-VOLUME 2- · 195 – MISTAKE AFTER TWO RAK‘AHS
1008 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading us in one of the prayers at the end of the day, either ẓuhr (noon) or ʿaṣr (afternoon). He led us in two rak‘ahs, then gave salām and stood up. He placed his hands, one upon the other, on the pillar at the front of the mosque. It was apparent from his face that he was angry. Then, those who were in a hurry among the congregation began to leave, saying, “The prayer has been shortened, the prayer has been shortened.”
Among the congregation were Abū Bakr and ʿUmar as well. Their respect for the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) overcame them, so they did not say anything. There was a man whom the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) called Dhū’l-Yadayn (the one with long hands). He stood up and said:
– O Messenger of Allah, did you forget, or has the prayer been shortened?
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
“I did not forget, nor has the prayer been shortened.” Dhū’l-Yadayn said:
– Rather, you have forgotten, O Messenger of God.
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to the congregation and said, “Is what Dhū’l-Yadayn says true?” They gestured (in affirmation). The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his place and completed the remaining two rak‘ahs. Then he gave salām. Then he said takbīr and performed a prostration (sujūd) like those of the prayer, or even longer. Then he said takbīr and stood up. Again, he said takbīr and performed another prostration like the previous ones or even longer. Then he said takbīr and raised his head.
It was asked of Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn: Did he give salām in the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw)? He said: I did not memorize that from Abū Hurayra, but I heard that ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn said, “Then he gave salām.” [98]
EXPLANATION
This noble ḥadīth indicates that if a person does something out of forgetfulness or ignorance and says, “I did not do it,” he is not considered a liar.
It also indicates that speaking in prayer out of forgetfulness does not invalidate the prayer.
Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Mālik, and al-Awzāʿī are also of this opinion.
According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfa, however, speaking out of forgetfulness invalidates the prayer.
1009 – Narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn with the same chain as the previous ḥadīth. The narration of Ḥammād is more complete.
Mālik said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer. (He did not mention the wording “led us” as in Ḥammād’s narration, nor did he mention the wording “they gestured.” Instead of “they gestured,” he said, “the people said yes.” Then he stood up, he said. He did not mention the wording “he said takbīr,” nor did he say, “then he said takbīr and performed a prostration like those of the prayer or even longer, then raised his head.” Mālik’s narration is complete, but he did not mention the continuation. The phrase “they gestured” was only mentioned by Ḥammād ibn Zayd.)
Abū Dāwūd says: None of those who narrated this ḥadīth mentioned the wording “he said takbīr and turned.”
EXPLANATION
This noble ḥadīth is the same as the previous one, but here a comparison is made between the two narrations. Ḥadīth number 108 is the narration of Ḥammād ibn Zayd.
This ḥadīth is the narration of Mālik.
Some words found in Ḥammād’s narration are not found in Mālik’s narration.
In Ḥammād’s narration, it is said: “The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer.” In Mālik’s narration, the phrase “led us” is not present; rather, it is “The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer.”
In Ḥammād’s narration, when the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked the congregation, “Did Dhū’l-Yadayn speak the truth?” it says, “the congregation gestured.” In Mālik’s narration, instead of “they gestured,” it is “the people said yes.”
In Ḥammād’s narration, it says, “he raised his head in the first prostration and said takbīr.” In Mālik’s narration, it says, “he raised his head from the first prostration,” but does not say, “he said takbīr.” As can be understood from this comparison, Ḥammād’s narration is more complete.
1010 – Ibn al-ʿAlqama narrated from Muḥammad, from Abū Hurayra:
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer…” and continued up to the statement of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn: “Then he gave salām,” conveying the same meaning as the previous narration of Ḥammād.
Salama continued: I asked, “What about the tashahhud?” Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn said, “I did not hear the tashahhud, but in my opinion, performing the tashahhud is preferable.” Salama did not mention the following sentence found in Ḥammād’s narration: “The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) used to call him Dhū’l-Yadayn.” They gestured. It was apparent from his face that he was angry.
The narration that Ḥammād transmitted from Ayyūb is more complete than this narration.
EXPLANATION
In this ḥadīth, performing the tashahhud after the prostration of forgetfulness is not mentioned, but Ibn Sīrīn said, “In my opinion, performing the tashahhud is better.”
However, in a ḥadīth narrated by al-Nasāʾī and Abū Dāwūd through the route of Ibn Masʿūd, it is reported that the tashahhud should be performed after the prostrations of forgetfulness.
1011 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): According to his narration from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), in the story of Dhū’l-Yadayn, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said takbīr and performed prostration.
Hishām (ibn Ḥassān) said: He said takbīr, then again said takbīr and performed prostration.
Abū Dāwūd says: This ḥadīth was narrated by Ḥabīb ibn Shahīd, Ḥumayd, Yūnus, ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal, Muḥammad, from Abū Hurayra.
None of them mentioned, as Ḥammād ibn Zayd did from Hishām, that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said takbīr, then again said takbīr and performed prostration. This ḥadīth was narrated by Ḥammād ibn Salama and Abū Bakr ʿAyyāsh from Hishām. However, they did not mention, as Ḥammād ibn Zayd did, that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said takbīr, then again said takbīr and performed prostration.
EXPLANATION
In the ḥadīth, the phrase “he said takbīr, then again said takbīr, then performed prostration” refers to the first takbīr being said when rising from the first prostration, and the second takbīr being said when going into the second prostration.
1012 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): According to the narration of the story of Dhū’l-Yadayn, he said:
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform the prostrations of forgetfulness until Allah made it certain to him that he had erred.
EXPLANATION
“Yakkanehullah” means: until Allah caused certainty to arise in his heart, until He placed the truth in his heart.
When Dhū’l-Yadayn, who was behind the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), said, “You have erred,” he did not immediately perform the prostration, but asked the other Companions (ṣaḥāba) as well. After they also confirmed it, and he was certain that he had forgotten, he performed the prostration of forgetfulness.
1013 – From Ibn Shihāb (may Allah be pleased with him): Abū Bakr ibn Sulaymān ibn Abū Ḥasmah informed him that he had heard the following report from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him): He did not perform the prostrations of forgetfulness when there was doubt until the congregation had joined him.
Abū Dāwūd says: This story was narrated from Abū Hurayra. He did not mention that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two prostrations.
Again, Abū Dāwūd reports that this ḥadīth was also narrated through the route of Sulaymān ibn Abū Ḥasmah, and in this narration as well, it is stated, “he did not perform the prostration of forgetfulness.”
1014 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading the ẓuhr prayer. He gave salām after two rak‘ahs. When he was asked, “Was the prayer performed incompletely?” he led them in two more rak‘ahs. Then he performed two prostrations (for forgetfulness). [99]
1015 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), our Master, gave salām after two rak‘ahs in one of the obligatory prayers. Someone from the congregation said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, was the prayer shortened, or did you forget?” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I did neither.” The congregation said, “O Messenger of Allah, you did (give salām after two rak‘ahs).” Thereupon, he immediately completed the last two rak‘ahs. Then, without performing the two prostrations for forgetfulness, he stood up and left.
Abū Dāwūd says: “This story was also narrated from Abū Hurayra, who said, ‘After the salām, while he was still sitting, he performed two prostrations.’”
1016 – From Zamzam ibn Jawas al-Ḥiffānī (may Allah be pleased with him):
Abū Hurayra informed me of the following and said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the prostrations of forgetfulness after giving salām. [100]
1017 – From Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading us in a (four-rak‘ah) prayer. He gave salām after two rak‘ahs. He narrated something similar to what Ibn Sīrīn narrated from Abū Hurayra and said: He gave salām. Then he performed two prostrations for forgetfulness. [101]
1018 – From ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading the ʿaṣr prayer and gave salām after the third rak‘ah. Then he entered (his room). In the narration of Maslama, it is said, “he entered the room.” A man with long hands, known as Ḥirbak, went to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened?” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him):
Pulled his cloak and came out angrily. He said, “Did (Dhū’l-Yadayn) speak the truth?” The Companions said:
– Yes. Thereupon, he completed the rak‘ah that was missing. Then he gave salām. Then he performed the prostrations of forgetfulness and gave salām again. [102]
EXPLANATION
From ḥadīth number 1008 to 1018, in the story of Dhū’l-Yadayn, there are many points to be benefited from.
1 – The Prophet’s forgetfulness occurs in order to show his community how to make up for deficiencies in acts of worship. However, when his forgetfulness is pointed out to him, he makes up for what was forgotten.
2 – If someone makes a mistake in a group, and it is pointed out by one person, it is not necessary to act upon the word of that single person without asking the group.
3 – When a mistake occurs in prayer, it is necessary to perform the prostration of forgetfulness.
4 – The prostrations of forgetfulness consist of two prostrations, the tashahhud, and the salām. According to the Ḥanafīs, only the taḥiyyāt is recited in the final sitting; in the sitting after the prostrations of forgetfulness, both the taḥiyyāt and “Allāhumma ṣalli,” “Allāhumma bārik,” and the supplication verse “Rabbana ātinā” are recited.
5 – If someone walks a few steps out of forgetfulness, his prayer is not invalidated.
6 – If an addition is made in prayer, the prostration of forgetfulness is to be performed after the salām.