What Should I Do If I Failed to Perform the Forgetfulness Prostrations?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
While praying isha, I recited durood sharif in the first sitting, then I was supposed to make sujud as sahw but didn’t know how to do it so I remade the prayer; is this permissible?
And before that I had finished my prayer with doubts, and I should have done sujud al-sahw but didn’t, so should I re-do the prayer?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Yes, you did well.
The forgetfulness prostration would be necessary for one who recited blessings upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) after the tashahhud in the first sitting of a four-cycle prayer if the recitation was the extent of “allahuma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad.”
The same would be the case if one simply sat after completing the tashahhud in the first sitting of a four cycle prayer for a period wherein the above could have been said. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
This is because standing up after the first sitting without undue delay is considered necessary (wajib), and leaving something that is necessary (wajib) forgetfully requires the forgetfulness prostration in the Hanafi school.
The prostrations of forgetfulness are themselves necessary (wajib). Thus leaving them intentionally will require you to repeat this prayer within that prayer time. It is necessary (wajib) to do so. It would remain recommended to repeat this prayer after its exiting. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
The Forgetfulness Prostrations
This how to perform the forgetfulness prostrations (which are necessary if a necessary [wajib] action was left forgetfully, and for nothing else):
- In the final sitting, recite the tashahhud;
- Give one salam, to the right;
- Perform two prostrations, with their sunnas;
- Sit and repeat the final sitting, in full–reciting the tashahhud, sending blessings, and making supplication (dua); and then
- End with two salams.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
