What Should I Do When Realising I Missed a Full Unit of Prayer and the Prayer Ended?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
There was a time when I unintentionally prayed two units of prayer instead of four, and I wasn’t sure whether I should simply pray an additional two units or start from the beginning. Just to be safe, I performed the prayer of four units again.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
Suppose a person omits one or more units of an obligatory prayer or a fundamental component. Their prayer is considered invalid if a substantial interval has elapsed before completing these elements. This substantial interval is typically gauged by exiting the mosque or the elapsing of time, generally regarded as prolonged. [Nawawi, Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab]
Imam Nawawi stated in Al-Majmu’: “Should a person complete their prayer and subsequently realize that they have omitted a unit or more, or have neglected a bowing or prostration or other essential elements—apart from the intention and initial Takbir—then, if the lapse is recalled before a considerable time has lapsed, they should resume their prayer, complete the omitted sections, and perform the prostration of forgetfulness. However, if the recall occurs after a considerable time has elapsed, the individual must initiate the prayer again. This directive was affirmed by the author, Abu Ishaq Shirazi, and was explicitly mentioned by Imam Shafi’i in Al-Umm by Buwayti. It was also echoed by various narrators among the Companions.
Abu Ishaq Shirazi also referenced another stance in Al-Tanbih, which suggests that one may continue from where they paused as long as they have not vacated their spot. Yet, this viewpoint is considered atypical and flawed in its transmission and substantiation, and it is at odds with the previously discussed hadith of Dhul Yadayn. Hence, it is disregarded.
The accepted understanding among the companions is to judge the duration of the interval by prevailing social norms. If the period is deemed brief, then it is brief; if deemed extensive, then it is extensive. This is outlined in Al-Umm and decisively articulated by a collective of scholars, including Al-Bandaniji.”
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
