The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)

كتاب السهو

Chapter 26: What a person should do if he prays five (rak'ahs)

It was narrated that Ibrahim said

"Alqamah prayed five (rak'ahs) and when he said the taslim, Ibrahim bin Suwaid said : 'O Abu Shibl, you prayed five!' He said: 'Is that true, O odd-eyed one?' Then he prostrated two prostrations of forgetfulness, then he said: 'This is what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did.'"

It was narrated from 'Abdullah that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered one of the afternoon prayers with five (rak'ahs), and it was said to him: "Has something been added to the prayer?" He said: 'Why are you asking?' They said: 'You prayed five.' He said: 'I am only human, I forget as you forget, and I remember as you remember.' Then he prostrated twice then ended his prayer.

Chapter 27: What should a person do if he forget part of his prayer

It was narrated from Muhammad bin Yusuf, the freed slave of Uthman, from his father Yusuf, that

Mu'awiyah prayed in front of them, and he stood up during the prayer when he should have sat. The people said tasbih, but he remained standing, then he prostrated twice while he was sitting, after he completed the prayer. Then he sat on the Minbar and said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Whoever forgets something in his prayer, let him prostrate twice like this.'

Chapter 28: The Takbir for the two prostrations of forgetfulness

It was narrated from 'Abdur-Rahman Al A'raj that

Abdullah bin Buhainah told him that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up following two rak'ahs of Zuhr and did not sit down (for tashahhud). When he finished the prayer he prostrated twice, saying Takbir for each prostration, while he was sitting, before he said the taslim, and the people prostrated with him. (He did that) in place of the sitting that he had forgotten.

Chapter 29: How one should sit in the final rak'ah of the prayer

It was narrated that Abu Humaid As-Sa'idi said

"At the end of the last two rak'ahs of the prayer, the Prophet (ﷺ) would move his left foot forward and sit on his left buttock, Mutawarrikan, then he would say the taslim.

It was narrated that Wa'il bin Hujr said

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raise his hands when he started to pray, and when he bowed, and when he raised his head from bowing. And when he sat, he would ay his left foot on the ground and keep his right foot upright, and he placed his left hand on his left thigh, and his right hand on his right thigh, making a circle with his middle finger and thumb, and pointing."

Chapter 30: Placement of the forearms

It was narrated from Wa'il bin Hujr that

He saw the Prophet (ﷺ) sitting during the prayer. He lay his left foot on the ground and placed his forearms on his thighs, and pointed with his forefinger, supplicating with it.

Chapter 31: Placement of the elbows

It was narrated that Wa'il bin Hujr said

"I said: 'I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and see how he prays.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up and faced the Qiblah, then he raised his hands until they were in level with his ears, then he held his left hand with his right. When he wanted to bow, he raised them (his hands) likewise, then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head from bowing, he raised them (his hands) likewise. When he prostrated he put his hands in the same position in relation to his head, then he sat up and lay his left foot on the ground. He placed his left hand on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, and made a circle with two of his fingers. And I saw him doing like this"- Bishr (one of the narrators) pointed with the forefinger of his right hand and made a circle with the thumb and middle finger.

Chapter 32: Placement if the hands

'Ali bin Abdur-Rahman said

"I prayed beside Ibn Umar and I turned over the pebbles. Ibn Umar said to me: 'Do not turn over the pebbles, for turning over the pebbles comes from Shaitan. Do what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.' I said: 'What did you see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do?' He said; 'This'- and he held his right foot upright and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, and pointed with his forefinger."

Chapter 33: Clenching the fingers of the right hand apart from the forefinger

It was narrated that 'Ali bin Abdur-Rahman said

"Ibn Umar saw me playing with the pebbles while praying. When he finished (praying), he told me not to do that and said: 'Do what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do.' I said: 'What did he used to do?' He said: 'When he sat during the prayer, he placed his right hand on his thigh and clenched all his fingers, and pointed with the finger that is next to the thumb, and he put his left hand on his left thigh."

Chapter 34: Clenching two of the fingers of the right hand and making a circle with the middle finge

Wa'il bin Hujr said

"I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and see how he prays. So, I watched him." And he described (his prayer): "Then he sat and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his left hand on his left thigh and knee. He put his right elbow on his right thigh, then he made a circle with two fingers of his (right) hand, then he raised his finger and I saw him moving it, supplicating with it."

Chapter 35: Laying the left hand on the knee

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat during the prayer, he put his hands on his knees and raised the finger that is next to the thumb, and supplicates with it, and his left hand was on his knee laid on it.

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Az-Zubair

That the Prophet (ﷺ) used to point with his finger when he supplicated, but he did not move it. Ibn Jurayj said: "And 'Amr added: 'Amir bin 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair told me that his father saw the Prophet (ﷺ) supplicating like that, putting his weight on his left arm, leaning on his left leg.'"

Chapter 36: Pointing with the finger during tashahhud

It was narrated from Malik bin Numair Al-Khuza'I that his father said

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) putting his right hand on his right thigh when praying and pointing with his finger."

Chapter 37: The prohibition of pointing with two fingers and with which finger one should point

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that

A man used to supplicate with two fingers and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Make it one, make it one."

It was narrated from Sa`d who said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by me when I was supplicating with my fingers and he said: 'Make it one, make it one' and pointed with his forefinger."

Chapter 38: Bending the finger when pointing

Malik bin Numair Al-Khuza'I, one of the inhabitants of Al-Basrah, narrated that

His father told him that he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sitting when praying, putting his right forearm on his right thigh and raising his forefinger, which he had bent slightly, and he was supplicating.

Chapter 39: Where to look when pointing and moving the forefinger

It was narrated from 'Amir bin Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, from his father, that

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat to say the tashahhud, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and pointed with his forefinger, and his gaze did not go beyond he finger with which he was pointing.

Chapter 40: The prohibition of lifting one's gaze to the sky when supplicating during the prayer

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "People should certainly stop lifting their gaze to the sky when they supplicate during the prayer, or they will lose their eyesight."

Chapter 41: The obligation of tashahhud

It was narrated that Ibn Mas'ud said

"Before the tashahhud was enjoined, when we prayed we used to say: 'Peace (As-Salam) be upon Allah (SWT), pace be upon Jibril, peace be upon Mika'il.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Do not say this, for indeed Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime, is As-Salam. Rather say: "At-tahiyyatu lillahi wasalawatu wat-tayibaat, as-salamu 'alaika ayah-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina a 'ala ibad illahis-salihin, ashadu an la ilaha ill Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu. (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.)"