What is sujud al-sahw, and when do you do it?
Sujud al-sahw, also called sajda sahw, is two prostrations made at the end of the prayer to make up for a mistake made through forgetfulness. IslamWeb lists three situations that call for it: adding something by mistake, such as an extra rak’ah or prostration, omitting one of the prayer’s required acts, and doubting how much has been prayed.
The Prophet himself forgot in prayer and showed how to repair it, saying that he was a human being who forgets as others forget (Sahih al-Bukhari 401). Prayer is established for Allah’s remembrance (Quran 20:14), the Quran praises those humble in their prayers (23:1-2), and it teaches the prayer, ‘Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark!’ (2:286).
Its status differs. A Shafi’i answer on IslamQA.org calls it recommended and records that Imam Ahmad and the Hanafi al-Karkhi held it obligatory, while Malik held it obligatory for an omission and recommended for an addition. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani says the Hanafi school requires it when a necessary (wajib) act is forgotten. Al-Bukhari’s chapter for Sahih al-Bukhari 1232 covers obligatory and voluntary prayers.
What did the Prophet do when he made a mistake in prayer?
Four authentic reports underlie every school’s rules. They show the prostrations made both before and after the salam, which is why the schools reached different conclusions about which is preferred.
In the report of Dhul-Yadayn, a man asked whether the prayer had been shortened or the Prophet had forgotten, and the Prophet completed what was missing before prostrating. Sunan Abi Dawud 1036, graded sahih by al-Albani, adds that an imam who remembers the first tashahhud before standing fully upright sits back down, and otherwise continues and prostrates twice.
| What happened | What the Prophet did | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stood up after two rak’ahs without sitting for the first tashahhud | Continued, then made two prostrations before the salam | Sahih al-Bukhari 1224 |
| Gave the salam after two rak’ahs of a four-rak’ah prayer | Prayed the remaining two, gave the salam, then made two prostrations with takbir | Sahih al-Bukhari 1229 |
| Prayed five rak’ahs of Dhuhr | Made two prostrations after the salam once he was told | Sahih al-Bukhari 1226 |
| Taught what to do when unsure of the number of rak’ahs | Build on certainty and prostrate before the salam; or aim for what is correct, complete, give the salam and prostrate | Sahih Muslim 571a; Sahih al-Bukhari 401 |
How do you perform sujud al-sahw step by step?
The prostrations are the same in every school: say Allahu akbar and prostrate as in any prayer, rise to sit with takbir, prostrate a second time and rise again with takbir. Sahih al-Bukhari 1229 describes each prostration as like the Prophet’s ordinary prostration or a little longer.
What differs is whether they come before or after the salam and what follows them; the outline below shows the common pattern, and the school table in the next section gives each method.
- Complete the prayer up to the final sitting and recite the tashahhud.
- Before the salam: make the two prostrations at the end of the final sitting, then give the salam.
- After the salam: give the salam, make the two prostrations with takbir, then end the prayer as your school teaches.
- In the Shafi’i school the imam or person praying alone intends the prostrations silently; the follower need not.
Is sujud al-sahw done before or after the salam?
Both are valid; the schools differ over what is preferred. IslamQA quotes al-Mawardi that the jurists do not disagree that it may be done before or after the salam, only about which is Sunnah, and IslamWeb likewise says scholars agree the prayer is valid either way.
Each position rests on reports. The Shafi’i answer prefers Ibn Buhaynah’s report of prostrating before the salam, while Hanafi answers cite Sunan Abi Dawud 1038, graded hasan by al-Albani: for each forgetfulness, two prostrations after the salam. Each school has further details; IslamWeb, for example, quotes the Hanbali al-Zarkashi placing them after the salam when one acts on what seems most likely in a doubt.
| School | Before or after the salam | How |
|---|---|---|
| Hanafi | After one salam to the right, whatever the mistake; before the salam still counts but leaves the preferred method | Tashahhud, one salam to the right, two prostrations, then sit for the tashahhud, salawat and supplication, and end with the two salams |
| Maliki | Before the salam for an omission; after it for an addition | Before: two prostrations after the tashahhud, then the tashahhud again and the salam. After: salam, takbir, two prostrations, tashahhud and a second salam |
| Shafi’i | Before the salam in all cases, in the relied-upon view | After the final tashahhud, salawat and supplication, two prostrations, then the salam straight away |
| Hanbali | Before the salam, except after it when the salam was given before the prayer was complete | Two prostrations after the final tashahhud, then the salam; after an early salam, complete the prayer, give the salam, prostrate twice and give the salam again |
Which mistakes need sujud al-sahw, and which do not?
It is for forgetful mistakes in acts the school treats as required or emphasised, not for every slip and not as a routine extra. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani writes for the Hanafi school that leaving an obligatory (fard) act invalidates the prayer rather than being repaired by prostration, and that adding these prostrations to every prayer without need is a reprehensible innovation.
Because each school classifies the acts of prayer differently, the same slip can be treated differently. The examples below come from the cited answers and illustrate the reasoning; they are not a complete list.
- Forgetting the first tashahhud: the Prophet continued and prostrated (Sahih al-Bukhari 1224); the Permanent Committee, quoted on IslamQA, says leaving it deliberately invalidates the prayer.
- Standing for an extra rak’ah: a Hanafi answer says to return to the final sitting and prostrate; if you skipped the final sitting and have already prostrated in the extra rak’ah, the obligatory prayer is repeated.
- Forgetting the surah you began after Al-Fatihah and reciting another: a Hanafi answer says no prostration is needed.
- Missing the bowing and remembering in prostration: a Maliki answer says to return to bowing, continue and prostrate after the salam.
- Doubting whether you made a prostration: IslamWeb, quoting Hanbali texts, says to go back and make it, since these prostrations do not replace a missing pillar.
What should you do if you doubt how many rak’ahs you prayed?
Settle the doubt, complete the prayer and make the two prostrations. Sahih Muslim 571a says that whoever does not know whether he has prayed three or four should cast aside the doubt, build on what he is sure of and prostrate twice before the salam; Sahih al-Bukhari 401 says to aim for what is correct, complete the prayer, give the salam and prostrate twice.
Scholars combine the two reports in different ways. IslamQA says to build on the smaller number and prostrate before the salam when neither option seems more likely, and to act on what seems more likely and prostrate after the salam when one does. A SeekersGuidance Hanafi answer tells someone with frequent doubts to act on his first inclination and not revisit it.
Constant doubt is treated differently from an occasional lapse. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin, answering on IslamQA, told someone who doubted in almost every prayer not to pay attention to those doubts or prostrate for them, and the same Hanafi answer cites Ibn Abidin that a person overtaken by whisperings should give them no attention.
What if you make a mistake behind an imam, or the imam forgets?
Follow the imam. The Prophet said the imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ from him, and ‘if he prostrates, prostrate’ (Sahih al-Bukhari 722). IslamQA quotes Ibn Qudamah and Ibn al-Mundhir that scholars agree a follower who prayed the whole prayer with the imam prostrates with him, whether before or after the salam.
A follower who forgets something small himself generally does not prostrate. An Askimam Hanafi answer says the prostration is due only on the imam and the person praying alone, and Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin, quoted on IslamQA, says the imam carries it for him; a missed pillar, however, may still have to be made up.
Latecomers have extra details. Ibn Uthaymin’s summary says a latecomer prostrates with the imam before the salam but does not follow him in prostrations after it, completing his own prayer first, while a SeekersGuidance Hanafi answer says a latecomer who has already stood should sit back down and follow the imam.
What if you forget to do sujud al-sahw?
If you remember soon after the salam, you can usually still do it. A Hanafi answer on SeekersGuidance says it remains due while you still face the qibla and have not spoken worldly speech, a Shafi’i answer on IslamQA.org allows it if you forgot and prostrate shortly afterwards, and the Maliki manual makes a forgotten pre-salam prostration after the salam.
If a long time has passed, the prayer is generally not lost. The Permanent Committee, quoted on IslamQA, says that whoever leaves the prostrations through forgetfulness or not knowing the ruling does not repeat the prayer, though leaving them deliberately is different, and Shaykh Faraz Rabbani writes that, in the Hanafi school, past prayers missing only a necessary act need not be repeated.
What do you say in sujud al-sahw?
Say what you say in any prostration, such as Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la, Glory be to my Lord Most High. IslamQA quotes the Hanbali al-Mardawi that what is said in these prostrations is the same as in the prayer’s prostration and says there is no special remembrance for them; the Shafi’i answer cites al-Mutawalli and al-Adhra’i to the same effect.
A phrase often linked to these prostrations, Subhana man la yanamu wa la yas-hu, Glory be to the One who neither sleeps nor forgets, has no established source: the Shafi’i answer quotes Ibn Hajar saying he found none, and IslamQA says there is no evidence for it, though a Shafi’i answer on Qibla mentions scholars who encourage it.
Quran passages in this guide
Read each complete verse below in Arabic and the identified English interpretation. Follow the context link before drawing conclusions from an isolated verse.
Al-Baqara 2:286. The closing verse of Al-Baqarah, which includes the supplication not to be condemned for forgetting or missing the mark.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٢٨٦
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context
Taa-Haa 20:14. Establish worship for My remembrance.
إِنَّنِىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدْنِى وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ ١٤
Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.
Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context
Al-Muminoon 23:1. Successful indeed are the believers.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ١
Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context
Al-Muminoon 23:2. Who are humble in their prayers.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلَاتِهِمْ خَـٰشِعُونَ ٢
They who are during their prayer humbly submissive
Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context
Questions readers often ask
What if I forget the first tashahhud?
If you remember before standing fully upright, Sunan Abi Dawud 1036, graded sahih by al-Albani, says to sit back down; once you are upright, carry on and make the two prostrations of forgetfulness. Ibn Uthaymin, quoted on IslamQA, says to prostrate even after sitting back down, while a Hanafi answer from Darul Ifta Birmingham says no prostration is needed then, so follow your teacher.
Do I recite the tashahhud again after sujud al-sahw?
It depends on the school. Hanafis recite the tashahhud, salawat and supplication after the prostrations and the Maliki manual repeats the tashahhud, while IslamQA says repeating it is not prescribed. Jami at-Tirmidhi 395, graded Sahih by Darussalam, reports a tashahhud after them and notes that scholars differed; al-Albani graded the same wording in Sunan Abi Dawud 1039 Shadh.
Can I do sujud al-sahw in every prayer just in case?
No. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, answering for the Hanafi school, calls performing it in every prayer without need prohibitively disliked and a reprehensible innovation, adding that actions are presumed sound until shown otherwise. Prostrate only when a real mistake calls for it.
Does sujud al-sahw apply to sunnah and nafl prayers?
Yes. Al-Bukhari titled the chapter of Sahih al-Bukhari 1232 ‘Sahw in compulsory Salat and Nawafil’. Details can differ in voluntary prayers, as the Maliki manual shows for someone who stands for a third rak’ah in a voluntary prayer, so ask your teacher about specific cases.
Is one prostration of forgetfulness enough?
Sujud al-sahw is two prostrations. IslamQA, citing Sahih al-Bukhari 401, says an imam who made only one should have made two, but that a prayer where this happened through ignorance remains valid, under the same ruling as forgetting the prostrations.
What if I made the mistake on purpose?
Sujud al-sahw is for forgetfulness. The Permanent Committee, quoted on IslamQA, says deliberately omitting an obligatory act such as the first tashahhud invalidates the prayer, as does deliberately leaving out prostrations of forgetfulness that are due. Ask a scholar how your school treats the specific act.
Sources
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Sahih al-Bukhari 401 Hadith
I am a human being and forget as you forget; whoever doubts should aim for what is correct, complete, give the salam and prostrate twice.
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Sahih al-Bukhari 1232 Hadith
Chapter: sahw in compulsory and voluntary prayers; whoever loses count should make two prostrations while sitting.
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Sahih al-Bukhari 1224 Hadith
Ibn Buhaynah: the Prophet stood after two rak’ahs without sitting and made two prostrations before the salam.
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Sahih al-Bukhari 1229 Hadith
Dhul-Yadayn: salam after two rak’ahs; the Prophet completed the prayer, gave the salam and prostrated twice with takbir.
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Sahih al-Bukhari 1226 Hadith
Five rak’ahs of Dhuhr followed by two prostrations after the salam.
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Sahih Muslim 571a Hadith
Cast aside the doubt, build on what you are sure of and prostrate twice before the salam.
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Sunan Abi Dawud 1036 Hadith
The imam who stands after two rak’ahs sits back if not fully upright, otherwise continues and prostrates twice; displayed grade Sahih (Al-Albani).
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Sunan Abi Dawud 1038 Hadith
For each forgetfulness there are two prostrations after the salam; displayed grade Hasan (Al-Albani).
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Sahih al-Bukhari 722 Hadith
The imam is appointed to be followed; when he prostrates, prostrate.
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Jami at-Tirmidhi 395 Hadith
Two prostrations, then the tashahhud, then the salam; al-Tirmidhi notes scholars differed; displayed grade Sahih (Darussalam).
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Sunan Abi Dawud 1039 Hadith
The same report of a tashahhud after the prostrations; displayed grade Shadh (Al-Albani).
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IslamWeb: details pertaining to prostration for forgetfulness Scholarly answer
Three causes; scholars agree the prayer is valid before or after the salam; the positions of the four schools.
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IslamQA: how the prostration of forgetfulness is done in the Hanafi madhhab Scholarly answer
Summarises the four schools on before or after the salam, quotes al-Mawardi on validity either way, and explains acting on certainty or on what seems most likely.
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SeekersGuidance: proofs for the Hanafi method of the forgetfulness prostration Scholarly answer
One salam to the right, two prostrations, the tashahhud again and the final salams, with the narrations relied on.
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SeekersGuidance: how to perform sajda sahu Scholarly answer
Shaykh Bassem Itani: tashahhud only before the first salam, then the prostrations, tashahhud, salawat, supplication and two salams.
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IslamWeb: sujood as-sahw according to the Hanafi school Scholarly answer
Quotes al-Kasani: after the salam is recommended; before it is valid but leaves the recommended manner.
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IslamQA.org (Shafiifiqh): how is sujud al-sahw made? Scholarly answer
Recommended in the Shafi’i school; made before the salam after the tashahhud and what follows it; no source found for Subhana man la yanamu wa la yas-hu.
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Maliki Madhab Subcontinent: prostrations of forgetfulness School reference
Maliki method of prostrations before the salam for omissions and after it for additions, with the tashahhud repeated, and worked examples.
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IslamWeb: when the imam should be followed in sujood as-sahw Scholarly answer
A doubted pillar must be performed; quotes al-Zarkashi on prostrating after the salam when acting on what seems most likely, and al-Nawawi on following the imam.
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SeekersGuidance: can the forgetfulness prostration be done in every prayer? Scholarly answer
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani: only for a forgotten necessary act; doing it every prayer is a reprehensible innovation; fard versus wajib omissions.
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IslamQA: when to offer sujud as-sahw Scholarly answer
First tashahhud and the Permanent Committee; no repeated tashahhud; same dhikr as ordinary prostration, quoting al-Mardawi and al-Ramli.
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SeekersGuidance: wrong number of cycles during prayer Scholarly answer
Hanafi: return to the final sitting and prostrate; prostrating in an extra rak’ah without the final sitting invalidates the obligatory prayer.
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SeekersGuidance: forgetting a surah in prayer Scholarly answer
No prostration for forgetting the chosen surah, since it is only required for a forgotten necessary act.
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SeekersGuidance: correcting a missed obligatory action (Maliki) Scholarly answer
A forgotten bowing remembered in prostration: return to bowing, continue and prostrate twice after the salam.
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SeekersGuidance: which number to follow if I doubt my prayer count Scholarly answer
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani: with frequent doubt, act on the first inclination; Ibn Abidin on giving whisperings no attention.
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IslamQA: not doing sujood al-sahw to ward off waswaas Scholarly answer
Ibn Uthaymin: someone with constant doubts should ignore them and not prostrate for them.
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IslamQA: following the imam in the prostration of forgetfulness Scholarly answer
Ibn Qudamah and Ibn al-Mundhir: scholars agree the follower prostrates with the imam, before or after the salam.
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Askimam via IslamQA.org: sajdah sahw behind the imam Scholarly answer
Hanafi: a follower does not prostrate for his own mistake; it is due on the imam and the one praying alone.
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IslamQA: sujud as-sahw when following an imam Scholarly answer
Ibn Uthaymin’s summary: following the imam, latecomers, and the imam carrying the follower’s small mistakes.
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SeekersGuidance: latecomer when the imam performs the forgetfulness prostrations Scholarly answer
Hanafi: a latecomer who has stood sits back down and follows the imam in the prostrations.
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SeekersGuidance: up to when the forgetfulness prostrations can be made Scholarly answer
Hanafi: still due while facing the qibla and before worldly speech.
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Qibla via IslamQA.org: prostration of forgetfulness (Shafi’i) Scholarly answer
Made before the closing salams; after them only if forgotten, done shortly afterwards and the prayer not invalidated; some scholars encourage an extra glorification.
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IslamQA: ruling on forgetting a prostration of forgetfulness Scholarly answer
First tashahhud cases, two prostrations not one, and the Permanent Committee on forgetting or deliberately leaving the prostrations.
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Darul Ifta Birmingham via IslamQA.org: the method of sajda sahw Scholarly answer
Hanafi list of cases: after standing fully for a missed first sitting, continue and prostrate; if one sits back before standing fully, no prostration is needed.
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Quran 2:286 Primary text
Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark; rendered on this page from the site’s verified corpus.
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Quran 20:14 Primary text
Establish worship for My remembrance.
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Quran 23:1-2 Primary text
Successful are the believers who are humble in their prayers.
Qur’an Arabic: Tanzil (CC BY 3.0). English: Saheeh International (via Tanzil).
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