How is the prostration of forgetfulness done according to the Hanafi madhhab?

Question 633915

I know that we need to perform Sujud as Sahu before Salam if we omit something and after if we add but what does it mean by before or after? And I don't know much about pillars, obligations and Sunnah of prayers and I get confused most of the time and especially behind imam who in our area follows hanafi fiqh. What does it mean by before Salam, meaning do we offer one Salam and then two Sujud and then another Salam or offer two Sujud and then two Salam? Kindly clarify this in detail for after Salam as well.

Summary of answer

The prostration of forgetfulness in all cases is to be done after the salaam. So you should recite the tashahhud, then say one taslim, then do the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then recite the tashahhud and send blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then offer supplication, then say two taslims.

Answer

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Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah:

I.

The prostration of forgetfulness is to be done before the salam if the worshipper omitted an obligatory part of the prayer, such as the first tashahhud, or if he is not sure about the number of rak`ahs he has done and cannot tell what he most likely did; in that case, he should proceed on the basis of the smaller number, and do the prostration of forgetfulness before saying the salam.

And it is to be done after the salam if he added a rak`ah, or he said the salam before completing the prayer, such as if he said the salam after the third rak`ah of a four-rak`ah prayer. In that case, he should stand up and do one more rak`ah, then do the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the salam. Similarly, if he is not sure about the number of rak`ahs but thinks that something is more likely, he should proceed on the basis of what he thinks is more likely, and do the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the salam.

This is based on what is narrated in the Sunnah.

II.

The jurists differed as to when the prostration of forgetfulness is to be done.

The Hanafis are of the view that it is to be done after the salam in all cases, whether something is added or omitted [in the prayer].

The Malikis are of the view that there is a differentiation between adding and omitting. So if the mistake was omitting something from the prayer, then the prostration of forgetfulness should be done before the salam, and if something was added, the prostration of forgetfulness should be done after the salam.

The Shafa`is, according to the more sound view, say that the prostration of forgetfulness should be done before the salam in all cases.

The Hanbalis are of the view that the prostration of forgetfulness should be done before the salam in all cases, unless the worshipper said the salam before the prayer was completed.

According to one report from Ahmad, he has the choice: if he wishes he can do the prostration of forgetfulness before the salam, or if he wishes he can do it after the salam.

See: Al-Ishraf `ala Madhahib al-`Ulama’ by Ibn al-Mundhir, 2/72-73; al-Awsat, also by Ibn al-Mundhir, 3/500-506; and Al-Mawsu`at al-Fiqhiyyah, 24/238.

What is most likely to be the case is that this detailed discussion has to do with what is preferable in differents situation, otherwise if the worshipper prostrates before the salam or after it, no matter what his mistake was, that is good enough and his prayer is valid, according to the consensus of the jurists.

Al-Mawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no difference of opinion among the jurists that it is permissible to do the prostration of forgetfulness before the salam or after it. They only differed regarding what is Sunnah and what is more appropriate.

End quote from Al-Hawi al-Kabir, 2/214; quoted by an-Nawawi in Al-Majmu` Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 4/155.

III.

If you want to do the prostration of forgetfulness before the salam, you should recite the last tashahhud in full, then do the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then say the salam. If you want to do this prostration after the salam, you should recite the last tashahhud in full, then say the salam, then do the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then say the salam [again].

You should not recite the tashahhud again after doing the two prostrations of forgetfulness, because there is no sound hadith that speaks of that.

IV.

The view of the Hanafis is that the prostration of forgetfulness should be done after the salam in all cases, as noted above.

They said: He should recite the tashahhud – without sending blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) [as-salat al-Ibrahimiyyah] – then say one taslim according to the more sound view, then do the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then recite the tashahhud [including as-salat al-Ibrahimiyyah] and offer supplication, then say the salam. If he says two taslims, the prostration is waived.

Badr ad-Din al-`Ayni (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He should do the prostration of forgetfulness if he adds or omits anything [in his prayer], doing two prostrations after the salam, then recite the tashahhud, then say the salam [again]. – In other words, after he recites the tashahhud at the end of his prayer, he should prostrate twice, then recite the tashahhud again, then say the salam again. This is the view of Ibn Mas`ud, ash-Sha`bi, ath-Thawri, Qatadah, al-Hakam, Hammad, al-Layth, Malik, ash-Shafa`i, Ahmad and Is-haq.

Ibn Sirin, Sa`d, Hammad and Ibn Abi Layla said: He should say the salam and not recite the tashahhud [after the prostration of forgetfulness].

End quote from An-Nihayah, 2/602.

`Abdullah ibn Mahmoud ibn Mawdud al-Mawsili (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Ikhtiyar li Ta`lil al-Mukhtar, 1/72:

He said: And he should do two prostrations of forgetfulness after the salam, then recite the tashahhud and say the salam [again]. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “In the event of a mistake there should be two prostrations after the salam.” `Imran ibn Husayn and a number of the Sahabah narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated twice (the prostration of forgetfulness) after the salam.

Then it was said that he should say two taslims or that he should say one taslim, which is better, then he should say takbir and prostrate and glorify Allah, then he should raise his head, then do that again, then recite the tashahhud [including as-salat al-Ibrahimiyyah] and offer supplication, because the time for supplication is at the end of the prayer, and this is the end of the prayer. End quote.

Al-Maghanini (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Hidayah, 1/74: And he should send blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Offering supplication when sitting between the two prostrations of forgetfulness is valid, because the time for supplication is at the end of the prayer. End quote.

For information on the essential parts of the prayer, the obligatory parts and the sunnahs of prayer, please see the answer to question no. 65847.

And Allah knows best.

Forgetfulness During Prayer