Noor Atlas
العربية
Menu

Worship guidesThe prayer

Sujud as-sahw, the prostrations of forgetfulness

سجود السهو

Two prostrations that make up for a mistake in the prayer: when they are due, how they are done, and before or after the salam.

Sahih

Sujud as-sahw is two prostrations, like those of the prayer, made at its end for something added, left out or doubted by mistake. The Prophet ﷺ made them when he stood up without the first tashahhud, when he prayed five rak'ahs, and he taught them to whoever is unsure how many he has prayed.

This is a short summary. Here the schools differ more than anywhere in the prayer, so when a case is not clear, ask a scholar.

Your choice is kept on this device, and in the page address so a link you share shows it too.

When it is due

  1. When it is due

    Adding something by mistake: an extra rak'ah, bowing or prostration.

    All four schools: description

    Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 1226

  2. When it is due

    Leaving something out by mistake. A forgotten pillar is not replaced by the prostrations: it must be done. What they make up is a wajib (for the Hanafis and Hanbalis) or a Sunnah that the schools make good this way, such as the first tashahhud.

    All four schools: description

    Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 1224; Why the scholars distinguish the pillars of the prayer from its wajib acts (islamqa 281982)

  3. When it is due

    Being unsure how much you have prayed: build on what you are certain of, then prostrate before the salam.

    All four schools: description

    Sources: Sahih Muslim 571a

How and where

  1. How and where

    Is it required?

    Hanafi: wajibMaliki: sunnahShafi'i: sunnahHanbali: wajib

    Where the schools differ

    Wajib for the Hanafis in their well-known view. For the Hanbalis wajib for a mistake that would spoil the prayer if done on purpose, and recommended for a forgotten wajib like the glorification in bowing. A Sunnah for the Malikis and Shafi'is.

    Sources: The scholars' views on the ruling of sujud as-sahw (islamweb fatwa 28891)

  2. How and where

    Two prostrations, with takbir, like the prostrations of the prayer, then the salam.

    All four schools: description

    Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 1224

  3. How and where

    Before the salam or after it?

    Where the schools differ

    For ash-Shafi'i all of it is before the salam; for Abu Hanifa all of it after; for Malik before it for something left out and after it for something added; for Ahmad before it, except in the two cases where the hadith put it after: having given the salam too early, and an imam who builds on what he thinks most likely. islamweb's fatwa says the matter is open.

    Sources: The scholars' views on where sujud as-sahw goes (islamweb fatwa 76310)

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 1224

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ابْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْضِ الصَّلَوَاتِ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ، فَقَامَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ وَنَظَرْنَا تَسْلِيمَهُ كَبَّرَ قَبْلَ التَّسْلِيمِ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin Buhaina:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) once led us in a prayer and offered two rak`at and got up (for the third rak`a) without sitting (after the second rak`a). The people also got up with him, and when he was about to finish his prayer, we waited for him to finish the prayer with Taslim but he said Takbir before Taslim and performed two prostrations while sitting and then finished the prayer with Taslim

View on sunnah.com
Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 1226

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ خَمْسًا فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَزِيدَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ وَمَا ذَاكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ صَلَّيْتَ خَمْسًا‏.‏ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا سَلَّمَ‏.‏

Narrated' `Abdullah:Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered five rak`at in the Zuhr prayer, and somebody asked him whether there was some increase in the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "What is that?" He said, "You have offered five rak`at." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed two prostrations of Sahu after Taslim

View on sunnah.com
Sahih

Sahih Muslim 571a

Grades
GraderVerdict
MuslimSahih (included by Muslim in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلاَثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَطْرَحِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى مَا اسْتَيْقَنَ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ فَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى خَمْسًا شَفَعْنَ لَهُ صَلاَتَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى إِتْمَامًا لأَرْبَعٍ كَانَتَا تَرْغِيمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you is in doubt about his prayer and he does Dot know how much he has prayed, three or four (rak'ahs). he should cast aside his doubt and base his prayer on what he is sure of. then perform two prostrations before giving salutations. If he has prayed five rak'ahs, they will make his prayer an even number for him, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil

View on sunnah.com
Report an error on this page

Tell us what looks wrong: a reference, a translation, the Arabic, or anything else. Scholars and editors read every report. Please don’t include personal details.

Text size

Appearance