulness in such a case. Even though some scholars do not consider it obligatory, the correct view is that the first tashahhud is obligatory, and (Subhan Rabbi al-A'la) in the sujud is obligatory, and (Subhan Rabbi al-Azim) in the ruku' is obligatory, even if only once. (Rabbighfir li) between the two prostrations is obligatory according to the most correct view. So if one leaves it in a state of forgetfulness, he prostrates for it. If these matters coincide, and he forgets in the first tashahhud, and forgets in leaving the tasbih in the ruku' or in the sujud, two prostrations are sufficient. And praise be to Allah.
And likewise, if, for example, one doubts whether he prostrated one prostration or two, and he performs a second prostration to be certain that he prostrated two, then two prostrations are sufficient for forgetfulness regarding this and the other forgetfulness. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.