Recommended Acts in Salah, Nullifiers of Salah, and Prostration of Forgetfulness

 

Recommended Acts in Prayer

The recommended (mandūb) acts in prayer are virtuous and encouraged for the believer but are not obligatory. For an adult believer, it is recommended to offer voluntary prayers before and after Ẓuhr, before ‘Aṣr, and after Maghrib, with an increase in voluntary prayers after Maghrib being especially meritorious.

Further recommended practices include the voluntary forenoon prayer (ØalÉh al-Ḍuḥā), Nights of Ramadan prayer (ØalÉh al-Tarāwīḥ), the mosque greeting prayer (tahiyyat al-masjid), the Shaf‘ prayer—consisting of at least two rak‘ahs—and the Witr prayer, which is a single rak‘ah following the Shaf‘. The Witr prayer holds the status of an emphasised Sunnah, and it is recommended to recite aloud during both Shaf‘ and Witr prayers.

During the Shaf‘, one should recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah followed by Sabbih isma rabbika al-a‘lā in the first rak‘ah, and Sūrah al-Fātiḥah followed by Qul yā ayyuhā al-kāfirūn in the second. In the Witr, one should recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah followed by Qul huwa Allāhu ahad and the two Mu‘awwidhatayn (the chapters of seeking refuge, Sūrat al-Falaq and Sūrat al-Nās). The two rak‘ahs before Fajr are also desired; some scholars view them as part of the regular Sunnah prayers (rawātib), while others consider them as Sunnah. It is advisable to recite in these two rak‘ahs quietly, reciting only Sūrat al-Fātiḥah.

 

Nullifiers of Prayer

Several acts are deemed to nullify the prayer, thus rendering it invalid. These acts include: deliberate or accidental laughter, performing the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) for non-obligatory matters, intentionally adding a rak‘ah, prostration, or similar action during prayer, eating or drinking, speaking deliberately unless for the purpose of rectifying the prayer—where minor speech is forgiven, but abundant speech invalidates the prayer—intentional blowing, the occurrence of ritual impurity, recalling a missed prayer during the current one, intentional vomiting, and inadvertently adding four rak‘ahs in a four- or three-rak‘ah prayer or two rak‘ahs in a two-rak‘ah prayer.

Additionally, performing the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) alongside the imam either before or after completing a rak‘ah with him, and omitting the pre-salām prostration of forgetfulness when three Sunnah actions are missed with prolonged delay, are considered nullifying actions.

 

Prostration of Forgetfulness (Sujūd al-Sahw)

The prostration of forgetfulness consists of two prostrations, which are performed prior to the final salām if an emphasised Sunnah is missed. One should recite the tashahhud for these prostrations and then conclude with the salām. In cases where an addition has occurred, the prostration is performed after the salām; if both an omission and an addition are present, the prostration is done before the salām, as preference is given to remedying deficiency over excess.

There are three categories concerning forgetfulness in prayer:

1.      Forgetfulness of an obligatory action: This cannot be compensated with the prostration of forgetfulness; the omitted action must be performed. If one recalls this after concluding the salām and a significant period has passed, the prayer is invalidated and must be repeated.

2.      Forgetfulness of a recommended action: For actions such as the qunūt, the phrase “Our Lord, to You is the praise” (Rabbana wa laka al-ḥamd), or a single takbīr, no prostration of forgetfulness is required. If one mistakenly performs such a prostration for a recommended action prior to the salām, the prayer is rendered invalid and must be restarted.

3.      Forgetfulness of a Sunnah action: When a Sunnah action, such as a chapter following Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, two additional takbīrs, or either tashahhud or their sittings, is omitted, it is recommended to perform the prostration of forgetfulness.

The post-salām prostration is not forfeited by forgetfulness and may be performed even if recalled a month after completing the prayer. Performing the post-salām prostration prematurely or delaying the pre-salām prostration does not invalidate the prayer, according to the prevailing opinion. If one is uncertain about the number of rak‘ahs completed—whether two or three—one should assume the lesser number, complete what is doubted, and perform a post-salām prostration.