₦airaland Forum

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/77430/when-should-the-prostration-of-forgetfulness-be-done-and-what-should-be-said-in-it

When should the prostration of forgetfulness be done, and what should be said in it?
77430
Publication : 30-03-2006
Views : 140295


Question

I would like to ask about how the prostration of forgetfulness is to be done in the case of omitting or adding something in the prayer. If the prostration of forgetfulness comes after the tasleem, should the worshipper repeat the tashahhud or not?
Should he say Subhaana Rabbiyal-A’la (Glory be to my Lord most High) during the prostration of forgetfulness? Or are there other dhikrs that can be said in the prostration of forgetfulness?
If the worshipper forgets to say the first tashahhud, does he have to do the prostration of forgetfulness or not?.
Answer
Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

With regard to when the prostration of forgetfulness should be done, before or after the salaam, there is a great difference of opinion among the scholars. The most correct view is that if a person does something extra in the prayer by mistake, the prostration must be done after the salaam, and if he omits something then he should do the prostration before the salaam. If he is not sure then it is subject to further discussion. If one thing seems more likely to him than the other then he should do the prostration after the salaam, and if neither seems more likely then he should do the prostration before the salaam. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 12527.

Secondly:

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/7):

The first tashahhud in the prayer is one of the obligatory parts of prayer, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do it and he said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” If he omitted it by mistake, he should prostrate because of forgetting, and if he omitted it deliberately, then his prayer is invalid. The one who omitted it by mistake can make up for it by doing the prostration of forgetfulness before the salaam. End quote.

Thirdly:

It is not prescribed to repeat the tashahhud after the prostration of forgetfulness, whether it comes before or after the salaam. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 7895.

Fourthly:

The prostration of forgetfulness is to be done like the prostration in prayer, so one should prostrate on seven bones as in the prostration of prayer, and remember Allaah by reciting the well-known dhikr (Subhaana Rabbiyal-A’la (Glory be to my Lord most High)) and saying between the two prostrations Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me). There is no special dhikr for the prostration of forgetfulness. This is what has been stated by the scholars.

Al-Mardaawi said in al-Insaaf (2/159):

The prostration of forgetfulness, what is said during it and after rising from it are the same as the prostration in prayer. End quote.

Al-Ramli said in Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj (2/88):

The manner in which it (i.e., the prostration of forgetfulness) is done is the same as the prostration in prayer, with regard to its obligatory duties and recommended parts, such as placing the forehead on the ground, being at ease in the posture, and iftiraash (sitting on the left thigh with the right foot upwards and its toes pointed towards the qiblah) when sitting in between them. End quote.

Some fuqaha’ regard it as mustahabb to say Subhaana man la yas-hu wa laa yanaam (Glory be to the One Who does not forget or sleep) during the prostration of forgetfulness but there is not evidence for this. What is prescribed is to limit oneself to the dhikr that is said when prostrating during prayer, and not to recite any other dhikr.

Other scholarly comments are quoted in the answer to question no. 39399.

And Allaah knows best.


Is there a Tashahhud after Sujood al-Sahw?
Praise be to Allah.

There is no tashahhud after sujood al-sahw, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do that, as is indicated by the saheeh ahaadeeth (see question # 211). If he had done that, he would have taught it to his companions would have said so, and they would have narrated it to others. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.”

Shaykh Ibn Qudaamah said:

“Ibn Seereen and Ibn al-Mundhir said (concerning sujood al-sahw): there is tasleem [saying salaam] in them but there is no tashahhud.

Ibn al-Mundhir said: the tasleem [in sujood al-sahw] is proven from more than one isnaad, but there is some dispute concerning the tashahhud.”

(al-Mughni, 2/431, 432)

According to al-Nawawi, among the things we learn from the hadeeth of Dhoo’l-Yadayn are:

That sujood al-Sahw was done at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

That it consists of two prostrations, and that one should say Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”) for each prostration. They are like the prostrations of prayer, because they are called sujood, and if they had been different, he would have explained that. One should say salaam after doing sujood al-sahw, but there is no tashahhud, and if one has to do sujood al-sahw because of doing something extra in the prayer, this should be done after the salaam.

(Sharh Muslim, 5/71).

And Allaah knows best.


What should be said in the two prostrations of forgetfulness and in between them?
Praise be to Allah.

There is no specific dhikr to be said in the two prostrations of forgetfulness as far as we know. Based on this, they come under the same ruling as prostration in prayer, and the same should be said as in the prostration in prayer, such as “Subhaan Rabbiy al-a’la (Glory be to my Lord Most High) and du’aa’, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The closest a person can be to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du’aa’ (at that time).” Narrated by Muslim, 482.

See also question no. 7886 and 39677.

The same should be said between the two prostrations as is said between the two prostrations in prayer, namely “Rabbiy ighfir li (Lord forgive me).

See question no. 13340.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (4/72):

The prostration of forgetfulness is two prostrations, sitting in between them. It is Sunnah to sit muftarishan (with the left foot lying along the ground and sitting on it) in between them, and to sit mutawarrikan (with the left upper thigh on the ground and both feet protruding from one (i.e., the right) side) after them until one says the salaam. The way in which the prostrations are done and the dhikr to be said in them is the same as in the prayer. And Allah knows best. End quote.

It says in al-Sharh al-Kabeer (4/96):

He should say in the prostration of forgetfulness the same as he says in the prostration of prayer, by analogy with it. End quote.

It says in Asna al-Mataalib (1/195):

The prostration of forgetfulness is two prostrations… the way in which they are done is the same as in prayer. He should sit muftarishan between them, and recite the same dhikr as in the prostration during the prayer. End quote.

It says in Mughni al-Muhtaaj (1/439):

The way in which it is done is the same as in prayer, both obligatory and naafil prayers, such as putting the forehead on the ground and being at ease (in the posture)… and he should say the same dhikr as in the prostration of prayer.

Al-Adhra’i said: And they did not say anything about the dhikr to be said in between them. It seems that it is the same as the dhikr between the two prostrations of the prayer. End quote.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (6/443):

When doing the prostration of forgetfulness and prostrations required when reading Qur’aan, he should say the same as he says when prostrating during the prayer: “Subhaan Rabbiy al-a’la (Glory be to my Lord Most High)”. What is required is to say it once, but the least level of perfection is to say it three times. It is mustahabb to say du’aa’ whilst prostrating, saying whatever du’aa’s prescribed in sharee’ah one can. End quote.

Some of the scholars stated that it is mustahabb to say in these prostrations: “Subhaana man laa yanaamu wa la yas-hu (Glory be to the One Who does not sleep or forget).”

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in al-Talkhees (2/12): I could not find any basis for this.” End quote.