19.1 SECTION: FORGETS TO PERFORM RUKN
Whoever forgets to perform a rukn (pillar) and remembers afterwards when he is reciting in the next rak’ah, that particular rakat in which an act was omitted becomes invalid. If he remembers before the recital of the next rakah, he must repeat the previous rakah and proceed with the prayer as usual. If he remembers after the taslim, it is as if he missed that particular rakah.
The second reason for sujud al-sahwu is the deficiency in prayer brought about by omitting a rukn or wajib act of prayer.
“Whoever forgets to perform a rukn (pillar) and remembers afterwards when he is reciting in the next rak’dh, that particular rakat in which an act was omitted becomes invalid. If he remembers before the recital of the next rak’ah, he must repeat the previous rak’dh and proceed with the prayer as usual”: Whoever misses a rukn but remembers before the commencement of the next rak’ah, he can repeat the previous rak’ah afresh and proceed with the prayer as usual. He has to perform sujud al-sahwu at the conclusion of the prayer. For example, a person missed the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah or omitted the ruku or sujud and realised his mistake before these acts took place in the next rak’ah. He should repeat the rakat in which he omitted the acts o f rukn and the acts which follow. Having rectified the deficiencies in that rak’ah, he proceeds to the next rak’ah. If he does not repeat the deficient rak’ah, his prayer is nullified.
However, if he remembers his omission after the recitation in the next rak’ah, then he should regard the previous rakat as null and replace it with the rakat he is praying at the moment. He then makes sujud al-sahwu for this error.
If he misses the takbiratul ihram, the prayer does not even commence. So he must make the takbir and pray once more from the beginning.
“If he remembers after the taslim, it is as if he missed that particular rak’ah If he only remembers his omission of a rukn e.g. reciting al-Fatihah or the ruku or sujud after the taslim, then he has to sit facing the qiblah. He then stands up to pray the complete rak’ah followed by the final tashahud and make sujud al-sahwu before concluding with the taslim.
If he forgets to read the first tashahud and stands up for the third rak’ah, he should return to the sitting position if he had only raised himself up a little. Once he has stood completely, returning to the sitting position is disliked. If he has already started reciting in the third rak’ah, it is prohibited for him to return to the sitting position. He should make sujud al-sahwu in all of the aforesaid scenarios.
This is the second type of deficiency in prayers, that is, omitting a mandatory act of prayer.
“If he forgets to read the first tashahhud and stands up for the third rak’ah”: This is from the examples of a mandatory act being missed. There are three scenarios and rulings when this happens:
Firstly: When it is mandatory to return to the sitting position. This is the case only if he has stood up a little. He must sit again and recite the first tashahhud. Since he was only starting to shift to another rukn of the prayer, there is a provision to return to the former position. He has to make sujud al-sahwu after the taslim.
Secondly: When it is disliked to return to the sitting position. If he has stood up completely but has yet to recite in the third rak’ah, it is disliked that he return to the sitting position. He should proceed with the prayer as usual and make expiation for the missed tashahud with sujud al-sahwu. Returning to the sitting position will not render the prayer invalid though. It is only disliked as he should not forego a rukn i.e. qiyam (standing) for a mandatory act i.e. the first tashahud.
Thirdly: When it is prohibited to return to the sitting position. If he has begun reciting al-Fatihah in the third rak’ah, it is haram for him to return to the sitting position as he has begun a rukn. To leave a rukn to perform a wajib act is not allowed. However, if he did so due to ignorance, his prayer is valid. He should expiate his omission with sujitd al-sahwu after taslim.
“He should make sujud al-sahwu in all of the aforesaid scenarios”: The three scenarios being:
(i) he remembers his error before standing up completely,
(ii) after standing up completely,
(iii) and remembering only after he commences his recitation in the third rak’ah. He makes sujud al-sahwu in all three instances.
Whoever is doubtful about the number of rakat should gravitate to the lesser number. If he is in doubt as to whether he missed a rukn, then he should assume that it was omitted. He should not make sujud al-sahwu when he has doubt that he missed a mandatory act or for an extra act.
Doubt is the third reason for sujud al-sahwu. Shak (doubt) is defined as the inability to decide between two things whilst being impartial to both.(See al-Waraqat (p. 16), al-Ta’rifat (p. 168) and Irshad al-Fuhul (p. 5).)
Types of shak:
First: Doubt in the number of rakat he has performed. Was it three or four?
Second: Doubt if a rukn was omitted e.g. omitting al-Fatihah, ruku or sujud.
Third: Doubt as to whether a wajib act was omitted.
These are the types of doubt that one can have in the prayer. Each type has its own ruling.
“Whoever is doubtful about the number of rakat should gravitate to the lesser number”: And base his prayer on the lesser number and proceed to perform the rest of the rak’ahs. If he is in doubt whether it was three rakat that he prayed or four, he should choose three. He then makes expiation for this doubt by making sujud al-sahwu. Having doubt whether an act was accomplished is tantamount to non-accomplishment. One must rely on full confidence (yaqin) in these matters.
If he is unsure if he read Surah al-Fatihah, he should read it again. Similarly, if he is in doubt as to whether he made the ruku or sujud (i.e. pillars), he should repeat it. One cannot have fulfilled an obligation except with yaqin or full confidence that it was done. This remedial action is taken if he is still praying.
If he is unsure if a mandatory (wajib) act was done, for example reading the first tashahud or saying, “Subhana rabbi al-‘azim” during ruku or, “Subhana rabi al-a’la during sajda, there is no remedial action or expiation for it.
If what he is in doubt about doing is a Sunnah act, for example reciting the surah after al-Fatihah or he cannot remember if he read al-istiftah, ta’awwudh or the basmalah, this doubt neither tarnishes his prayer nor does it diminish its rewards.
“If he is in doubt as to whether he missed a rukn, then he should assume that it was omitted”: He should then perform a substitute and then make sujud al-sahwu as expiation.
“… Or for an extract”: Sujud al-sahwu is not required if he has doubts whether he did an extra act in his prayer. A question like, “Did I pray five rakat or not?” Such doubts do not adversely affect his prayer. An expiation is only required if he has yaqin that an extra act was performed. The basic assumption always is that an extra act was not performed.
We can summarise that doubt is of four or five types:
First: Doubt if a rakat was omitted or the number o f rakat performed. He relies on the yaqin and takes remedial action based on what he is confident about.
Second: Doubt if a rukn of the prayer was omitted. He has to repeat it to remove all doubt. Sujud al-sahwu is required.
Third: Doubt if a mandatory act of prayer was omitted. This does not adversely affect his prayer. No remedial action is required.
Fourth: Doubt if a Sunnah act of prayer was omitted. This does not adversely affect his prayer. No remedial action is required.
Fifth : Doubt if an extra act was performed in the prayer. This does not adversely affect his prayer. No remedial action is required.
It is evident that the first two points contain situations where doubt adversely affects the prayer. The other three instances are situations that do not have any impact on the prayer.
There is no sujud al-sahwu for the m a’m um unless the imam performs it. Sujud al-sahwu is mandatory for any act that nullifies the prayer (when it is done wilfully). If he leaves off the sujud al-sahwu that is preferred to be performed before the taslim , his prayer is not valid. If he forgets to make the taslim before the sujud , he can do so after the taslim if the time-gap is brief. Those who omit an act more than once only need to prostrate twice.
“There is no sujud al-sahwu for the ma’mum unless the imam performs it”: If the imam makes a mistake in the prayer that makes expiation mandatory, it becomes mandatory upon him and likewise for the ma’mum to perform the sujud al-sahwu. The ma’mum makes this sujud even if he has not made a mistake in the prayer. They must replicate what the imam does, as was the instruction of the Prophet(pbuh) who said, “Verily the imam is to be followed.”(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/176), (2/59, 98) and Muslim (2/19) from the narration of Aishah.) However, if the ma’mum does make a mistake, he does not make sujud al-sahwu as long as he is following an imam from the beginning of the prayer. The imam bears responsibility for any deficiencies that arise from the ma’mum.
To summarise, the ma’mum must make sujud al-sahwu in four situations:
First: With the congregation. He makes sujud when the imam does so.
Second: When he joins the congregation late (masbuq). He makes sujud by himself for any error he makes in his prayer. The imam does not bear responsibility for errors made by a masbuq.
Third: When he parts with the imam i.e. if he leaves the congregation and continues to pray individually, he makes sujud al-sahwu for the mistakes he makes in his prayer.
Fourth : When the imam makes a mistake which requires a mandatory expiation but is oblivious to it. In this case the ma’m um has to do sujud al-sahwu if he realises the mistake even though the imam does not.
“Sujud al-sahwu is mandatory for any act that nullifies the prayer (when it is done wilfully)”: Sujud al-sahwu can be mustahab and wajib in different cases. An example of an instance where it becomes wajib is when an extra rak’ah has been prayed as this is something that nullifies one’s prayer when done on purpose. However, if someone does so in a state of forgetfulness, the prayer is not nullified. Nevertheless, sujud al-sahwu becomes mandatory in this case. The Prophet(pbuh) instructed, “If any of you forgets an act in prayer, let him make sujud twice.”(Reported by al-Tirmidhi (398) from the narration of Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Awf.)
“If he leaves off the sujud al-sahwu that is preferred to be performed before the taslim, his prayer is not valid”: Sujud al-sahwu can be made before or after the taslim. If there was an act omitted, for example when the first tashahud, tasbih of ruku and sujud are omitted, it is best to make sujud al-sahwu before the taslim. This is because it rectifies the shortcomings in the prayer and one makes taslim assured that all is well.
Examples of additional acts are: taslim is mistakenly made before the proper conclusion of the prayer, a fifth rakat is prayed forgetfully and if an extra ruku or sujud is performed. In these cases, he makes the sujud al-sahwu after taslim for its purpose is not to rectify shortcomings in the prayer. It rather serves to humiliate Shaytan as informed by Prophet(pbuh)(Reported by Muslim (2/84) from the narration of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri.)
What we have mentioned regarding performing the sujud before and after the taslim refers to the best option. However, it is not detrimental to the person if he makes sujud al-sahwu before or after the taslim. Both are permissible as demonstrated by the Prophet(pbuh).
If he leaves off the sujud al-sahwu which is preferred to be performed before the taslim i.e. which is an expiation for omissions in the prayer, his prayer is nullified as it had shortcomings that were not rectified.
“If he forgets to make the taslim before the sujud, he can do so after the taslim if the time-gap is brief”: The important point to note here is the short time between the conclusion of prayer and his realisation.
“Those who omit an act more than once only need to prostrate twice”: If he omits a few acts in a prayer, the two prostrations that comprise sujud al-sahwu will suffice. He need not make a sujud al-sahwu for each omission separately as they all fell within one prayer.
By Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
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