Advice: Offering too many Rakats by accident?

[Hamayun]

:sl: Brothers and Sisters,

I have this problem that when I am offering my Salah I sometimes get lost in the Salah and forget how many Rakats I have done.

So I sometimes end up praying an extra Rakat just to be on the safe side. :-[

Will my prayer still be valid if I have prayed 5 Rakats instead of 4?

Jazakallah Khayran for your advice in advance.

Hamayun.

[Sahabiyaat]

i do this all the time, and ask Allah to reward me! :-[

[Afifa]

:sl:
If in doubt about how many rakaats prayed then at the end do sajdah-e-sahwa.
If in doubt that you'v prayed 3 or 4 rakatas then on your 3rd rakaat (the one u thik is third) sit and pray atuhiyaat their (as it could be your 4th rakaat) after that stand up and pray another rakaat and atthe end of that rakaat do sajdah-e-suhwa and after that do salaam.

If its a fard namaz then its better to repeat it again rather than doing sajdha-e-suhwa. Whereas for sunnah or nafl its ok if u do sajdah-e-suhwa.

If any bits are wrong please do correct me
Jazakaalh
:w:

[UmmSqueakster]

Don't forget to define some terms. Newbies often don't know all the jargon :D

atuhiyaat =

AT TA HIY YA TO LIL LAHI WAS SALA WATO WA TAY YI BATO
All prayers and worship through words, action and sanctity are for Allah only.
AS SA LA MO ALAIKA AY YO HAN NA BIY YO
Peace be on you, O Prophet.
WA RAH MA TUL LA HI WA BARA KA TO HU
and Mercy of Allah and His blessings.
AS SALAMU ALAINA WA ALA IBA DIL LAHIS SALI HEEN
Peace be on us and on those who are righteous servants of Allah.


sajdah-e-suhwa = prostration of forgetfulness


namaz = urdu for salat



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[Hamayun]

May Allah reward you all for the great advice.

Sister Janaan thank you for explaining it so nicely for me :)

Jazakallah Kahayran

Hamayun

[kwolney01]

I'm a new convert and I find myself doing the same thing. At the end I do sajdah-e-sahwa to just make sure. I also pray to Allah for help and more understanding and to guide me and make things easy on me. I wish you the best brother.

[Zahida]

:sl: I do believe in my knowledge, and what i have been taught, that you must do that namaaz again........? Don't know if this is right, not confirmed by scholar/imaam.:w:

I'm a new convert and I find myself doing the same thing. At the end I do sajdah-e-sahwa to just make sure. I also pray to Allah for help and more understanding and to guide me and make things easy on me. I wish you the best brother.

[Musaafirah]

^^ I don't think that's the case.
I've read in some hadith books that when for example the Prophet (SAW) made any mistakes, for example in reciting a Surah he would start over again and not repeat the Salaat.
If I'm wrong please correct me.
And Allahu A'lam

[Zahida]

Yes i have heard this also. I am not sure about salaat but even as a young child my mother used to tell me if i was fidgety,laughing etc or if i had fogotten that my salaat would not be valid and my mother Allah bless her used to make me read that namaaz again. :

^^ I don't think that's the case.
I've read in some hadith books that when for example the Prophet (SAW) made any mistakes, for example in reciting a Surah he would start over again and not repeat the Salaat.
If I'm wrong please correct me.
And Allahu A'lam

[UmmSqueakster]

Here is something specific to the question of the OP:

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503543294

“The rule of the Shari`ah is that in the case of doubt, one should follow that which is certain or more probable. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “If a person among you has a doubt about his prayer and does not know whether he has prayed three or four, then he should discard the doubt and follow that which is certain. Then he should make two prostrations before the final Salam. If the person has prayed five Rak`ahs, (Prayer units) then the two prostrations would make even his prayer. But if he has prayed four, then these prostrations would disgrace the Shaytan.” (Reported by Muslim)

[kwolney01]

Question#:
27288
Question Date:
5/24/2008
Topic :
Prayer: Forgetfulness
Question:
Asalam aleiykum Warahmatullah wabarakatu What should one do when he forgets during salah?I mean you are not sure if you prayed 3 Rakaats or 4 rakaat.If you are confused that u prayed 3 rakaat,should u pray again 4 rakaat or?Shukran.
Answer:
Bismillahir-RaHmanir-Raheem.


Fiqh-us-Sunnah. Section : 25. Prostrations Of Forgetfulness During The Prayer.

025 : 2.046 : Prostrations of forgetfulness during the prayer.

It is confirmed that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam sometimes forgot something in the salah. It is also true that he said: "I am a human being and forget like you forget. If I forget, remind me." There are specific points concerning such prostrations and they are presented below.

025 : 2.046A : How to perform these prostrations of forgetfulness.

The "prostrations of forgetfulness" (sujjud us-sahu) are two prostrations which a person makes before the taslim. All of this has been confirmed from the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam. In the sahih, it is recorded from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Prophet said: "If one of you has some doubts during his salah and he does not recall (the number of rak'at) he has prayed, three or four, then he can put an end to his doubt by performing salah according to what he was certain of [the lesser amount] and then making two sujjud before the taslim." In the story of Zhul-Yadain, in the two Sahihs, we are told the Prophet sallallahu alehi wassalam made the prostrations after the taslim.

Ash-Shaukani says: "The best that is stated on this subject is that one must follow what the Prophet said or did, respecting the sujjud before or after the taslim. If one does something that necessitates sujjud before the taslim, one should make them before the taslim, and if one does something requiring sujjud after the taslim, then one should make them after the taslim. As for those acts of forgetfulness that are not related to any specific time either before or after the taslim, one may choose to make the prostrations before or after the taslim in cases of addition or reduction in the salah. This is based on what Muslim recorded in his Sahih from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: 'If one adds or decreases something from his salah, he should make two sujjud."'

025 : 2.047 : When to perform these prostrations of forgetfulness.

The "sujjud us-sahu" are to be performed in the following circumstances:

1. If a person makes the taslim before he actually completes the prayers. Ibn Sireen relates from Abu Hurairah who said: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed either zuhr or 'asr salah with us and he prayed only two rak'at and made the taslim. He got up and leaned against a piece of wood in the mosque as if he was angry. He put his right hand on his left and interlocked his fingers. Then, he placed his cheek on the back of his left hand. And some people left the mosque in a hurry. And they said: 'The prayer has been shortened?' Among the people were Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and they were shy to speak to him. One of the people, who was called Zhul-Yadain, said: 'O Messenger of Allah have you forgotten or has the prayer been shortened?' He answered: 'I have not forgotten and it has not been shortened.' Then he asked: 'Is it as Zhul-Yadain has said?' The people answered in the affirmative...At that, he led the people in what he had omitted and made the taslim. After which he made the takbir and prostrated the way he usually prostrated or perhaps even longer. Next, he raised his head and made the takbir. Then, he made the takbir [again] and prostrated, like one of his customary sujjud or perhaps even longer, and finally, he raised his head." This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

'Ata' relates that Ibn az-Zubair prayed maghrib and made the taslim after two rak'at and then he stood up and wanted to kiss the black stone, when the people tried to correct him he said: "What is the matter with you?" Then he prayed what he had left out and performed two sujjud. When this was mentioned to Ibn 'Abbas, he said that it was not far from the sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam. This is related by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, and at-Tabarani.

2. In the case of an addition to the prayer. Ibn Mas'ud narrates that the Prophet prayed five rak'at and the people asked him: "Has there been an addition to the prayer?" He asked: "Why do you say that?" They replied: "You prayed five rak'at" Then he made two sujJud after he had made the taslim. This is related by the group. This hadith proves that the prayer of one who prays five rak'at out of forgetfulness, without sitting during the fourth rak'ah, is acceptable.

3. In the case of forgetting the first tashahud or one of the other sunnah acts of the prayer. Ibn Buhainah narrates that the Prophet stood after two rak'at. The people tried to correct him but he continued. When he finished his salah, he made two sujjud and made the taslim. This is related by the group.' This hadith shows that one who forgets the first sitting but is reminded of it and he recalls it before he completely stands should return and sit, but if he is already completely standing, he should not sit down. This is supported by what Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah recorded from al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "If one of you stands after two rak'at and he has not completely stood, then he should sit. If he is already completely standing, he should not sit and he should make two sujjud of forgetfulness."

4. In the case of doubt over whether or not one performed some act of the prayer. 'Abdurrahman ibn 'Auf reported that he heard the Prophet say: "If one of you has some doubt during his salah and he does not know if he prayed one rak'ah or two, he should take it to have been just one. If he does not know if he prayed two rak'at or three, he should take it to have been just two. If he does not know if he prayed three rak'at or four, he should take it to have been just three. [In all such cases] at the end of his prayer, while sitting, he should make two sujjud before the taslim." This is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmizhi. The latter grades it sahih.

In one narration, it is stated: "Whoever prays and has some doubt that he was short of the complete prayer, he should continue praying until he suspects that he has added something to the prayer [with respect to the number of rak'at that he has prayed]." Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "If one of you has some doubts during his prayer and does not know if he prayed three or four [rak'at], then he should remove his doubt by praying according to the amount that he is certain he had performed and then make two sujjud before the taslim. If he had prayed five rak'at, the two sujjud would make it even. If he had prayed a complete four rak'at [when he had finished], they would be in defiance of the Satan." This is related by Ahmad and Muslim. These two ahadith prove what the majority of the scholars have said, namely, if one has some doubt concerning the number of rak'at one has prayed, one should act according to the amount that one is certain to have prayed (the lesser amount) and then make two sujjud before the taslim.


Wassalam and Allah knows best.
Reference:
IslamiCity


I hope this helps

[ayan333]

Here is something specific to the question of the OP:

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503543294

“The rule of the Shari`ah is that in the case of doubt, one should follow that which is certain or more probable. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “If a person among you has a doubt about his prayer and does not know whether he has prayed three or four, then he should discard the doubt and follow that which is certain. Then he should make two prostrations before the final Salam. If the person has prayed five Rak`ahs, (Prayer units) then the two prostrations would make even his prayer. But if he has prayed four, then these prostrations would disgrace the Shaytan.” (Reported by Muslim)

:sl:

JazakALLAH Khair..

im not a convert..been Muslim my whole life Alhamdulilah but i still find myslef in this situation

:w:

[Zahida]

JazakAllah to you all for the advice it certainly clears some misunderstandings......

[Hamayun]

Jazakallah Khayr for all the answers.

Maybe we should pay more attention when praying lol. May Allah help us keep our concentration when praying.

[ayan333]

Jazakallah Khayr for all the answers.

Maybe we should pay more attention when praying lol. May Allah help us keep our concentration when praying.

:sl:

it gets difficult wen this dunya is ulling you in so many directions but we have no excuse whats so ever

:w: