Prostration of forgetfulness

PROSTRATION OF FORGETFULNESS

Before beginning to pray, a Muslim must finish everything concerns him and devote himself to standing in front of Allah. It is preferred that the place be empty of  inscriptions and drawings, because if there are any of them, the Devil will not let him perform prayer well.

Devil promised Allah to do so and said in Chapter of the Heights (Surat AL-ᶦAaraaf) ﴾Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait   for them on Your straight path(16)Then I will come to them before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You](17)﴿

It is God’s mercy to us that if a Muslim forgot something in his prayer, he would not stop performing it, instead, he would continue it and then he would prostrate twice after testification and before prayer-end greeting.

When does a praying person perform forgetfulness prostration?

1) The pillar of prayer: Prostration of forgetfulness does not deputize for it. If you remember it soon, perform it, complete your prayer, and perform the two forgetfulness prostrations at the end of the prayer. But Imam Malik sees that forgetting a pillar makes prayer invalid, therefore the praying person should perform prayer-end greeting and perform this prayer again.

2) When you forget the first testification in the four unit-prayers.

3) If there is a doubt about the number of prayer units, then you pray according to the least number.

4) Perform forgetfulness prostration also when you are sure that you have added  something in your prayer.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “I am made forget, in order to legislate laws.” It means that the Prophet’s forgetfulness was intended to legislate prostration of forgetfulness. It is not a defect in fulfilling his mission.

●Abu-Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah led us in the afternoon prayer and     gave salutation (Tasleem) after two prayer units. Dhul-Yadain stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened or have you forgotten?” 
The  Messenger of Allah said, “Nothing like this happened (neither the prayer has been shortened nor have I forgotten).”
Dhul-Yadain said: “O Messenger of Allah, something   has definitely happened.” The Messenger of Allah turned towards people and said: “Is Dhul-Yadain true (in his assertion)?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, he is true.” 
Then the Messenger of Allah completed the rest of the prayer and then performed two prostrations. [The Two Scholars].

*Some jurisprudents see that forgetfulness prostration is to be performed after the two prayer-end greetings.