Daraqutni

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Zuhr or perhaps Asr prayer. The narrator says: After leading two rak‘ahs, he said the salam. Then he stood by the wooden post at the front part of the mosque, placed both his hands on it, one hand over the other. There was an expression of displeasure on his face. The hasty people left the mosque, saying: “The prayer has been shortened, the prayer has been shortened.” Among those present were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), but they did not have the courage to address the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). A man stood up, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Dhu’l-Yadayn (the one with two hands). This man said: “O Messenger of Allah! Did you forget, or has the prayer been shortened?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “I neither forgot nor has the prayer been shortened.” He said: “O Messenger of Allah! Perhaps you forgot.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) looked towards the people and asked: “Is Dhu’l-Yadayn speaking the truth?” The people gestured: Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his place, completed the remaining two rak‘ahs, and then said the salam again. Then, saying the takbir, he performed a prostration like the usual prostrations, or perhaps a little longer, then raised his head and said the takbir. Muhammad, the narrator, was asked: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say the salam before performing the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw)? He replied: I do not remember these words from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), but I have been told this: Sayyiduna Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said the salam.

This same narration is transmitted with some other chains as well; however, the words "so the people gestured" are not present in them. These words have only been narrated by the narrator named Hammad bin Zaid.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading the people in prayer, and some donkeys passed in front of him. Among those praying behind the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘Ayyash bin Abu Rabi‘ah began to say "Subhan Allah." When the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished the prayer with salam, he asked: "Who was saying Subhan Allah just now?" He replied: "O Messenger of Allah! I said it, because I have heard that if a donkey passes in front, the prayer is invalidated." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Nothing (that passes in front) invalidates the prayer."

Salim bin Abdullah narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both): The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Nothing breaks a Muslim's prayer, but as much as you are able, try to prevent it (so that no one passes in front of you during prayer)."

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Nothing breaks the prayer (i.e., nothing passing in front breaks the prayer)."

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Nothing breaks the prayer."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: It is said: Nothing breaks a Muslim’s prayer (i.e., the prayer is not invalidated by anything passing in front of him).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates the statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "A man's prayer is not broken by a dog, a woman, or a donkey (passing in front of him), but as much as you are able, prevent them from passing in front of you."

Sayyiduna Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in his nearby area. There, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Asr prayer. A small dog and a donkey passed in front of him, but they were not driven away nor were they scolded.

Sayyiduna Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to meet Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) (after this, the hadith continues as previously mentioned).

Sayyiduna Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us while we were in our residence. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the ‘Asr prayer. A small dog and a donkey, which were ours (domesticated), passed in front of him, but we did not stop them nor did we send them back.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Once I was discussing an issue of prayer with Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), when Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) also came to us. He said: Shall I narrate to you the hadith which I heard from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? We said: Yes. So he said: I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When a person has doubt about any deficiency in his prayer, he should perform as much prayer until his doubt becomes about having added (to the prayer)."

Makhul narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person has doubt about his prayer and cannot determine whether he has performed more (rak‘ahs) or less, then if the doubt is between one rak‘ah or two, he should consider it one; if it is between two and three, he should consider it two; if it is between three and four, he should consider it three, until the doubt becomes excessive." This narration is also transmitted with another chain from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) from Sayyiduna ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates from Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a person is in doubt whether his prayer is three or four rak‘ahs, he should complete the prayer (i.e., perform one more rak‘ah), because having an addition in it is better than leaving a deficiency in it."

Yaqub bin Ibrahim al-Bazzaz, Abu Bakr narrated to us, he narrated from Ja'far bin Muhammad bin Fudayl, he narrated from Ammar bin Matar al-Anbari (who used to come to Raha), he narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Thabit bin Thawban, he narrated from his father, he narrated from Mak'hool, he narrated from Kuraib (the freed slave of Ibn Abbas), he narrated from Ibn Abbas, he narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a person becomes uncertain in prayer about whether he has prayed three or four (rak'ahs), then he should complete the prayer, for doing more is better than doing less."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates from Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person makes a mistake regarding whether he has prayed two or one rak‘ah, he should consider it as one. And when he is in doubt about whether he has prayed two or three, he should consider them as two. And when he is in doubt about whether he has prayed three or four, he should consider them as three, and then complete the remaining prayer, until he becomes more inclined towards having done more (i.e., excess), not less. After that, when he is sitting (i.e., reciting Tashahhud), at that time he should perform two prostrations (i.e., Sajdah Sahw)."

Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): On the day Sayyiduna Dhul-Yadain came to you (i.e., the day he informed the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about forgetting in prayer), on that day the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two prostrations of forgetfulness after saying the salam. The wording of both narrations is the same.

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the prostration of forgetfulness (sajda sahw) after concluding the prayer with salam on the day Dhu’l-Yadayn drew his attention. These are the words of Ahmad bin Abdur Rahman.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When a person is unsure about how many rak'ahs he has performed, whether three or four, he should perform one more rak'ah and then perform two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw) after he is seated (i.e., while reciting the tashahhud). If he ends up performing five rak'ahs, then the even number (i.e., four rak'ahs) will be counted as his prayer, and if he has performed four rak'ahs, then these two (prostrations) will disgrace the Shaytan."

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri رضي الله عنه narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: "When a person, while performing prayer, becomes doubtful whether he has performed three rak'ahs or four, he should perform one more rak'ah, until his doubt increases, then before saying the salam, he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw). If he has performed five rak'ahs, then four of them, being an even number, will count as his prayer, and if he has performed the complete prayer, then both (prostrations) will be a means of humiliating the devil." In this narration, the narrator has transmitted the words 'before the salam'.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person becomes doubtful during prayer and does not know how many rak'ahs he has performed, three or four, then he should put aside the doubt and base it on what he is certain of. Then, before saying the salam, he should perform two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw). If he has performed five rak'ahs, then the even number among them will be his prayer, and if he has performed four rak'ahs, then these two (prostrations) will be a means of humiliation for Satan."

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person has doubt about his prayer, he should put aside the doubt and base (his action) on what is certain, and when he has certainly completed the prayer (then at the end) he should perform two prostrations of forgetfulness. If his prayer was complete, then the extra rak‘ah and two prostrations will be counted as voluntary for him, and if his prayer was incomplete before, then through that one rak‘ah his prayer will be completed, and both prostrations of forgetfulness will rub the nose of Satan in the dust."

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When a person has doubt about his prayer and does not know how many rak'ahs he has performed: four or three? Then he should put aside the doubt and base it on what is certain, then stand up and recite (Qira'at) and perform one rak'ah. Then when he is sitting (i.e., reciting Tashahhud), before saying the salam, he should perform two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw). If he had already performed four rak'ahs, then now one rak'ah will be extra for him, and these two prostrations will make it even, which was the fifth rak'ah. And if he had already performed three rak'ahs, then the fourth rak'ah will complete it for him, and the two prostrations of forgetfulness will rub the nose of Satan in the dust."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person has doubt about his prayer, if he is certain that he has performed three rak‘ahs, then he should perform one more rak‘ah and do two prostrations (of forgetfulness), then sit for tashahhud, and when he has finished and nothing remains to be recited except the salam, at that time he should perform two prostrations of forgetfulness, then he should say the salam. If he had performed three rak‘ahs, then the rak‘ah he has now performed will be the fourth, and the two prostrations of forgetfulness will rub the nose of Satan in the dust. And if he had already performed four rak‘ahs, then the one he has now performed will be the fifth, and these two prostrations will make this fifth rak‘ah even."

Abdul Muhaymin narrates from his father, who narrates from his grandfather, Sayyiduna Mundhir bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said: This companion was among the leaders (nuqaba) of Banu Sa'idah. He narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw) before saying the salam. According to one statement, this is the only narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Mundhir bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: "When a person is performing prayer and he is unsure whether he has performed more or fewer rak‘ahs, then he should perform two prostrations of forgetfulness while he is sitting (i.e., during the tashahhud), and then after that he should say the salam."