(#122)
AssalamoAlaikum Mufti Saheb
Praying for your and your family’s good health.
Can you please draw some light on this and explain in a simpler language, please.
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that: Allah’s Messenger (S) said: “Indeed the Shaitan comes to one of you in his Salat confusing him until he does now know how much he has prayed. When one of you experiences that then let him perform two prostrations while sitting.”
(Jami`at-Tirmidhi, Book 2, Hadith 250)Jazakallah and remember us in your Dua’s.
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We have received your query dated 02/03/19, our response is as follows:
The above quoted Hadeeth is discussing the issue of what a person should do when a confusion arises with regards to the amount of Rakats offered. Although this specific Hadeeth mentions that one should make Sajda Sahw when one is confused regarding the amount of Rakats offered; however, the gaze of the Fuqaha (Islamic Jurists) was not only confined and limited to a single narration but rather they had examined the issue from all angles.
Allama Yusuf Binnori rahimahullah states the following in his monumental masterpiece Ma’arifus Sunan under the first Hadeeth of the chapter discussing the person who has doubts regarding his Rakats:
“None of the four Imams have taken the apparent meaning of the Hadeeth which mentions the general rule that a person will make Sajda-e-Sahw when he is unaware of how many Rakats he has read. He thereafter mentions that the Hadeeth is silent and does not mention the different scenarios in detail, therefore we will give preference to the Ahadeeth which contain more detail.”[1]
The Fuqaha have derived the following laws from the various Ahadeeth with regards to the occurrence of doubt in the amount of Rak’ats:
- A person is in doubt as to whether he offered three or four Rakats. If this doubt was coincidental, i.e. he does not normally have this doubt, then he will have to repeat his Salaah. But if these sort of doubts occur quite often, he should ponder in his heart and see what the hearts inclination is. If it is more towards three Rakats, he should offer one more Rakat and Sajdah-e-Sahw will not be Wajib. But if he feels that he offered four Rakats, he should not add another Rakat nor should he make Sajdah-e-Sahw. If he still cannot make up his mind after pondering over the matter, then he should regard it as if he offered three Rakats and add one more Rakaat. But in this case, he should also sit down after the third Rakaat and recite the At-Tahiyyaat. He should then stand up and offer the fouth Rakaat and also make Sajdah-e-Sahw.
- If he has doubt as to whether it is the first or second Rakaat, the above rule will also apply. That is, if the doubt was coincidental, he should repeat his Salaah. But if such doubts occur quite often, he should act according to that which his heart tells him. But if he is still not sure, he should regard it as one Rakat. However, he has to sit down after the first Rakaat and recite the At-Tahiyyaat, because it is possible that this is actually his second Rakat. On completing his second Rakaat, he should sit down again. He should also recite another Surah after Surah Faatihah in the second Rakaat. On completing his third Rakaat, he should sit down again because it is possible that this is actually his fourth Rakat. After the fourth Rakat he should sit down again, make Sajdah-e-Sahw and then make Salaam.
- If he has a doubt as to whether it is the second or third Rakat, the same rule will apply. If he cannot make up his mind, he should sit down after the second Rakat and thereafter offer the third Rakat. On completing the third Rakat, he should sit down again and recite At-Tahiyyaat because it is possible that this is his fourth Rakat. He should then offer the fourth Rakat, make Sajdah-e-Sahw and then complete his Salaah.[i]
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Muhammad Irshad Motara
6th Rajab 1440
13th March 2019
Checked and approved by:
Mufti Musayyab Sahib
4th Rajab 1440
11th March 2019
[1] معارف السنن-باب ما جاء فيمن يشك فى الزيادة والنقصان -ص500-ج3
[i] Bahishti Zewar English Translation Pg. 215.
و اذا شك في صلاته كم صلي استانف, و ان كثر شكه عمل بغالب ظنه و الا اخذ بالاقل
شامي 94 جلد 2
