Fiqh of Hadith: Sujood Al Sahoo
By Sh. Kifah Mustapha
Aalqama said: Abdullah Ibn Masoud said, “The prophet (SAAW) prayed (and) Ibrahim (Al Nakh’ie) said, ‘I don’t know if (the prophet) added or missed!’ After (the prophet) finished the prayer with tasleem, the companions asked him, ‘O prophet of Allah, was anything new given in Salah?’ The prophet asked why they asked. The companions said, ‘You did something different than was known to us!’ The prophet rolled his feet and faced Qiblah and prayed 2 sujood (prostrations), then made tasleem (salam) again, and when he turned toward us he said, ‘If something new was revealed during Salah I would have told you about it, but I am human like you (and) I do forget like you forget, so if I forget, remind me, and if someone is doubtful about his Salah let him seek what is right and continue his prayer, then make tasleem and pray two sujood.’” Hadith narrated by Bukhari.
عن علقمة قال: قال عبد الله (ابن مسعود) صلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال إبراهيم (النخعي) لا أدري زاد أم نقص! فلما سلم قيل له يا رسول الله أحدث في الصلاة شيئ! قال: وما ذاك! قالوا: صليت كذا وكذا، فثنى رجليه واستقبل القبلة وسجد سجدتين ثم سلم. فلما أقبل علينا بوجهه، قال: إنه لو حدث في الصلاة شيئ لنبأتكم به ولكن إنما أنا بشر مثلكم أنسى كما تنسون فإذا نسيت فذكروني وإذا شك أحدكم في صلاته فليتحر الصواب فليتم عليه ثم ليسلم ثم ليسجد سجدتين. رواه البخاري.
It is narrated in the authentic Sunnah that the prophet (SAAW) forgot during Salah few times. He once stood after 2 Raka’t without making the 1st Tashahud; another time it was recorded that he finished Salah and prayed 2 Sujood Sahoo before he made Salam. Another time he made Salam after the 2nd Raka’t (while Salah was 4) and returned, finished Salah and made 2 Sujood Sahoo after Salam. Another time he made Salam in the 3rd Raka’t (while Salah was 4), he returned and prayed that Raka’t, then made 2 Sujood Sahoo and made Salam.
1. If an act of Sunnah is missed during Salah you do not have to make Sujood Sahoo, only if it is an obligatory part of Salah that is missed or if something additional is added.
2. If acts outside Salah were performed that do not void Salah, such as looking around, clearing a place for Sujood or taking off shoes during Salah, you do not need to perform Sujood Sahoo.
3. Since the prophet (SAAW) made Sujood Sahoo sometimes before Salam and sometimes after Salam, Imam Ahmad said that you follow these cases and practice it the way it was performed by the prophet. Imam Malek and Shafei said to differentiate in Sujood Sahoo on the basis of something added or something missed - Sujood Sahoo after Salam if you add to Salah, and Sujood Sahoo before Salam if you miss something from Salah. Abu Hanifa stated that all Sujood Sahoo is after Salam.
4. Most scholars say that there is no need to repeat Tashahud after Sujood Sahoo if it is before Salam. If it is after Salam you have to repeat Tashahud. (Imam Ahmad and Abu Hanifa.)
5. If you doubt the number of Raka’t during Salah, you have to base the number of Raka’t on the least number you are certain about.
6. If you are praying behind an Imam, you only make Sujood Sahoo if the Imam made a mistake but not if you made the mistake yourself while praying behind him.
7. If the Imam is verbally notified of something wrong in Salah after the Salah is done, it is ok to make up for the missed Raka’t with Sujood Sahoo and there is no need to redo the whole Salah.