If the Imam Does Not Perform the Prostration of Forgetfulness What Should I Do?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

If the Imam does not perform the prostration of forgetfulness despite making a mistake does this require that prayer to be made up?

The mistake was sitting in the third cycle instead of standing. A follower said Allahuakbar to remind him to stand.

Answer:​​ Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

In the case that the imam does something necessitating the prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda al-sahw), yet he does not proceed to prostrate, it would seem that the prayer is to be repeated.

The general principle is that every prayer which is prayed in a deficient manner is to be repeated to correct the error. The specific ruling of the repetition, however, depends upon the circumstance at hand.

[Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar (1.307/498)]

Please also see: Reader on prostrations of forgetfulness and: Must I Repeat Prayers Behind an Imam With a Short Beard or Bare Head?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.