Sujud al-Sahw: Prostration of Forgetfulness in Detail

Sujud al-sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness) is a mechanism prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to compensate for unintentional errors made during prayer. Since human beings are naturally prone to forgetfulness, Islam provides this remedy rather than requiring the prayer to be repeated. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself performed sujud al-sahw on several occasions, as recorded in authentic hadith, demonstrating that even the best of creation could experience moments of distraction in prayer.

When Sujud al-Sahw Is Required

Sujud al-sahw is required in three general situations: addition (ziyadah), omission (naqs), and doubt (shakk). An addition occurs when a person performs an extra rak'ah, an extra rukn (pillar), or an extra sitting. An omission occurs when a person leaves out an obligatory (wajib) act of the prayer, such as the first tashahhud in a four-rak'ah prayer. Doubt occurs when a person is uncertain about how many rak'ahs they have prayed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If any one of you is in doubt about his prayer and does not know how many he has prayed, three or four, let him cast aside his doubt and build upon what he is sure of" (Sahih Muslim).

How to Perform It

The prostration of forgetfulness consists of two prostrations (sujud) with a brief sitting between them, similar to the prostrations within the prayer itself. One says "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la" in each prostration. The key disagreement among scholars is whether these prostrations come before or after the final salam. The Hanafi school holds that sujud al-sahw is always performed after the salam: one gives salam to the right only, performs the two prostrations, then gives both salams. The Maliki school distinguishes: if the error involves an omission, the prostrations are before the salam; if it involves an addition, they are after. The Shafi'i school holds that the prostrations are generally before the salam. The Hanbali school follows specific hadith for each situation, sometimes before and sometimes after.

Common Scenarios

Among the most common scenarios requiring sujud al-sahw: standing up for a third rak'ah in Fajr or a fifth in Dhuhr (extra rak'ah); forgetting to sit for the first tashahhud (omission of wajib); uncertainty about whether one has prayed three or four rak'ahs (doubt). In the case of an extra rak'ah, if the person realizes before completing the extra rak'ah, they should sit down immediately and perform sujud al-sahw. If they complete the extra rak'ah and only realize afterward, they still perform sujud al-sahw and their prayer is valid.

The Wisdom Behind It

Scholars explain that sujud al-sahw serves multiple purposes: it compensates for any deficiency in the prayer, it humbles the person before Allah, and it is a source of irritation for Shaytan who tries to distract the worshiper. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When any one of you rises to pray, Shaytan comes to him and confuses him until he does not know how much he has prayed. If that happens to any of you, let him do two prostrations while sitting" (Sahih al-Bukhari). This teaching shows Allah's mercy in providing a simple remedy for human weakness.