When forgetfulness creeps into prayer, Islam does not make you repeat the whole prayer — you make two extra prostrations (sujūd as-sahw). The Prophet ﷺ himself forgot in prayer, taught the fix, and said his forgetting was itself a mercy and a teaching.
The three causes
- • Addition (ziyāda) — e.g. an extra rukūʿ, sujūd, standing, or rakʿah done forgetfully.
- • Omission (naqṣ) — e.g. forgetting the first tashahhud or another wājib.
- • Doubt (shakk) — uncertainty about how many rakʿahs you have prayed.
How to perform it
- 1
🤔On doubt, build on what you are certain of (the lesser number) and complete the prayer.
- 2
🧎Make two prostrations like any sujūd, with the tasbīḥ.
- 3
💺Sit, and give the taslīm.
- 4
📍Whether these come before or after the taslīm depends on your school and the type of error — see Compare.
Evidence
The story of Dhū-l-Yadayn: the Prophet ﷺ prayed and gave salām after two rakʿahs by mistake; reminded, he completed the prayer and made two prostrations after the salām.
Bukhārī 1229 / Muslim 573 ṣaḥīḥ
When Ibn Buḥayna forgot the first tashahhud, the Prophet ﷺ made two prostrations before the salām.
Bukhārī 1230 ṣaḥīḥ
“If one of you doubts in his prayer, let him seek what is correct, complete upon it, give salām, then prostrate twice.”
Muslim 571 ṣaḥīḥ
Compare the schools — before or after the salām?
Tap a school to see its ruling first everywhere on this page.
Ṣalāh
When is sujūd as-sahw made?
Hanafi: After the salām: make the two prostrations, then repeat the tashahhud and give salām again. One sujūd as-sahw covers multiple lapses.
Other schools
Maliki: Before the salām for an omission (naqṣ); after the salām for an addition (ziyāda). If both occur, before the salām.
Shāfiʿī: Before the salām in all cases.
Hanbali: Before the salām in most cases; after the salām specifically when the error was an addition (e.g. Dhū-l-Yadayn) or when built on the greater number after doubt.
Sujūd al-sahw — al-Mawsūʿa al-Fiqhiyya.
Common mistakes
- ⚠ Repeating the whole prayer for a minor forgetful slip that sujūd as-sahw would fix.
- ⚠ Making sujūd as-sahw for a forgotten pillar (rukn) — a missed pillar must be performed, not merely compensated.
- ⚠ Prostrating for a deliberate omission — sujūd as-sahw mends forgetfulness, not intentional neglect (which can invalidate the prayer).
Classical references
Hanafi: al-Hidāya · Radd al-Muḥtār
Maliki: al-Risāla · Mukhtaṣar Khalīl
Shāfiʿī: Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn
Hanbali: al-Mughnī · Zād al-Mustaqniʿ
Related lessons
Content is being reviewed for authenticity by a qualified scholar. Follow your local scholars for personal rulings.