Sujood al-Sahw: Correct Method and Rulings in Salah

Source Information

This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh al-Nabawī ﷺ, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus.

Explanation of Sujūd al-Sahw (Prostration of Forgetfulness)​

Sujūd al-Sahw is a great favor from Allah Almighty upon the Ummah of Muḥammad ﷺ, through which deficiencies caused by human forgetfulness in such a great act of worship as prayer are rectified.

Sujūd al-Sahw is obligatory in every type of prayer when forgetfulness occurs, whether a person is praying individually or in congregation, and whether the prayer is obligatory or voluntary. If forgetfulness occurs, the prayer will not be complete without Sujūd al-Sahw.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

فإذا نسي أحدكم فليسجد سجدتين

“When one of you forgets in prayer, he should perform two prostrations.”

Reference: Muslim, Kitab al-Masājid, Bab al-Sahw fi al-Ṣalāh wa al-Sujūd lahā: 572

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

في كل سهو سجدتان بعد ما يسلم

“For every instance of forgetfulness, there are two prostrations after the salām.”

Reference: Ibn Mājah, Kitab Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Bab mā jā’a fī man sajadahumā baʿd al-salām: 1219

(Ḥasan)

If more than one mistake occurs before the salām, two prostrations of Sujūd al-Sahw are sufficient for all of them. However, mistakes committed deliberately cannot be rectified by Sujūd al-Sahw; rather, such a prayer becomes invalid.

Sujūd al-Sahw for Addition or Omission of Rakʿahs​

If a rakʿah is missed, it should be completed, and then Sujūd al-Sahw should be performed.

Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said:

“Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in prayer and concluded after two rakʿahs. Dhul-Yadayn said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Has the prayer been shortened, or did you forget?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, ‘Is Dhul-Yadayn correct?’ The people replied, ‘Yes.’ So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up, completed the remaining two rakʿahs, then said salām, then said Allāhu Akbar and performed prostration similar to the usual prostrations, or longer, then raised his head.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab man lam yatashahhad fī sujūday al-sahw: 1228

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 573

❀ Sayyidunā ʿImrān bin Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه narrated:

“Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed three rakʿahs of ʿAṣr and then gave salām and went to his house. A man named Khirbāq informed him, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned angrily, dragging his cloak, and asked the people, ‘Is he telling the truth?’ They replied, ‘Yes.’ He prayed one rakʿah, then gave salām, then performed two prostrations, and then gave salām again.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitab al-Masājid, Bab al-Sahw fi al-Ṣalāh wa al-Sujūd lahā: 574

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1018

If an extra rakʿah is performed by mistake, two prostrations must also be done.

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin Masʿūd رضي الله عنه narrated that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed five rakʿahs of Ẓuhr. He was asked, “Has the prayer been increased?” He said, “What happened?” They replied, “You prayed five rakʿahs.” So he performed two prostrations after the salām.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab idhā ṣallā khamsā: 1226

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 91

If someone stands up for an extra rakʿah by mistake, he should return to sitting for tashahhud as soon as he remembers and then perform Sujūd al-Sahw.

Sujūd al-Sahw for Missing the Middle Tashahhud​

If the middle tashahhud is forgotten, Sujūd al-Sahw is required.

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin Buḥaynah رضي الله عنه said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Ẓuhr prayer. He stood up after two rakʿahs instead of sitting. The people stood with him. When the prayer was about to end and the people were waiting for the salām, he said Allāhu Akbar and performed two prostrations before the salām, then gave salām.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Adhān, Bab man lam yarā al-tashahhud al-awwal wājiban: 829

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 570

If someone fully stands up after missing the middle tashahhud, he should not sit back down but complete the prayer and perform two prostrations before the salām. However, if he remembers before fully standing, he should sit back down and no Sujūd al-Sahw is required.

This is supported by another narration of the same ḥadīth:

“We said Subḥānallāh. When he stood upright, he continued standing and did not return.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 2/115, Ḥadīth: 1031

If the middle tashahhud is performed where it should not be, or omitted where it should be done, Sujūd al-Sahw becomes obligatory.

Sujūd al-Sahw in Case of Doubt About the Number of Rakʿahs​

❀ Doubt regarding rakʿahs has two situations:

First Situation​

If one is unsure whether he prayed three or four rakʿahs and cannot determine which is correct:

Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“If one of you doubts the number of rakʿahs and does not know whether he prayed three or four, he should abandon doubt and base it on what is certain (three), then perform two prostrations before the salām. If he prayed five rakʿahs, these prostrations will make his prayer even; and if he prayed four, they will humiliate Shayṭān.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitab al-Masājid, Bab al-Sahw fi al-Ṣalāh wa al-Sujūd lahā: 571

Sayyidunā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin ʿAwf رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“When one doubts between one and two, he should count one; between two and three, he should count two; and between three and four, he should count three, then complete the prayer and perform two prostrations while sitting before the salām.”

Reference: Ibn Mājah, Kitab Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Bab mā jā’a fī man shakka fī ṣalātih fa rajaʿa ilā al-yaqīn: 1209

Reference: al-Tirmidhī: 398

(Ḥasan)

Second Situation​

If one doubts but, after reflection, determines which rakʿah he is in, he should act upon what seems most correct and perform two prostrations at the end.

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin Masʿūd رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إذا شك أحدكم فى صلاته فليتحر الصواب فليتم عليه ثم يسلم ثم يسجد سجدتين

“When one of you doubts in his prayer, he should seek what is correct and complete his prayer accordingly, then give salām and perform two prostrations.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Ṣalāh, Bab al-Tawajjuh naḥw al-Qiblah: 401

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 572

It should be noted that the phrases فليتحر الصواب and وليبن على ما استيقن have different meanings, as clarified by ḥadīth wording in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. This distinction has been explained by Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar in Fatḥ al-Bārī (3/95), as well as by Imām Ibn Khuzaymah and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān. However, Imām al-Nawawī and other scholars interpreted both narrations with the same meaning.

Mistakes That Do Not Require Sujūd al-Sahw​

❀ Sujūd al-Sahw is not required in the following cases:

① Speaking during prayer out of ignorance (deliberate speech invalidates the prayer).
Sayyidunā Muʿāwiyah bin al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī رضي الله عنه narrated that when he spoke during prayer out of ignorance, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إن هذه الصلاة لا يصلح فيها شيء من كلام الآدميين

“This prayer does not permit any human speech.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitab al-Masājid, Bab Taḥrīm al-Kalām fī al-Ṣalāh: 537

② Repeating a supplication excessively or adding extra words in supplication.
A man recited رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ in prayer. After the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ asked who said it. The man replied, “I did.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “I saw more than thirty angels competing to write it.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Adhān: 799

③ Making a mistake in recitation does not necessitate Sujūd al-Sahw, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform Sujūd al-Sahw for forgetting recitation.

Reference: Abu Dāwūd, Kitab al-Ṣalāh, Bab al-Fatḥ ʿalā al-Imām fī al-Ṣalāh: 907

(Ṣaḥīḥ)

Missing the Recitation of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah​

❀ If someone forgets to recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in a rakʿah, he must repeat that rakʿah and then perform two prostrations, because a rakʿah is not valid without al-Fātiḥah. Similarly, if rukūʿ or sujūd is missed, the rakʿah must be repeated followed by two prostrations.

Rulings Concerning the Imām and the Follower​

❀ If the imām forgets, the followers should alert him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

فإذا نسيت فذكروني

“If I forget, remind me.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitab al-Masājid, Bab al-Sahw fi al-Ṣalāh wa al-Sujūd lahā: 572

The method of reminding is discussed in the chapter of imamate.

❀ If the imām stands for an extra rakʿah by mistake, the followers should alert him. If he returns, it is correct; otherwise, the followers should continue following him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once prayed five rakʿahs of Ẓuhr due to forgetfulness, then performed Sujūd al-Sahw.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab idhā ṣallā khamsā: 1226

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 572/91

❀ If the imām mistakenly moves to another pillar of prayer, the followers must continue following him. Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood for the third rakʿah without sitting for the middle tashahhud, completed the prayer, and performed Sujūd al-Sahw, and the companions did so as well.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab yukabbir fī sujūday al-sahw: 1230

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 570/86

❀ If the imām performs Sujūd al-Sahw, the followers must also perform it.

❀ If a follower makes an individual mistake during congregation, Sujūd al-Sahw is not required.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إن الإمام ضامن

“The imām is responsible for the followers.”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd, Kitab al-Ṣalāh, Bab mā yajibu ʿalā al-Mu’adhdhin: 517

Reference: al-Tirmidhī: 207

(Ṣaḥīḥ)

❀ However, if a follower makes a mistake in the rakʿahs completed after the imām’s salām, or misses al-Fātiḥah, rukūʿ, or sujūd while following the imām, he must repeat that rakʿah afterward and perform two prostrations.

Method of Performing Sujūd al-Sahw​

Sujūd al-Sahw is performed like the normal prostrations of prayer.

Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said:

“The Prophet ﷺ said Allāhu Akbar and prostrated like the usual prostrations, or slightly longer, then raised his head saying Allāhu Akbar, then said Allāhu Akbar and prostrated again like the usual prostrations, or slightly longer, then raised his head saying Allāhu Akbar.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab yukabbir fī sujūday al-sahw: 1229

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 573

Two Valid Positions for Sujūd al-Sahw​

① Perform two prostrations after completing supplications in the final tashahhud, then give salām.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab mā jā’a fī al-sahw: 1224

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1269

② Give salām on both sides, then perform two prostrations, and then give salām again.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitab al-Sahw, Bab idhā ṣallā khamsā: 1226

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1574

Both methods are valid and authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. However, the method practiced by the Prophet ﷺ in a particular situation is more virtuous for that situation.

❀ Performing Sujūd al-Sahw after giving one salām, then repeating the entire tashahhud and giving salām again has no basis in any authentic ḥadīth.

❀ Speaking or the passage of time does not invalidate Sujūd al-Sahw, and the prayer does not need to be repeated. In the incident of Dhul-Yadayn, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not repeat the prayer despite speaking and the passage of time.

❀ If multiple mistakes occur in a single prayer, one Sujūd al-Sahw is sufficient for all of them.