Have I Invalidated My Prayer Because of Mistakes in the Prostration of Forgetfulness?
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I wondered whether I did one or two sajdas, so I did an extra, just in case. I did not know that I had to perform a prostration of forgetfulness before the final salam so I did it after. After the two prostrations of forgetfulness, I didn’t know that you’re not supposed to recite the tashahhud. However, I did. Is my prayer valid?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Even if your prostrations of forgetfulness were incorrect, your prayer remains valid because you have performed all the obligatory actions of the prayer. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
It appears from your question that you have performed your prostrations of forgetfulness correctly according to the Hanafi School.
You have performed after the first final salam on your right, and you have added to these prostrations the tashahhud and the blessings on the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).
This is the correct way to perform the prostrations of forgetfulness. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
These rulings are based on the practice of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his major Companions (Allah be pleased with them). [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
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.
