“The Messenger ofAllah(ﷺ) said to Abu Bakr: ‘When do you pray Witr?’ He said: ‘Atthe beginning of the night, after ‘Isha’.’ He said: ‘And you,O‘Umar?’ He said: ‘At the end of the night.’ The Prophet(ﷺ) said:‘As for you, O Abu Bakr, you have seized thetrustworthy handhold(i.e., you want to be on the safe side), and asfor you, O ‘Umar, youhave seized strength (i.e., you are confidentthat you have theresolve to get up and pray Witr).’”Another chain with similar meaning.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)prayed, and he added or omitted something.” (One of the narrators)Ibrahim said: “The confusion stems from me (i.e., he was not surewhich it was).” “It was said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Hassomething been added to the prayer?’ He said: ‘I am only human, Iforget just as you forget. If anyone forgets, let him perform twoprostrations when he is sitting (at the end).’ Then the Prophet(ﷺ)turned and prostrated twice.”

“One of us praysandhe does not know how many (Rak’ah) he has prayed.” He said: “TheMessenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘When anyone of you prays and doesnotknow how many he has prayed, let him perform two prostrationswhile heis sitting.’”

“(Once) the Prophet (ﷺ) prayedZuhr with five Rak’ah, and it was said to him: ‘Has somethingbeenadded to the prayer?’ He said: ‘What is that?’ They toldhim, and heturned back towards the Qiblah and performed twoprostrations.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) offered prayer,Ithink it was the ‘Asr, and in the second Rak’ah he stood upbeforehe sat. Before he said the Salam, he prostrated twice.”

It wasnarrated from ‘Abdur-Rahman Al-A’raj that Ibn Buhainah toldhimthat the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up in the second Rak’ah of Zuhr andforgot to sit. When he had finished his prayer, and before he saidtheSalam, he performed the two prostrations for forgetfulness (Sahw)andsaid the Salam.

“The Messenger ofAllah(ﷺ) said: ‘If anyone of you stands after two Rak’ah, if he hasnot yet stood up fully, let him sit down again, but if he has stoodupfully, then let him not sit down, and let him perform twoprostrationsfor forgetfulness (Sahw).’”

“I heard theMessenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘If anyone of you is uncertain as towhether he has prayed one or two Rak’ah, let him assume it is one.Ifhe is uncertain as to whether he has prayed two or three, let himassume it is two. If he is uncertain as to whether he has prayedthreeor four, let him assume it is three. Then let him complete whatisleft of his prayer, so that the doubt will be about what is more.Thenlet him prostrate twice while he is sitting, before the Taslim(sayingthe Salam).’”

“The Messenger ofAllah(ﷺ) said: ‘If anyone of you is uncertain about his prayer, lethim put aside uncertainty and act upon that which is certain. When hehas made sure his prayer is complete, then let him prostrate twice.Then if his prayer was complete, that (extra) Rak’ah will becountedas voluntary, and if his prayer was lacking, that Rak’ahwill completehis prayer, and the two prostrations will rub theSatan’s nose in thedust.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)offered prayer, and I am not sure whether he did something extra oromitted something. He asked, and we told him, so he turned to face theQiblah and prostrated twice, then he said the Salam. Then he turnedto face us and said: ‘If any new command has been revealedconcerning the prayer, I would certainly have told you. But I am onlyhuman and I forget and you forget. If I forget, then remind me. Andif anyone of you is uncertain about the prayer, let him do what isclosest to what is correct, then complete the prayer, say the Salamand prostrate twice.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)said:‘If anyone of you is uncertain about his prayer, let him try todowhat is correct then let him prostrate twice.’”Tanafisi said: "This is the basic rule, and no one is able to reject it."

‘O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer beenshortened or did you forget?’ He said: ‘It has not been shortenedandI did not forget.’ He said: ‘But you prayed two Rak’ah.’ Hesaid: ‘Is whatDhul-Yadain says true?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ Sohe went forward andperformed two Rak’ah and said the Salam, thenhe prostrated twice forprostrations of forgetfulness.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)ledus in one of the afternoon prayers, and he prayed two Rak’ah, thenhe said the Salam. Then he stood up and went to a piece of wood inthemosque, and leaned against it. Those who were in a hurry left themosque, saying that the prayer had been shortened. Among the peoplewere Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, but they dared not say anything. Among thepeople there was also a man with long hands who was calledDhul-Yadain. He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer beenshortenedor did you forget?’ He said: ‘It has not been shortenedand I did notforget.’ He said: ‘But you prayed two Rak’ah.’ Hesaid: ‘Is what Dhul-Yadain says true?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ Sohe went forward and performedtwo Rak’ah and said the Salam, thenhe prostrated twice, and then hesaid the Salam again.”

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said the Salam after three Rak’ah for ‘Asr, then he stoodup andwent into the apartment. Khirbaq, a man with big hands, stoodup andcalled out: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Has the prayer beenshortened?’ Hecame out angrily, dragging his lower garment, andasked about it, andwas told (what had happened). So he performed theRak’ah that he hadomitted, then he said the Salam, then heprostrated twice and said theSalam again.”

“TheSatancomes to any one of you while he is praying and comes betweenhim andhis soul, until he does not know whether he as added somethingoromitted something. If that happens, then he should prostrate twicebefore the Salam, then he should say the Salam.”

“TheSatancomes between the son of Adam and his soul, and he does not knowhowmany Rak’ah he has prayed. If a person notices that, then let himprostrate twice before he says the Salam.”

It wasnarrated from ‘Alqamah that Ibn Mas’ud prostrated twice fortheprostrations of forgetfulness after the Salam, and he mentionedthatthe Prophet (ﷺ) did that.”

“I heard the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)say: ‘For every mistake there are two prostrations, after sayingthe Salam.’”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) came outtopray and said the Takbir, then he gestured to them to wait. He wentand took a bath, and his head was dripping with water while he ledthem in prayer. When he finished he said: ‘I came out to you in astate of sexual impurity, and I forgot until I had started to pray.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)said:‘Whoever vomits, has a nosebleed, belches, or emits prostaticfluid, should stop praying; perform ablution, then resume his prayer,and while he is in that state he should not speak.”