Salah guide · mistakes in prayer
Sajdah sahw: the prostration of forgetfulness
Everyone forgets in prayer, including the Prophet ﷺ. These two prostrations are the gentle repair he taught.
Sajdah sahw is two extra prostrations at the end of the prayer that make up for a mistake made by forgetting: adding something, leaving out a required act, or doubting how many rak'ahs you prayed. You make two normal prostrations in the last sitting, before or after the salam depending on your school.
When to make sajdah sahw
- You added something, such as a fifth rak'ah. The Prophet ﷺ once prayed five, then made two prostrations (Sahih al-Bukhari 401, Sahih Muslim 572).
- You left out a required act that is not a pillar, such as the first tashahhud. The Prophet ﷺ stood up without it and made two prostrations before the salam (Sahih al-Bukhari 1224, Sahih Muslim 570).
- You doubt how many rak'ahs you prayed. “Let him cast aside the doubt and build on what he is sure of, then make two prostrations before the salam” (Sahih Muslim 571).
- You ended the prayer too early and remember soon after: complete it, then make the two prostrations (Sahih al-Bukhari 1229, the report of Dhul-Yadayn).
It does not fix a missing pillar. If you left out ruku', a sujud or al-Fatiha (a pillar for most schools), you must go back and do it, or repeat that rak'ah, and then make sajdah sahw. If you only remember long after the prayer, repeat the prayer.
How to do it, step by step
- Notice the mistake. You added something, left out a required act (not a pillar), or doubt how many rak'ahs you prayed.
- If in doubt, build on certainty. Take the lower number you are sure of and complete the prayer from there (Sahih Muslim 571).
- Recite the tashahhud in the last sitting. Sit for the final tashahhud as usual.
- Make two prostrations. Say Allahu akbar and prostrate, sit, and prostrate again, as in any rak'ah, before or after the salam according to your school.
- Finish the prayer. Complete the sitting and end with salam.
Hanafi: after the final tashahhud, give one salam to the right, make two prostrations, then repeat the tashahhud, salawat and dua and end with salam. Shafi'i: always before the salam, after the salawat and dua. Maliki: before the salam for something left out, after the salam for something added. Hanbali: generally before the salam, but after it where the hadith shows it was after, such as ending the prayer early.
In each of the two prostrations you say what you say in any sujud: Subhana rabbiyal-a'la.
Frequently asked questions
Do I make sajdah sahw if I forget a sunnah act?
Not for a light sunnah, such as the opening dua. It is for leaving out a required act (wajib) or adding something to the prayer. Schools list these acts slightly differently.
What if I forget to make sajdah sahw?
If you remember soon, before leaving your place or talking, make it then. If a long time has passed, the prayer stands for most scholars when the missed act was not a pillar; ask a scholar for your case.
Does the person praying behind an imam make sajdah sahw?
No, not for their own mistakes, which the imam carries. They follow the imam when he makes sajdah sahw.
I keep doubting in every prayer. What do I do?
Doubts that come constantly are waswas and are ignored. Build on what you are sure of, finish, and move on. Doubt after the prayer is over is not acted on.
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Download Niyat for iPhone Get it on Google PlayThis guide explains common practice with its sources. It is not a fatwa. Where your situation is unusual, ask a scholar you trust.