What do you advise me to do? I have been suffering from a lot of forgetfulness lately, to the point where I forget how many rak'ahs I have prayed in my salah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... I ask the question of Allah ... .
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner: In the recent period, meaning from a month ago until now, I have started to forget a lot ... the Maghrib and Isha' prayers and the obligatory prayers ... I remember whether I prayed three rak'ahs or four. Of course, I prostrated the prostration for forgetfulness. And this situation has become very frequent. I presented it to a doctor, and he gave me treatment, but the treatment did not mean anything.
The Shaykh: It did not benefit you.
The questioner: Yes, I did not benefit from it. Of course, it has become more frequent, meaning daily. This situation has been happening from a month ago until now.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: So what do you advise us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh: Regarding the prayer?
The questioner: Yes, regarding the prayer.
The Shaykh: Okay, the prayer has a system.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It has a system.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: So if the doubt fluctuates between adding and subtracting.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you lean toward one of the two matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You act upon it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you prostrate two prostrations of forgetfulness.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Meaning you doubted whether this rak'ah is the second or the third.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: So if it becomes more likely to you that it is the third.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You did not add another one, but rather you prostrated two prostrations. And if it becomes more likely to you that it is the second, you add the third and prostrate two prostrations. But if it does not become more likely to you and you remain in doubt.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Confused, in that case you build upon the lesser.
The questioner: Upon the lesser.
The Shaykh: You build upon the lesser. For example, is this the second or the third? It did not become more likely to you, so this is the second.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you add the third rak'ah and prostrate the two prostrations of forgetfulness. I, of course, notice that the intention of your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Is that forgetfulness has increased upon you recently.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You hardly pray, for example, without forgetfulness striking you in it. So there is no harm upon you from that, because the result is that you increase in drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) because of these two prostrations.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Because these two prostrations are worship.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: But you notice, whether it becomes more likely to you or it does not.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If something becomes more likely to you, you act upon it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If it does not become more likely, you build upon the lesser.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And in any case, you prostrate the two prostrations of forgetfulness.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : .
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And if it were not for the fact that forgetfulness is an excuse, we would say, may Allah increase us in excuse, for what? For the sake of increasing our prostrations.
The questioner: May Allah make you happy.
The Shaykh: But we ask Allah to grant us and you well-being.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner: In the recent period, meaning from a month ago until now, I have started to forget a lot ... the Maghrib and Isha' prayers and the obligatory prayers ... I remember whether I prayed three rak'ahs or four. Of course, I prostrated the prostration for forgetfulness. And this situation has become very frequent. I presented it to a doctor, and he gave me treatment, but the treatment did not mean anything.
The Shaykh: It did not benefit you.
The questioner: Yes, I did not benefit from it. Of course, it has become more frequent, meaning daily. This situation has been happening from a month ago until now.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: So what do you advise us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh: Regarding the prayer?
The questioner: Yes, regarding the prayer.
The Shaykh: Okay, the prayer has a system.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It has a system.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: So if the doubt fluctuates between adding and subtracting.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you lean toward one of the two matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You act upon it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you prostrate two prostrations of forgetfulness.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Meaning you doubted whether this rak'ah is the second or the third.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: So if it becomes more likely to you that it is the third.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You did not add another one, but rather you prostrated two prostrations. And if it becomes more likely to you that it is the second, you add the third and prostrate two prostrations. But if it does not become more likely to you and you remain in doubt.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Confused, in that case you build upon the lesser.
The questioner: Upon the lesser.
The Shaykh: You build upon the lesser. For example, is this the second or the third? It did not become more likely to you, so this is the second.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And you add the third rak'ah and prostrate the two prostrations of forgetfulness. I, of course, notice that the intention of your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Is that forgetfulness has increased upon you recently.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: You hardly pray, for example, without forgetfulness striking you in it. So there is no harm upon you from that, because the result is that you increase in drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) because of these two prostrations.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Because these two prostrations are worship.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: But you notice, whether it becomes more likely to you or it does not.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If something becomes more likely to you, you act upon it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If it does not become more likely, you build upon the lesser.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And in any case, you prostrate the two prostrations of forgetfulness.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh :
And no servant prostrates to Allah a prostration except that Allah raises him thereby a degree
وما سجد عبدٌ لله سجدةً إلا ورفعه الله بها درجةThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And if it were not for the fact that forgetfulness is an excuse, we would say, may Allah increase us in excuse, for what? For the sake of increasing our prostrations.
The questioner: May Allah make you happy.
The Shaykh: But we ask Allah to grant us and you well-being.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.