What Should I Do if I Forgot to Perform the First Tashahud?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
While praying I forgot whether I recited the first tashahhud or not. I didn’t do any prostration of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw) until a couple of minutes later deliberately since I am still not really understanding when to do this prostration.
Is the first tashahhud mandatory (wajib)?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Yes, the first sitting after two cycles of prayer and reciting the tashahhud in it are necessary (wajib), and forgetting about them necessitates performing the prostrations of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw). [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
The reason for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) would perform them regularly without fail and performed the prostrations of forgetfulness when he didn’t do it. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
The Prostrations of Forgetfulness
Leaving an action of the prayer that is necessary (wajib) forgetfully requires the forgetfulness prostration in the Hanafi school. [ibid]
If left intentionally, it would be necessary to repeat this prayer within that prayer time and would remain recommended to do so after its exiting. [ibid]
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.
