“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘If anyone of you is uncertain about his prayer, let him put aside uncertainty and act upon that which is certain. When he has made sure his prayer is complete, then let him prostrate twice. Then if his prayer was complete, that (extra) Rak’ah will be counted as voluntary, and if his prayer was lacking, that Rak’ah will complete his prayer, and the two prostrations will rub the Satan’s nose in the dust.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1210)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَلْيُلْقِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَنَ التَّمَامَ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ تَامَّةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ نَافِلَةً وَالسَّجْدَتَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ نَاقِصَةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ تَمَامًا لِصَلَاتِهِ وَالسَّجْدَتَانِ يُرْغِمَانِ أَنْفَ الشَّيْطَانِ»  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you prays, he does not know whether he has prayed three or four (rak'ahs). So let him perform one extra rak'ah, perfecting its prostration and bowing, and then make two prostrations."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَا يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَةً يُحْسِنُ سُجُودَهَا وَرُكُوعَهَا ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ»  

[Machine] He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed a prayer that consisted of two cycles. After finishing his prayer, he remained seated and made a double prostration before giving the Salam."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ «صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَاةً مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ فَقَامَ مِنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَسَبَّحَ بِهِ فَمَضَى حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا السَّلَامُ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ»  

[Machine] He stood up in the two units of prayer and they praised him, then he completed the prayer and prostrated for the prostrations of forgetfulness. When he finished, he said, "Did you see me sitting? I only did as I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do."  

أَنَّهُ «نَهَضَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فَسَبَّحُوا بِهِ فَاسْتَتَمَّ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ» حِينَ انْصَرَفَ وَقَالَ أَكُنْتُمْ تَرَوْنِي كُنْتُ أَجْلِسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ كَمَا «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَصْنَعُ»  

[Machine] "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the Maghrib prayer, then he mistakenly offered two extra units of prayer and concluded. A man said to him, 'O Messenger of Allah, you made a mistake and concluded the prayer after two units.' The Prophet then ordered Bilal to lead the prayer and complete those units. I asked people about the man who said to the Prophet that he made a mistake, and they told me, 'Do you know him?' I said, 'No, unless I see him.' Then a man passed by me, and I said, 'He is the one.' They said, 'That is Talhah bin 'Ubaydullah.'"  

«صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَغْرِبَ فَسَهَا فَسَلَّمَ فِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ» فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ سَهَوْتَ فَسَلَّمْتَ فِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ «فَأَمَرَ بِلَالًا فَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ ثُمَّ أَتَمَّ تِلْكَ الرَّكْعَةَ» فَسَأَلْتُ النَّاسَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ سَهَوْتَ فَقِيلَ لِي أَتَعْرِفُهُ؟ قُلْتُ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ أَرَاهُ فَمَرَّ بِي رَجُلٌ فَقُلْتُ هُوَ هَذَا قَالُوا هَذَا طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ gave the testimony of faith in the two prostrations of forgetfulness, and then he concluded the prayer by saying the salaam.  

«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ تَشَهَّدَ فِي سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ»  

[Machine] "The Prophet ﷺ prayed with them, but he made a mistake in his prayer, so he performed the two prostrations of forgetfulness after the salaam and speech."  

«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى بِهِمْ فَسَهَا فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَي السَّهْوِ بَعْدَ السَّلَامِ وَالْكَلَامِ»  

The Prophet ﷺ named the two prostrations of forgetfulness disgraceful for the devil. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1025)  

«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ سَمَّى سَجْدَتَيِ السَّهْوِ الْمُرْغِمَتَيْنِ»  

[Machine] I asked Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and said, "One of us prays but does not know how much he has prayed." He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: If anyone of you prays and does not know how much he has prayed, he should prostrate two prostrations. And if Satan comes to anyone and says, 'You have prayed', let him say, 'I have not prayed,' except if he finds the smell of something or hear a sound with his ears."  

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ فَقُلْتُ أَحَدُنَا يُصَلِّي فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَحْدَثْتَ فَلْيَقُلْ كَذَبْتَ إِلَّا مَا وَجَدَ رِيحًا بِأَنْفِهِ أَوْ سَمِعَ صَوْتًا بِإِذْنِهِ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever rushes in his prayer in three and four units, then let him complete it, for surely addition is better than deficiency."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ سَهَا فِي صَلَاتِهِ فِي ثَلَاثٍ وَأَرْبَعٍ فَلْيُتِمَّ فَإِنَّ الزِّيَادَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النُّقْصَانِ»  

[Machine] From the Prophet ﷺ said, "There should be no pause in the continuity of prayer, except for standing up from sitting and sitting from standing."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «لَا سَهْوَ فِي وَثْبَةِ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَّا قِيَامٌ عَنْ جُلُوسٍ وَجُلُوسٌ عَنْ قِيَامٍ»  

[Machine] I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or from one of his companions what he mentioned that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded when a person makes a mistake in their prayer. I asked: "Have you heard anything about this, O Amir al-Mumineen?" He replied: "No." Then Abdullah ibn Awf entered upon us and asked: "What are you discussing?" Umar said: "I asked him if he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or any of his companions mention what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded when a person makes a mistake in their prayer." Abdullah ibn Awf said: "I have knowledge of that." Umar said: "Come forth and narrate, for you are the just and trustworthy." Abdullah ibn Awf said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'If one of you is uncertain between two scenarios [in prayer], then they should choose the one that is less in number. And if one is uncertain between two scenarios and a third, they should choose the two. And if one is uncertain between three scenarios and four, they should choose the three. Then they should complete what remains of their prayer until the doubt only pertains to the extra [acts of worship]. Then they should prostrate twice while sitting before completing their prayer.'"  

سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ مَا يَذْكُرُ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَهَا الْمَرْءُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ؟ قُلْتُ لَا أَوَمَا سَمِعْتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟ قَالَ لَا فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ فَقَالَ فِيمَا أَنْتُمَا؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ سَأَلْتُهُ هَلْ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يَذْكُرُ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا سَهَا الْمَرْءُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عِنْدِي عِلْمٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ هَلُمَّ فَأَنْتَ الْعَدْلُ الرِّضَا فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا وَاحِدَةً وَإِذَا شَكَّ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلَاثِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا شَكَّ فِي الثَّلَاثِ وَالْأَرْبَعِ فَلْيَجْعَلْهُمَا ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ يُتِمُّ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْوَهْمُ فِي الزِّيَادَةِ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ»  

[Machine] "People, glorified is Allah, glorified is Allah. Then he did not sit and left while he was standing. And when he was in the last part of his prayer, he performed two prostrations while he was sitting. When he finished the prayer, he said, 'Indeed, I heard you all saying 'glorified is Allah' earlier, so that I may sit, but the Sunnah which I have done is'"  

النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ «فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ وَمَضَى عَلَى قِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ» فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُكُمْ آنِفًا تَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ لِكَيْمَا أَجْلِسَ لَكِنَّ السُّنَّةَ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُ