--- title: "How to Perform the Prostration of Forgetfulness" description: "The conditions, causes and step-by-step method of sujud al-sahw — the prostration made for mistakes or forgetfulness in prayer." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-perform-the-prostration-of-forgetfulness" locale: "en" published: "2026-08-16" updated: "2026-08-16" author: "VAAZ Team" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # How to Perform the Prostration of Forgetfulness Forgetting, becoming distracted, or omitting an obligatory act during prayer is part of being human. Rather than requiring the whole prayer to be repeated, Islam offers a remedy: two prostrations made at the end of the prayer to make up for such lapses. This guide explains what the prostration of forgetfulness is, when it is required, and how it is performed, drawn from reputable sources. ## What Is the Prostration of Forgetfulness? The prostration of forgetfulness — in Arabic *sujud al-sahw* — combines *sahw* ("forgetfulness, inattention") with *sujud* ("prostration"). It refers to two prostrations made at the end of the prayer to remedy certain deficiencies, additions, or mistakes. As the Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) Encyclopedia of Islam notes in its entry on the subject, this prostration serves to compensate when a pillar of the prayer is unintentionally delayed or one of its obligatory acts is omitted. The key distinction is this: sujud al-sahw applies to lapses that do not invalidate the prayer. Omitting one of the pillars (arkan) altogether nullifies the prayer, whereas forgetting or delaying an obligatory act (wajib) is remedied by this prostration. In this sense it expresses the worshipper's acknowledgment of a shortcoming and the effort to complete the act of worship without defect. ## Forgetfulness in the Qur'an and Sunnah The Qur'an teaches the believer to ask his Lord not to hold him accountable for the unavoidable human states of forgetfulness and error. In the closing verse of Surah al-Baqarah, the believers' supplication is related as follows: > Our Lord! Do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake. Surah al-Baqarah, 286 The basis for sujud al-sahw in the Sunnah lies in the reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself erred in prayer and remedied it with two prostrations. In a narration from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, when the Messenger of Allah prayed extra units and his Companions pointed it out, he said: > I am only a human being like you; I forget just as you forget. So when I forget, remind me. The continuation of this report states that the Prophet performed two prostrations on account of the addition. In this way the community was taught that forgetfulness is part of human nature, that it does not void the prayer, and that it can be remedied by an appropriate act. ## When Is Sujud al-Sahw Required? According to the Hanafi school, the principal situations that call for the prostration of forgetfulness are: - **Omitting an obligatory act (wajib) out of forgetfulness:** For example, forgetting the first sitting (the first qa'dah), or not reciting the additional surah that should follow al-Fatihah. - **Delaying an obligatory act:** Bringing a pillar or an obligatory act forward or pushing it back — for instance, delaying a prostration. - **Repeating or adding a pillar:** Such as adding an extra bowing (ruku) or prostration. - **Doubt over the number of units (rak'ahs):** Being unable to be certain how many units were prayed. By contrast, omitting one of the recommended acts (sunnahs) of the prayer — such as the opening Subhanaka — does not call for the prostration; no prostration is made for leaving out a sunnah. Likewise, a deficiency made deliberately cannot be remedied by sujud al-sahw; if an obligatory act is left out intentionally, the prayer must be repeated. To review the pillars and obligatory acts of the prayer step by step, see our [guide on how to perform salah](https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-perform-salah). ## How to Perform Sujud al-Sahw (Step by Step) According to Hanafi practice, the prostration of forgetfulness is performed as follows: 1. **Recite the tashahhud in the final sitting:** In the last sitting of the prayer, first recite the tashahhud (at-tahiyyat). 2. **Give salam to the right only:** Say "As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah," turning only to the right. 3. **Go into the first prostration:** Saying "Allahu akbar," go into prostration and say "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la" three times. 4. **Rise and make the second prostration:** Saying "Allahu akbar," return to sitting, then, with another takbir, go into the second prostration and again say "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la" three times. 5. **Sit and recite the supplications:** Saying "Allahu akbar," return to the final sitting; here recite the tashahhud once more, the salawat, and the supplication "Rabbana atina...". 6. **Finish with salam to both sides:** Give salam first to the right and then to the left to complete the prayer. > Sujud al-sahw is performed in the same way in obligatory, wajib, and voluntary prayers alike when praying alone. In congregational prayer, if the imam performs the prostration of forgetfulness, the congregation follows him and prostrates along with him — even if they did not themselves witness the lapse that caused it. ## Before the Salam or After? Where in the prayer sujud al-sahw is performed is a point on which the schools of law differ. As related in the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam: - **Hanafis:** The prostration is made after the salam (the practice described above). - **Shafi'is:** It is made before the salam, within the final sitting. - **Malikis:** A prostration for a deficiency is made before the salam, while one for an addition is made after the salam. These differences arise from the range of authentic narrations on the subject; each school has adopted its own procedure based on the evidence it draws from the Sunnah. Accordingly, one should follow the procedure of whichever school one is praying by. ## What to Do When Uncertain About the Number of Units Being unsure how many units one has prayed is among the most common situations calling for sujud al-sahw. In a narration from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: > When 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 the doubt and build upon what he is certain of, then make two prostrations before the salam. This hadith makes certain knowledge the basis in a state of doubt: the worshipper takes the lower number as certain, completes the unit he counted as missing, and makes the prostration of forgetfulness. In this way the prayer is both completed and any possible deficiency remedied. > If a person is afflicted by constant doubt (waswasa), this does not require making the prostration every single time. It is recommended that such a person continue the prayer according to whichever side his own judgment favors. For a binding ruling in individual cases, one should consult competent religious authorities such as the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet); this content is general information, not a fatwa. ## Conclusion The prostration of forgetfulness is a door of mercy that remedies human lapses in prayer and helps the worshipper complete the act of worship without defect. When an obligatory act is forgotten or delayed, or when one falls into doubt over the number of units, the deficiency is made up by two prostrations at the end rather than by repeating the prayer. You can reach the verse and hadith texts referenced here through our [Qur'an](https://getvaaz.com/en/quran) and [hadith](https://getvaaz.com/en/hadith) sections, and explore our other prayer and worship guides as well. ## References 1. Surah al-Baqarah, 286 — kuran.diyanet.gov.tr (Presidency of Religious Affairs translation and tafsir). 2. Sahih Muslim, Mosques, Hadith No. 572 — from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim); hadeethenc.com / Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths. 3. Sahih Muslim, Mosques, Hadith No. 571 — from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (authentic); verified via hadeethenc.com. 4. Entry "Sehiv Secdesi," Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) Encyclopedia of Islam, vol. 36, pp. 318-319 — islamansiklopedisi.org.tr. --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. Full index: https://getvaaz.com/llms.txt