Question # 217: I have always wanted to know what happens to one who makes the prostration of forgetfulness and forgets how many prostration they made. Do they perform the prostration of forgetfulness again? I don’t know if I made myself clear. If a person makes a prostration of forgetfulness, and while in sujud, they forgot if it was the second prostration, do they make an extra prostration because of the doubt? Does this invalidate their salah if they make more prostrations of forgetfulness out of forgetfulness? Should the person repeat their prayer? Should the person make another set of prostration of forgetfulness?

Bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: If a person forgets something during the prostration of forgetfulness, he does not have to do anything else, and his prayer is valid, else it would become an endless cycle.

Long Answer: It says in al-Sharh al-Kabeer about matters for which no prostration is required: “It is not prescribed to do the prostration of forgetfulness in the funeral prayer, because there is no prostration in this prayer, so how could you do a prostration to make up for a mistake in this case; or in the prostration of recitation, or in the prostration of forgetfulness. This was stated by Ahmad. And because there is consensus narrated by Ishaaq, because it would become an endless cycle. So if he forgets something after doing the prostration of forgetfulness, he should not prostrate again for that reason. And Allah knows best.”

It says something similar in Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha: “To sum up: if a person forgets something during the prostration of forgetfulness, he does not have to do anything else, and his prayer is valid.”

(The above is based on answer provided by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid on similar topic)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam