Hadith Text

The Prophet (ﷺ) said the salam, then he spoke, then he performed two prostrations of forgetfulness.

Source Reference

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1329 - The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith demonstrates that speaking after the final salam does not invalidate the prayer, but rather requires the performance of forgetfulness prostrations (sujud al-sahw). The Prophet's action establishes that unintentional speech after the prayer's completion is rectified by these two prostrations.

The scholars hold that this ruling applies to speech that occurs shortly after the salam due to forgetfulness, not deliberate conversation. The prostrations must be performed before engaging in worldly matters or turning away from the qiblah.

This teaching reflects the mercy of Islamic law, providing a means to correct inadvertent errors in worship without requiring repetition of the entire prayer.