Question 520: How is the prostration of forgetfulness (Sajdat al-Sahw) performed?

330 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: سَجْدَتَا السَّهْوِ بَعْدَ التَّسْلِيمِ وَ قَبْلَ الْكَلَامِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 195

Ali (peace be upon him) said: 'The two prostrations of forgetfulness are after the salutation of the prayer and before speaking.'

2 عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: تَقُولُ فِي سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ- قَالَ وَ سَمِعْتُهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى يَقُولُ [فيهما] بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 1, p. 342

Halabi narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that in the two prostrations of forgetfulness you say:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

The narrator said: I heard him say once more [concerning those two prostrations]:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ.

3 عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِذَا لَمْ تَدْرِ أَرْبَعاً صَلَّيْتَ أَمْ خَمْساً أَمْ نَقَصْتَ أَمْ زِدْتَ فَتَشَهَّدْ وَ سَلِّمْ وَ اسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بِغَيْرِ رُكُوعٍ وَ لَا قِرَاءَةٍ تَتَشَهَّدُ فِيهِمَا تَشَهُّداً خَفِيفاً.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 196

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you do not know whether you have prayed four or five rak'ahs or (you do not know) whether you have decreased or increased, then recite the tashahhud and give the salutation, and perform two prostrations (of forgetfulness) without bowing and without recitation, and in them recite a light and brief tashahhud.'

4 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: إِذَا كُنْتَ لَا تَدْرِي أَرْبَعاً صَلَّيْتَ أَمْ خَمْساً فَاسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ بَعْدَ تَسْلِيمِكَ سَلِّمْ بَعْدَهُمَا.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 355

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you do not know whether you have prayed four or five rak'ahs, after giving the salutation, perform two prostrations of forgetfulness, and after them, give the salutation.'

5 عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: إِذَا لَمْ تَدْرِ أَرْبَعاً صَلَّيْتَ أَمْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَقُمْ وَ ارْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلِّمْ وَ اسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَ أَنْتَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ تُسَلِّمْ بَعْدَهُمَا.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 185

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you do not know whether you have prayed four or two rak'ahs, (give the salutation) and stand up and pray two rak'ahs (known as the prayer of precaution), and after them give the salutation, and while you are sitting, perform two prostrations (of forgetfulness) and after them give the salutation.'

✅Sajdat al-Sahw refers to two prostrations that, according to the above narrations and others, are performed after the salutation of the prayer and before speaking in the case of certain defects in the prayer and some types of doubts, the instances of which are explained in various narrations.

✅Since these are two prostrations, the general rules of how to perform prostration, such as prostrating on the seven obligatory parts and the sunnah of the nose, also apply to these two prostrations, and its specific dhikr was mentioned in the second hadith.

✅It has not been mentioned in the narrations to say the Takbir before and after it.

✅In some cases of Sajdat al-Sahw, reciting a light tashahhud after it and giving the salutation after it has also been mentioned in the narrations. Since its exclusivity to specific cases of doubts and defects is not established, in addition to the cases where a tashahhud and salutation are mentioned for it, in other cases as well, based on the principle of precaution mentioned by the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), a light tashahhud, for example, limited to the two testimonies and a salutation upon the Prophet, is recited after the two prostrations of forgetfulness, and then the salutation is given.

✅Please also pay attention to the following narration:

6 عَن عَمَّار بْن مُوسى قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ السَّهْوِ مَا تَجِبُ فِيهِ سَجْدَتَا السَّهْوِ ... الي ان قال... وَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ إِذَا سَهَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيَنْسَى أَنْ يَسْجُدَ سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ قَالَ يَسْجُدُهُمَا مَتَى ذَكَرَ...

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 353

Ammar said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the mistakes for which the prostration of forgetfulness is obligatory... up to where he said: I asked the Imam (peace be upon him) about a person who makes a mistake in prayer and forgets to perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness; the Imam said: 'Whenever he remembers, he performs those two prostrations.'

✅The details of the circumstances for the prostration of forgetfulness are mentioned in various chapters of narrations about doubts and defects in prayer.

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ