Sujud al-Sahw: the Prostration of Forgetfulness

How to perform it

Sujud al-sahw consists of two prostrations, like those of the prayer, with a sitting between them, saying “Allahu akbar” going down and coming up. It is done at the end of the prayer, either before the salam or after it, followed by a second salam.

Scholars differ on the details: the Hanafi school places it after one salam, the Maliki school before or after depending on the case, and the Shafi‘i school before the salam. All of these are based on authentic reports.

When adding something by mistake

If you add a rak‘ah, a bowing or a prostration by mistake, make sujud al-sahw after the salam: the Prophet ﷺ prayed five rak‘ahs of Dhuhr once, and when told, he made two prostrations (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim).

When omitting something

• If you forget an obligation, such as the first tashahhud, continue and make sujud al-sahw before the salam (Sahih al-Bukhari).
• If you forget a pillar, such as a prostration or al-Fatihah, you must perform it: go back to it if you remember before reaching the same position in the next rak‘ah; otherwise that rak‘ah does not count and you add one, then make sujud al-sahw.
• If you forget a Sunnah, nothing is required.

In case of doubt

If you doubt whether you prayed three or four rak‘ahs, build on the lower number and make sujud al-sahw before the salam (Sahih Muslim). If one possibility seems stronger, act on it and prostrate after the salam. Doubts that occur after the prayer has ended, or that are constant (waswasah), are ignored.

Three worked examples

1. You sat for the tashahhud after the third rak‘ah of Dhuhr: stand up as soon as you remember, complete the prayer and prostrate for forgetfulness.
2. You forgot the first tashahhud and stood up fully: do not go back; continue and prostrate before the salam (al-Bukhari).
3. You said the salam after two rak‘ahs of a four-rak‘ah prayer: if you remember soon after, stand, complete the two missing rak‘ahs, then prostrate after the salam, as in the story of Dhul-Yadayn (al-Bukhari, Muslim).

In brief

• Two prostrations repair the prayer after an addition, omission or doubt.
• A forgotten obligation is compensated; a forgotten pillar must be performed.
• In doubt, build on the smaller number.
• It can be done before or after the salam according to the case and school.
• The follower prostrates with the imam.

A closing note

The prostration of forgetfulness is a mercy: it removes difficulty from the worshipper, spares him repeating the whole prayer and defeats Satan who tries to distract him. Knowing its rules also protects from waswasa, because the one who knows what to do after a mistake has a calm heart.

Read next

• How to Pray: the Salah Step by StepLearn how to pray salah step by step: intention, takbir, al-Fatihah, ruku‘, sujud, tashahhud and taslim, with the number of rak‘ahs of each prayer.
• Conditions, Pillars and Obligations of the PrayerThe conditions that must be met before praying, the pillars that make up the prayer, its obligations and the things that invalidate it, according to the main schools.