Question: Which cases necessitate sajda as-sahw, and what is the correct procedure for doing it?
ANSWER
Sajda as-sahw is done when a fard (obligatory) element of salat is delayed or repeated or when a wajib element is omitted, delayed, repeated, or changed. It must be done at the end of the salat in which any of the abovementioned acts has been done. It consists of two sajdas and the recitation of at-tahiyyat, “Allahumma salli …,” “Allahumma baarik …,” and “Rabbana aatinaa … .” The method of doing it is as follows:

After reciting at-tahiyyat in the last sitting, say the salam to the right. Then go down for sajda with the utterance of Allahu akbar and say “Subhana rabbiyal ‘a’laa” three times in sajda posture. Then raise your head from sajda with the utterance of Allahu akbar and sit. After sitting a little while, go down for the second sajda with the utterance of Allahu akbar. Say “Subhana rabbiyal a’laa” three times again and raise your head with the utterance of Allahu akbar and sit. Recite at-tahiyyat, “Allahumma salli …,” “Allahumma baarik …,” and “Rabbanaa aatinaa … ” and say the salam to the right and then to the left.

Question: When doing sajda as-sahw, is it permissible to say the salam to both sides?
ANSWER
Yes, sajda as-sahw may be done by saying the salam to both sides or by not saying the salam at all. It is better to say the salam to the right only when doing sajda as-sahw in jama’at.

Question: Is it fard (obligatory) to adhere to the prescribed order when performing the fard elements of salat?
ANSWER
Yes, it is fard. Salat will not be valid if sajdas, for example, are done before ruku’.

Question: Does delaying a fard element of salat necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
If one forgets to do ruku’, for example, and goes down for sajda, one’s salat will not be valid if one does not go back to ruku’. If one goes back to ruku’, it is necessary to do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat as well.

Two sajdas are fard in every rak’at, and it is wajib to do them one after the other. If one forgets to do either of them and remembers one’s mistake in salat, one must do immediately the sajda one omitted and perform sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. Similarly, if one does not sit as long as it takes one to recite at-tahiyyat in the last sitting, one’s salat will not be valid. If one sits in the third rak’at instead of the second rak’at when performing a two-rak’at salat or in the fifth rak’at instead of the fourth rak’at when performing a four-rak’at salat, one’s salat will not be valid because one has omitted a fard element of salat.

Question: If one does sajda three times or ruku’ twice in a rak’at, will one’s salat become proper by doing sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, it will be proper.

Question: If one forgets to recite Surat al-Fatiha, an additional surah after Surat al-Fatiha, or Qunut prayers, will one have to do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat?
ANSWER
Yes, one will have to do it because one has omitted a wajib element of salat.

Question: Suppose that one has not sat in the second rak’at of a four-rak’at fard salat. Does one have to do sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, one has to do it because one has left out a wajib element of salat.

Question: If a person performs the first rak’at and sits instead of standing up for the second rak’at, will he/she have to do sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, sajda as-sahw is required.

Question: Repeating a wajib element of salat necessitates sajda as-sahw. Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to recite Surat al-Fatiha before and after an additional surah?
ANSWER
It does not necessitate sajda as-sahw because it is a place reserved for recitation. However, if Surat al-Fatiha is recited twice one after another, sajda as-sahw will be required because an additional surah, which is wajib, has been delayed and a wajib element has been repeated. If Surat al-Fatiha is recited twice one after another in the latter two rak’ats of fard salats, sajda as-sahw will not be required because it is not wajib to recite Surat al-Fatiha in them. An additional surah is not recited in the latter two rak’ats of fard salats. However, if one recites it or recites it twice one after another, sajda as-sahw will not be required because it is not wajib to recite an additional surah in those rak’ats. (Radd-ul-Mukhtar)

Similarly, it does not require sajda as-sahw to recite sunnat prayers, such as “Subhanakallahumma ….,” “Allahumma salli …,” “Allahumma baarik …” twice by mistake.

Question: If one forgets to recite an additional surah after Surat al-Fatiha in the first and second rak’ats and recites it in the third and fourth rak’ats, will one have to do sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, one will have to do it because one has delayed a wajib element of salat.

Question: Suppose that one has recited at-tayiyyat and completed salat. However, before saying the salam, one has stood up forgetfully for the third rak’at or for the fourth rak’at or for the fifth rak’at when performing a two-rak’at or a three-rak’at or a four-rak’at salat respectively and has realized one’s mistake before doing the sajda of the additional rak’at. Will one have to sit immediately and do sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, one will have to do it because one has delayed the salam, which is a wajib element of salat.

Question: If one recites at-tahiyyat and then Surat al-Fatiha during standing position, does it require sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
It does not require sajda as-sahw because one has recited Surat al-Fatiha.

Cases that necessitate sajda as-sahw:

Question: Does omitting ta’dil-i arkan or Qunut prayers necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one thinks about something related to the salat one is performing and thus extends one rukn by one additional rukn and thereby delays the next rukn or a wajib element, does one have to do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw. [If one, while performing a salat, thinks about something related to another salat or something worldly, it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw. A rukn is the duration in which one can say “Subhanallah” three times.]

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to recite some ayahs of the additional surah in ruku’?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to recite something, even if a little, after at-tahiyyat in the first sitting of four-rak’at fard salats, of Salat al-Witr, and of the pre-fard sunnat salat of Salat az-Zuhr?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one says the salam to both sides by mistake in the first sitting, will one’s salat become invalid if one realizes one’s mistake and continues salat?
ANSWER
No, one’s salat will not become invalid, but it necessitates sajda as-sahw.

Question: What should one do if one forgets to do either of the two sajdas in a rak’at?
ANSWER
If one who forgot to do sajda remembers it during ruku’, one prostrates and does the sajda right after ruku’, and (if one remembers it) during the sajda, one does the sajda (that one forgot) after sitting after the regular sajda; then one does the ruku’ and the sajda again. Then one does the sajda as-sahw at the end of salat because one has delayed a fard element of salat. Or, at the end of or during the final sitting one does the sajda that one remembered or that one remembers during the final sitting. One sits again, says at-tahiyyat, and then does the sajda as-sahw. If one does not sit again, one’s salat becomes nullified. (Se’adet-i Ebediyye)

Question: If one says the salam before completing at-tahiyyat, can one do sajda as-sahw at that very moment if one has realized the mistake?
ANSWER
Yes, one can do it.

Question: If one stands up by mistake for an additional rak’at after reciting at-tahiyyat in the last sitting, will one’s salat be valid?
ANSWER
One’s salat will be valid with sajda as-sahw because one sat in the last sitting. However, if one had performed one more rak’at and then had said the salam, the last two rak’ats would have been considered a nafilah (voluntary) salat.

Question: If one forgets to recite Qunut prayers when performing Salat al-Witr, what should one do?
ANSWER
If one realizes one’s mistake before completing salat, one must do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. If one forgets to do sajda as-sahw as well, then there is nothing to do. That is, one does not have to repeat that salat because forgetting is an excuse.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to recite Qunut prayers after Surat al-Fatiha instead of an additional surah in a sunnat salat?
ANSWER
Sajda as-sahw is required because one has omitted an additional surah, which is a wajib element of salat.

Question: If one, while performing a four-rak’at salat, forgets to recite an additional surah in the first rak’at and remembers it in the second rak’at, what should one do?
ANSWER
One should recite it in the third rak’at. If one does not remember it in the third rak’at either, one should recite it in the fourth rak’at and do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. There is nothing wrong with reciting an additional surah after Surat al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak’ats of fard salats. Whether one recited it in the fourth rak’at or not, one must do sajda as-sahw in either case. If one forgets to do sajda as-sahw as well, then there is nothing to do.

Question: The imam did not utter takbir-i zawaid in the first rak’at of Salat al-Eid and did sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. Was our salat valid?
ANSWER
Salat is made proper by doing sajda as-sahw if a wajib element of salat has been omitted.

Question: If a person does not sit by mistake after the final rak’at of a salat that contains two or four rak’ats and stands up for an additional rak’at, what should he/she do?
ANSWER
If he/she remembers it before going down for sajda of the additional rak’at, he/she should sit right away and do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. If he/she remembers it after doing the sajda of the additional rak’at, he/she should perform one more rak’at. His/her salat is regarded as a voluntary (nafilah) salat. He/she must perform the fard salat afresh.

Question: Suppose that one has not sat in the first sitting and remembered the mistake while standing up. What should one do?
ANSWER
If one’s two knees have been lifted from the ground, then one should not sit anymore. One must complete salat with sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one says the salam to both sides in the second rak’at of a four-rak’at salat thinking that one has completed salat and realizes the mistake immediately, is it permissible to stand up and continue salat?
ANSWER
Yes, one can continue salat but must do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw not to shorten four rak’at fard salats on a journey?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw.

Question: If a masbuq (latecomer) does something that entails sajda as-sahw while completing salat individually after the imam said the salam, does he have to do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat?
ANSWER
Yes, sajda as-sahw is necessary.

Cases that do not necessitate sajda as-sahw:

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to recite prayers after at-tahiyyat in the last sitting?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to say the Basmala forgetfully before at-tahiyyat or before the prayer that begins with “Subhanakallahumma …”?
ANSWER
No, it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw.

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to say “Astaghfirullah,” “Alhamdulillah,” or “Allahummaghfirlee” forgetfully in salat?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw.

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to forgetfully recite in the second rak’at the surah that one recited in the first rak’at?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one, after reciting half of at-tahiyyat or thana’, gets confused and starts afresh, does it necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one thinks in salat whether one should do sajda as-sahw or not, will it be necessary to do it?
ANSWER
No, it will not be necessary to do it.

Question: Is it permissible to do sajda as-sahw unnecessarily just to be on the safe side? (for example, with the intention of eliminating doubts as to whether one has made a mistake in recitation or whether one has adhered to ta’dil-i arkan duly)
ANSWER
Sajda as-sahw is not done just to be on the safe side. It is not done, either, simply because one doubts or for a mistake in recitation. If one pronounces a word wrongly or a letter silently, there is no need for sajda as-sahw if it is pronounced again correctly.

Question: If one, while doing sajda as-sahw, makes a mistake, will one have to do another sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, only one sajda as-sahw is done in a salat. If one makes several mistakes in salat, only one sajda as-sahw is sufficient.

Question: When doing sajda as-sahw, does it suffice to recite only at-tahiyyat?
ANSWER
Reciting only at-tahiyyat suffices. However, it is better to recite also the prayers that begin with “Allahumma salli …” and “Allahumma baarik … .”

Question: Is there anything wrong with doing one sajda instead of two when doing sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Doing two sajdas is essential.

Question: Is it wajib to recite at-tahiyyat when doing sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, it is wajib.

Question: If one forgets to do sajda as-sahw, does it entail repetition of salat?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail repetition of salat because forgetting is an excuse.

Question: If a person makes a mistake when performing salat behind the imam, does he have to do sajda as-sahw to set it right?
ANSWER
No, he must not do sajda as-sahw.

Question: Is it permissible to do sajda as-sahw during the times in which it is haram to perform salat?
ANSWER
It is not permissible.

Question: If a latecomer joins the imam while he is doing sajda as-sahw or after he has done it, will he earn the reward of performing salat in jama’at?
ANSWER
Yes, he will earn it.

Question: If one forgets to recite Surat al-Fatiha in any rak’at of a salat, can one rectify it in salat?
ANSWER
In the Hanafi Madhhab, reciting Surat al-Fatiha is a wajib element of salat, so a person who forgets to recite it must do sajda as-sahw. In the Maliki Madhhab, reciting it is fard (obligatory), so if one omits it in a rak’at one cannot set it right by doing sajda as-sahw. One has to repeat that salat.

Question: If one, while performing a three-rak’at salat, forgets to sit in the third rak’at and stands up for the fourth rak’at and remembers the mistake after doing the sajda of the fourth rak’at, should one add the fifth rak’at as well?
ANSWER
One should not add the fifth rak’at because one did not observe tashahhud in the third rak’at. One should perform the fourth rak’at and say the salam. One’s salat has changed into a nafilah salat, so one has to perform it afresh. If one had sat in the third rak’at and had stood up for the fourth rak’at forgetfully and had done the sajda of the fifth rak’at, in that case it would have been correct to add the fifth rak’at. One’s salat would have been valid with sajda as-sahw. The last two rak’ats would have been a nafilah salat.

Question: I have been taught that even very little recitation after at-tahiyyat in the first sitting entails sajda as-sahw. What is meant by “very little recitation”?
ANSWER
If one says only “Allahumma” or just its first syllable (that is, al), it necessitates sajda as-sahw. When one utters “al”, there will be no need for sajda as-sahw if one can change it to “Allahu akbar” immediately and stand up.

Question: If one, while rising from ruku’, says “Allahu akbar” by mistake instead of “Sami’allahu liman hamidah,” does it necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, it is not necessary.

Question: Is there anything wrong with reciting in salat a prayer that does not entail sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Some acts, even though they do not entail sajda as-sahw, render salat makruh. For example, if one recites Surat al-Kafirun in the first rak’at and Surat al-Kawthar in the second rak’at instead of Surat an-Nasr, it does not entail sajda as-sahw, but it renders salat makruh. If one does so forgetfully, it will not be makruh, either. Saying the Basmala before the prayer that begins with “Subhanakallahumma …” or reciting before it any other prayer, e.g., at-tahiyyat, does not necessitate sajda as-sahw, but it is not permissible to do these acts deliberately.

Question: If one repeats sunnat elements of salat several times, e.g., salawat or thana’, or says tasbihaat 21 or 41 or 100 times or waits for a very long time between two sajdas or after ruku’, does it entail sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
They do not entail sajda as-sahw. However, if one does any of them deliberately, one has committed a makruh act and has done something contrary to sunnat. One can say the tasbihat in ruku’ and sajda 11 times at the very most. Similarly, it is makruh to wash a limb in wudu’ more than three times, which is the prescribed number by sunnat.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to skip one ayah when reciting a surah in salat?
ANSWER
No, it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one repeats a fard element of salat forgetfully, e.g., doing sajda three times in a rak’at, one has to do sajda as-sahw. If one does it deliberately, does one have to do it, too?
ANSWER
Sajda as-sahw is done to compensate for the errors committed in salat. If one does something deliberately, it cannot be set right by sajda as-sahw in the Hanafi Madhhab. One has committed a sin, so one must make repentance and avoid repeating it.

In the Shafi’i Madhhab, it is permissible to do sajda as-sahw even for things done deliberately.

Question: Does it require sajda as-sahw to forget to recite Surat al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak’ats?
ANSWER
It does not require sajda as-sahw in fard and qada (make-up) salats because it is not wajib, but sunnat, to recite Surat al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak’ats of fard salats. As for nafilah and sunnat salats and Salat al-Witr, it is wajib to recite Surat al-Fatiha in every rak’at of them, and it necessitates sajda as-sahw to omit it in any rak’at of them. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

In the madhhabs of Maliki and Shafi’i, it is fard to recite Surat al-Fatiha in every rak’at. If a Hanafi person follows the Shafi’i Madhhab or Maliki Madhhab in salat out of necessity, it will be fard for him/her to recite Surat al-Fatiha in every rak’at. His/her salat will not be valid if he/she omits it, and it cannot be made proper by sajda as-sahw then.

Question: If one recites the prayer that begins with “Subhanakallahumma …” or “Allahumma salli …” or “Allahumma baarik …” audibly by mistake, does it entail sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw.

Question: If a person or imam forgets some ayahs of Surat al-Fatiha and recites only a part of it, does it require sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
If one has recited most of the ayahs of it and has forgotten few ayahs, it does not require sajda as-sahw. However, if one has forgotten more than half of its ayahs, sajda as-sahw will be necessary. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: It is not possible to perform recitation in salat during yawning, and sometimes yawning may continue for more than one rukn. Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, it does not.

Question: Does it necessitate sajda as-sahw to recite a surah before Surat al-Fatiha forgetfully?
ANSWER
Yes, it necessitates sajda as-sahw to recite a surah before Surat al-Fatiha. However, if one recites Surat al-Fatiha first and then an additional surah and then Surat al-Fatiha again, it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: If one forgets to recite ta’awwudh and tasmiyah or thana’ in the first rak’at, does it necessitate sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, omitting them does not necessitate sajda as-sahw because they are sunnat, not wajib, elements of salat. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: If one forgets to say “Allahu akbar” while going down for sajda or while rising from sajda or while bowing for ruku’, will it be necessary to do sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Forgetting to say it does not necessitate sajda as-sahw because it is a sunnat element of salat.

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to say the ta’awwudh and tasmiyah or “Amin” audibly by mistake?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: If one does not recite a part of at-tahiyyat forgetfully, does it entail sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
Yes, it entails sajda as-sahw. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: If one, while reciting a surah in salat, gets confused and starts another surah, will it entail sajda as-sahw?
ANSWER
No, it will not entail sajda as-sahw. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to recite Surat al-Fatiha before or after at-tahiyyat forgetfully?
ANSWER
It entails sajda as-sahw to recite Surat al-Fatiha before at-tahiyyat in the first and second sittings. However, it does not entail sajda as-sahw to recite Surat al-Fatiha after at-tahiyyat or after salawat in the last sitting. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to recite at-tahiyyat twice forgetfully in the first and last sittings?
ANSWER
If one repeats at-tahiyyat forgetfully in the first sitting, it is necessary to do sajda as-sahw. Repeating it in the last sitting does not entail sajda as-sahw. (Fatawa-i Hindiyya)

Question: Does it entail sajda as-sahw to recite half of Surat al-Fatiha or half of an additional surah and to start it afresh because one has gotten confused in recitation?
ANSWER
No, it does not entail sajda as-sahw.

Question: If one thinks about the surahs one will recite and therefore delays recitation to the extent that it entails sajda as-sahw, what should one do?
ANSWER
One must do sajda as-sahw at the end of salat. Before salat, one should decide what surahs one will recite during salat, for example, Surat al-Kawthar in the first rak’at and Surat al-Ikhlas in the second rak’at. Thus, one will not delay recitation or will reduce delays to a minimum.