The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr with two rak'ahs, then said the salam. They said: "Has the prayer been shortened?" So he stood up and prayed two rak'ahs, then he said the salam, then he prostrated twice.
The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)
Sunan an-Nasa'i - Hadith 1227
Narration Text
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr with two rak'ahs, then said the salam. They said: "Has the prayer been shortened?" So he stood up and prayed two rak'ahs, then he said the salam, then he prostrated twice.
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith demonstrates the procedure for the Prostration of Forgetfulness (Sujud al-Sahw). The Prophet (ﷺ) omitted two rak'ahs from the four-rak'ah Zuhr prayer due to forgetfulness. When alerted by the companions, he completed the prayer and performed two prostrations at the end before the final tasleem.
The wisdom behind performing Sujud al-Sahw after the tasleem in this case is because the addition occurred after the initial completion. Scholars state that when one adds to the prayer unintentionally, the prostrations come before tasleem, but when one omits something, they come after tasleem.
This incident establishes that prayer remains valid despite such omissions, and the prescribed compensation rectifies the error. The companions' questioning shows their careful observance of prayer regulations and their commitment to proper worship.
Legal Rulings Derived
• Sujud al-Sahw is prescribed for omissions in prayer
• When forgetting rak'ahs in a four-rak'ah prayer, one completes them and prostrates after tasleem
• The prayer remains valid despite such forgetfulness
• It is permissible for worshippers to alert the imam about prayer errors