Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:3285Muḥammad b. Yūsuf > al-Awzāʿī > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "When the call for the prayer is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels, passing wind with noise, When the call for the prayer is finished, he comes back. And when the Iqama is pronounced, he again takes to his heels, and after its completion, he returns again to interfere between the (praying) person and his heart, saying to him. 'Remember this or that thing.' till the person forgets whether he has offered three or four rakʿat: so if one forgets whether he has prayed three or four rakʿat, he should perform two prostrations of Sahu (i.e. forgetfulness).  

البخاري:٣٢٨٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالصَّلاَةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ وَلَهُ ضُرَاطٌ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الإِنْسَانِ وَقَلْبِهِ فَيَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَتَّى لاَ يَدْرِي أَثَلاَثًا صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ ثَلاَثًا صَلَّى أَوْ أَرْبَعًا سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَىِ السَّهْوِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī
bukhari:1231Muʿādh b. Faḍālah > Hishām b. Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Dastawāʾī > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When the call for prayer is made, Satan takes to his heels passing wind so that he may not hear the Adhan and when the call is finished he comes back, and when the Iqama is pronounced, Satan again takes to his heels, and when the Iqama is finished he comes back again and tries to interfere with the person and his thoughts and say, "Remember this and that (which he has not thought of before the prayer)", till the praying person forgets how much he has prayed. If anyone of you does not remember whether he has offered three or four rakʿat then he should perform two prostrations of Sahu while sitting.  

البخاري:١٢٣١حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الدَّسْتَوَائِيُّ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالصَّلاَةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ وَلَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لاَ يَسْمَعَ الأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ يَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا وَكَذَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ إِنْ يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُكُمْ كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلاَثًا أَوْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهْوَ جَالِسٌ  

muslim:389hMuḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Muʿādh b. Hishām from my father > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When there is a call to prayer the devil runs back breaking the wind so that he may not hear the call, and when the call is complete he comes back. And when the takbir is pronounced he again runs back, and when takbir is over he comes back and distracts a man saying: Remember such and such, remember such and such, referring to something the man did not have in his mind. with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed; so when any one of you is not sure how much he has prayed. he should perform two prostrations while sitting (qa'da).  

مسلم:٣٨٩hحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ حَدَّثَهُمْ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالأَذَانِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لاَ يَسْمَعَ الأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ يَخْطُرُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ يَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا اذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ إِنْ يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُكُمْ كَمْ صَلَّى فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ  

ahmad:10769ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmr > Hishām > Yaḥyá > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When the call for prayer is made, Satan takes to his heels passing wind so that he may not hear the Adhan and when the call is finished he comes back, and when the Iqama is pronounced, Satan again takes to his heels, and when the Iqama is finished he comes back again and tries to interfere with the person and his thoughts and say, "Remember this and that (which he has not thought of before the prayer)", till the praying person forgets how much he has prayed. If anyone of you does not remember whether he has offered three or four rakʿat then he should perform two prostrations of Sahu while sitting. (Using translation from Bukhārī 1231)  

أحمد:١٠٧٦٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ وَلَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعَ الْأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الْأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ يَخْطِرُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ أَوْ قَالَ نَفْسِهِ يَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا اذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ لَا يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُكُمْ كَمْصَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَوْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ  

darimi:1535Yazīd b. Hārūn > Hishām > Yaḥyá > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When the call for prayer is made, Satan takes to his heels passing wind so that he may not hear the Adhan and when the call is finished he comes back, and when the Iqama is pronounced, Satan again takes to his heels, and when the Iqama is finished he comes back again and tries to interfere with the person and his thoughts and say, "Remember this and that (which he has not thought of before the prayer)", till the praying person forgets how much he has prayed. If anyone of you does not remember whether he has offered three or four rakʿat then he should perform two prostrations of Sahu while sitting. (Using translation from Bukhārī 1231)  

الدارمي:١٥٣٥أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالْأَذَانِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعَ الْأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الْأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ أَدْبَرَ وَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا اذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ إِنْ يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُكُمْ كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ  

darimi:1240And Hb b. Jarīr > Hishām > Yaḥyá > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] "The Prophet ﷺ said: When the call to prayer is announced, the devil runs away and is in a state of panic, to the point where he is unable to hear the call to prayer. But when the call to prayer is finished, he comes back. And when the iqama (second call to prayer) is announced, he runs away again. But when the iqama is finished, he comes back until he reaches between the person and his heart, and then he says: Remember to do this and that, which he did not remember before. Abu Muhammad said: "Thawb" means it is established."  

الدارمي:١٢٤٠أَخْبَرَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالصَّلَاةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعَ الْأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الْأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ وَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا وَكَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ثُوِّبَ يَعْنِي أُقِيمَ  

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الْمُدْحِضِ قَوْلَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ أَمْرَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالشَّيْءِ، لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مُفَسَّرًا يُعْقَلُ مِنْ ظَاهِرِ خِطَابِهِ

ibnhibban:16ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad al-Azdī > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Muʿādh b. Hishām from my father > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When there is a call to prayer the devil runs back breaking the wind so that he may not hear the call, and when the call is complete he comes back. And when the takbir is pronounced he again runs back, and when takbir is over he comes back and distracts a man saying: Remember such and such, remember such and such, referring to something the man did not have in his mind. with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed; so when any one of you is not sure how much he has prayed. he should perform two prostrations while sitting (qa'da). (Using translation from Muslim 389h)  

ابن حبّان:١٦أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالْأَذَانِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعَ الْأَذَانَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ الْأَذَانُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ يَخْطُرُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ اذْكُرْ كَذَا اذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ إِنْ يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ»  

bayhaqi:3799Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Fūrak > ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar > Yūnus b. Ḥabīb > Abū Dāwud > Hishām > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When the call for prayer is made, Satan takes to his heels passing wind so that he may not hear the Adhan and when the call is finished he comes back, and when the Iqama is pronounced, Satan again takes to his heels, and when the Iqama is finished he comes back again and tries to interfere with the person and his thoughts and say, "Remember this and that (which he has not thought of before the prayer)", till the praying person forgets how much he has prayed. If anyone of you does not remember whether he has offered three or four rakʿat then he should perform two prostrations of Sahu while sitting. (Using translation from Bukhārī 1231)   

البيهقي:٣٧٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ فُورَكٍ أنبأ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يُونُسُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثنا هِشَامٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالصَّلَاةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ النِّدَاءُ أَقْبَلَ فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَبَيْنَ نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا اذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُكُمْ صَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَوْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ