1. If any one or several of the wajib acts of salaat is left out forgetfully, it becomes wajib to make sajdah al-sahw. By making sajdah al-sahw, the salaat becomes proper. If one does not make sajdah al-sahw, the salaat will have to be repeated.

2. If one forgetfully leaves out a fard act of salaat, the salaat will not become proper by making sajdah al-sahw. It will have to be repeated.

3. The method of making sajdah al-sahw is that in the last rakaat the person should recite the at-tahiyyaat only and thereafter make salaam towards the right only and thereafter make two sajdahs. He should then repeat the at-tahiyyaat and thereafter recite the durood, dua, make salaam to both sides and thereby complete his salaat.

4. If a person forgetfully makes sajdah al-sahw before making salaam, even then it will be considered and the salaat will be proper.

5. If a person forgetfully makes two rukus or three sajdahs, it is wajib to make sajdah al-sahw.

6. While in salaat, a person forgot to recite Surah Faatihah and only recited another Surah, or he first recited a Surah and then recited Surah Faatihah – sajdah al-sahw will become wajib.

7. A person forgets to recite another Surah (after Surah Faatihah) in the first two rakaats of a fard salaat. He should therefore recite another Surah in the second two rakaats and also make sajdah al-sahw. If he forgets to recite another Surah in one of the first two rakaats, he should recite it in one of the latter two rakaats and also make sajdah al-sahw. If he forgets to recite another Surah in the latter two rakaats as well, i.e. he forgets to recite another Surah in the first two as well as in the latter two rakaats, and only remembers at the time of reciting the at-tahiyyaat that he did not recite another Surah in one or two rakaats, the salaat will still become proper if he makes sajdah al-sahw.

8. To recite another Surah (after Surah Faatihah) in all the rakaats of sunnah and nafl salaat is wajib. If a person forgets to recite another Surah in any of the rakaats, he will have to make sajdah al-sahw.

9. After reciting Surah Faatihah, a person began thinking as to which Surah he should recite. His thinking took so long that in that time Sub’haanallah could be recited three times. Even then sajdah al-sahw will become wajib.

10. In the last rakaat, after reciting at-tahiyyaat and durood shareef, a person had a doubt as to whether he offered three or four rakaats. While thinking about this, he kept silent and took so long to make the salaam that in that time he could have recited Sub’haanallah three times, and after that he remembered that he offered all four rakaats – even in this case it will be wajib to make sajdah al-sahw.

11. A person recited Surah Faatihah and another Surah, but thereafter he unintentionally began thinking of something. He took so long to go into ruku that in that time he could have recitedSub’haanallah three times. Even then, sajdah al-sahw will become wajib.

12. Similarly, sajdah al-sahw will become wajib in the following instances: while he was busy with his recitation he stopped and began thinking of something, he sat in the second or fourth rakaat for at-tahiyyaat and did not commence reciting it immediately. Instead, he sat and started thinking of something, when he stood up from the ruku, he stood silently and started thinking of something, when he sat down in-between the two sajdahs, he started thinking of something. In order words, if a person unintentionally delays in executing a particular posture or gets delayed due to thinking of something, then sajdah al-sahw becomes wajib.

13. In a three or four rakaat fard salaat (irrespective of whether it is a salaat that he is offering for that time, making qada of a salaat which he missed, or it is a witr salaat or the first four rakaats ofsunnah of zuhr salaat) when the person sat for the at-tahiyyaat in the second rakaat, he unintentionally recited at-tahiyyaat two times. Even then sajdah al-sahw will become wajib. And after the at-tahiyyaat if he recited the following from the durood:

أَلَّلهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ

or if he recited more than that and only thereafter he remembered that he was supposed to stand up for the third rakaat, even then sajdah al-sahw will become wajib. But if he recited less than this, sajdah al-sahw will not become wajib.

14. With regards to nafl salaat (or even a salaat which is offered after the fulfilment of a particular wish) it is permissible to recite the durood after the at-tahiyyaat when sitting for the second rakaat. By reciting the durood in a nafl salaat, sajdah al-sahw does not become wajib. However, if at-tahiyyaat is recited twice, sajdah al-sahw will become wajib even in a nafl salaat.

15. A person sat down for at-tahiyyaat but mistakenly recited something else, or he recited Surah Faatihah. Sajdah al-sahw will become wajib.

16. Upon commencing with his salaat, a person recited dua-e-qunoot instead of reciting the thanaa’. Sajdah al-sahw will not become wajib. Similarly, if he recited at-tahiyyaat or something else instead of Surah Faatihah in the third or fourt rakaat of a fard salaat, sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

17. In a three or four rakaat salaat, a person forgot to sit down after the second rakaat. Instead, he stood up directly for the third rakaat. While standing up, if he is closer to the sitting posture, he should sit down and recite the at-tahiyyaat and thereafter complete his salaat and there is no need to make sajdah al-sahw. But if he is closer to the standing posture, he should not sit down. Instead, he should continue with his salaat without sitting down. He should only sit down at the end. In this case, sajdah al-sahw will become wajib. If after standing up, he still went back and sat down; he will be committing a sin and even in this case he will still have to make sajdah al-sahw.

18. If a person forgets to sit down after the fourth rakaat, then if he is closer to the sitting posture, he must sit down, recite the at-tahiyyaat, durood, etc. and make his salaam. There is no need to make sajdah al-sahw. And if he stood up completely, even then he should go back and sit down. In fact, even if he has recited Surah Faatihah, another Surah, and went into ruku, he should still sit down, read the at-tahiyyaat and then make sajdah al-sahw. But if he still did not remember after the ruku and made the sajdahs for the fifth rakaat, he should repeat his fard salaat. This salaat will now be regarded as a nafl salaat and he will have to offer one more rakaat and thereby complete six rakaats. There is no need to make sajdah al-sahw. If he did not add one more rakaat, or made salaam after the fifth rakaat, four rakaats will be nafl and the one rakaat will not even be considered.

19. If a person sits down for the fourth rakaat, recites at-tahiyyaat and thereafter stands up, he should sit down when he remembers as long as it is before making the next sajdahs. The moment he sits down, he should not recite at-tahiyyaat. Instead, he should immediately make sajdah al-sahw. But if he makes the sajdahs for the fifth rakaat and only remembers thereafter, he should add one more rakaat and complete six rakaats. The first four rakaats will be for his fard and the other two will be regarded as nafl. He will also have to make sajdah al-sahw. If he makes sajdah al-sahw and thensalaam in the fifth rakaat, he has committed a sin. In this case, the first four rakaats will be of fard, and the remaining one will not be considered.

20. If a person is offering four rakaats of nafl salaat and he forgets to sit down after the second rakaat, then as long as he remembers before making the sajdahs for the third rakaat, he should sit down. If he has already made the sajdahs for the third rakaat, his salaat will still be valid. But sajdah al-sahw will be wajib in both cases.

21. A person is in doubt as to whether he offered three or four rakaats. If this doubt was coincidental, i.e. he does not normally have this doubt, then he will have to repeat his salaat. But if these sort of doubts occur quite often, he should ponder in his heart and see what the heart’s inclination is. If it is more towards three rakaats, he should offer one more rakaat and sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib. But if he feels that he offered four rakaats, he should not add another rakaat nor should he make sajdah al-sahw. If he still cannot make up his mind after pondering over the matter, then he should regard it as if he offered three rakaats 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 fourth rakaat and also make sajdah al-sahw.

22. If he has a 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 salaat. 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 rakaat. 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 rakaat. On completing his second rakaat, he should sit down again. He should also recite another Surah after Surah Faatihah in this second rakaat. On completing his third rakaat, he should sit down again because it is possible that this is actually his fourth rakaat. After the fourth rakaat he should sit down again, make sajdah al-sahw and then makesalaam.

23. If he has a doubt as to whether it is the second or third rakaat, the same rule will apply. If he cannot make up his mind, he should sit down after the second rakaat and thereafter offer the third rakaat. On completing the third rakaat, he should sit down again and recite at-tahiyyaat because it is possible that this is his fourth rakaat. He should then offer the fourth rakaat, make sajdah al-sahw and then complete his salaat.

24. If the doubt occurrs after having completed his salaat, that is, he is not sure as to whether he offered three or four rakaats. Then this doubt is not even considered – the salaat is valid. But if he clearly remembers that he only offered three rakaats, he should stand up and offer one more rakaat and also make sajdah al-sahw. However, if on completing his salaat, he started speaking or did something else with which salaat breaks, he will have to repeat his salaat. Similarly, if this doubt creeps in after having recited at-tahiyyaat, the same rule will apply. That is, as long as he does not remember clearly, he should not worry about it. However, it will be good to repeat the salaat as a precaution so that the uneasiness of the heart is removed and no doubt remains.

25. If several things occur in salaat, whereby sajdah al-sahw becomes wajib, then one sajdah al-sahw will suffice for all the mistakes. Sajdah al-sahw is not made twice in one salaat.

26. After making sajdah al-sahw, a person commits another mistake which makes sajdah al-sahw wajib. The first sajdah al-sahw will suffice and it will not be necessary to make another one.

27. A person made a mistake in his salaat whereby sajdah al-sahw had become wajib on him. But he forgot to make sajdah al-sahw and made salaam on both sides. However, he remained sitting in that place without turning his chest away from the qiblah, neither did he talk nor did he do anything whereby salaat breaks. He should make sajdah al-sahw at that time. In fact, if he remained sitting in that position and engaged himself in reciting the kalimah, durood or any other zikr, even then there is no harm in this. Once he makes his sajdah al-sahw, his salaat will be valid.

28. Sajdah al-sahw was wajib on a person but he intentionally made his salaam on both sides and made this intention that he will not make sajdah al-sahw. Despite this, as long as he does not do anything which makes the salaat invalid, the choice to make sajdah al-sahw will remain.

29. In a three or four rakaat salaat, a person unintentionally made salaam after the second rakaat. He should immediately stand up, complete his salaat and make sajdah al-sahw. However, if after making salaam, he did something which invalidates salaat, he will have to repeat his salaat.

30. A person forgetfully recited dua-e-qunoot in the first or second rakaat of witr salaat. This will not be considered. He should recite the qunoot in the third rakaat again and also make sajdah al-sahw.

31. While offering witr salaat, a person had a doubt as to whether it is the second or third rakaat. He cannot even make up his mind as to which of the two is more correct. He should recite dua-e-qunoot in that rakaat and after sitting down for the at-tahiyyaat he should stand up and offer one more rakaat. He should recite dua-e-qunoot in this rakaat as well. In the end he should also make sajdah al-sahw.

32. Instead of reciting dua-e-qunoot in the witr salaat, the person read thanaa’. Later when he remembered, he recited the qunoot. Sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

33. A person forgot to recite dua-e-qunoot in witr salaat. Instead, he went into ruku after reciting a Surah. Sajdah al-sahw will be wajib.

34. After reciting Surah Faatihah, a person recited two or three Surahs. There is no harm in this and sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

35. In the latter rakaats of a fard salaat, a person recited another Surah after Surah Faatihah in one or both the rakaats. Sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

36. Sajdah al-sahw is not wajib in the following instances: he forgets to recite the thanaa’ in the beginning, he forgets to recite the tasbeeh in ruku, he forgets to recite the tasbeeh in sajdah, he forgets to recite:

سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه

when standing up from ruku, at the time of saying takbeer-e-tahreemah he forgets to raise his hands to his ears (or to the shoulders for women), at the end of his salaat he made salaam without reciting the durood and a dua. In all the above cases, sajdah al-sahw is not wajib.

37. In the latter one or two rakaats of a fard salaat, he forgot to recite Surah Faatihah and went into ruku after standing silently- even then sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

38. If a person intentionally committs those errors which make sajdah al-sahw wajib, then sajdah al-sahw will not become wajib. Instead, he will have to repeat the salaat. Even if he makes the sajdah al-sahw, the salaat will still not be valid. If a person forgets those things which are not fard nor wajib in salaat, his salaat will remain valid and he will not have to make sajdah al-sahw.

39. If a salaat which has to be offered silently is offered in a loud voice, sajdah al-sahw will have to be made irrespective of whether the person is a munfarid or an imam. If an imam performs a salaat which has to be offered aloud, silently, then he will have to make sajdah al-sahw. But if very little qira’at is made in a loud voice in a silent salaat, which is not sufficient for the salaat to be valid, then sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib. For example, just one or two words come out aloud, or an imam recites one or two words silently in a salaat that is offered aloud, then sajdah al-sahw will not be wajib.

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