If I think too much about what I am going to do in prayer, is it necessary to perform prostration of forgetfulness?
- If I am not sure what I should do at that moment in the prayer and if I think too much, will the prayer be invalidated?
Dear Brother / Sister,
Prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah as-sahw) is the prostration performed at the end of the prayer because of a mistake, forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. It is wajib to perform prostration of forgetfulness in order to make up for the deficiency if a rukn is delayed, repeated or done earlier that its prescribed time, or if a wajib is abandoned, delayed or changed by forgetfulness. (Fatawa al-Hindiyya, I, 138 ff.)
If one is absorbed in thought long enough to fulfill a rukn during the prayer, it becomes necessary to perform prostration of forgetfulness. For example, if one thinks about what chapter to read after al-Fatiha long enough to fulfill a rukn, he needs to perform prostration of forgetfulness because, in that case, wajib is delayed.
This duration / time is the waiting period long enough to read a verse or to perform a ruku or prostration.
A distraction or a thought that occurs while performing a rukn or a wajib does not necessitate prostration of forgetfulness.
Note: Those who suffer from waswasa do not need to perform prostration of forgetfulness even if they think too much about what to do.
Questions on Islam
- What causes forgetfulness?
- What can I do to be saved from forgetfulness?
- Will you explain the hadith about committing sins by mistake and forgetfulness? What is our responsibility here?
- If I make a mistake while performing a prayer and read something wrong or sit after the third rak'ah instead of the fourth one and read at-Tahiyyat, what should I do?
- Is prayer invalidated when an organ is uncovered during prayer? What is the criterion for it?
- What should a person who does not sit after the third rak'ah of the evening prayer and stands up for the fourth rak'ah do?
- Does prostration of recitation become wajib when the verse of prostration is read with the eyes, not with the tongue
- How is Sajda as-Sahw performed and how should one keep his index finger during tashahhud according to sunnah?
- Is it necessary to salute to one side or both sides before sajdah as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) is performed?
- Does a quick prostration invalidate the prayer?
