Sajdah-e-Sahw

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

“In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”

If one misses out a nafl action in salaah, or delays in performing a waajib or fardh action, or he performs a fardh action twice then they can correct their salaah by performing sajdah-e-sahw. If sajdah-e-sahw is not performed, salaah will not be valid &  will have to be repeated.

How To Perform Sajdah-e-Sahw

The method of making sajdah-e-sahw is that in the last rakaah the person should recite at-tahiyyaat only, then make salaam towards the right only and thereafter make two sajdahs. He should then repeat the at-tahiyyaat and thereafter recite the durood, du’aa after durood, make salaam to both sides and thereby complete his salaah. 

When Sajda-e-Sahw Will Not Make The Prayer Valid

1. If a fardh part of the prayer is ignored or missed intentionally or unintentionally.

2. If a waajib part of the prayer is missed intentionally.

Rulings Regarding Sajdah-e-Sahw

Ruling No 1: If one forgetfully leaves out a fardh act of salaah, such as performing rukhu etc, then  the salaah will not become proper by making sajdah-e-sahw. It will have to be repeated.  

Ruling No 2: If a person makes two rukhus or 3 sajdahs, then salaah will be proper by doing sajdah-e-sahw.

Ruling No 3: To recite another Surah (after Surah Faatihah) in all the rakaahs of witr, sunnah and nafl salaah is waajib. If a person forgets to recite another Surah in any of the raka’at, he will have to make sajdah-e-sahw. 

Ruling No 4: It is sunnah to recite only Surah Faatihah in the third and fourth raka’ah of Fardh Salaah. However, if one unintentionally recites a Surah after Surah Fatiha in the third or fourth raka’ah of a Fardh Salaah, then the Salaah will be valid and sajdah-sahw will not be necessary.

Ruling No 5: A person forgets to recite another Surah (after Surah Faatihah) in the first two raka’aht of a fardh salaah. He should therefore recite another Surah in the second two raka’at and also make sajda-e-sahw. If he forgets to recite another Surah in one of the first two raka’at, he should recite it in one of the latter two raka’at and also make sajda-e-sahw. If he forgets to recite another Surah in the latter two raka’at as well, i.e. he forgets to recite another Surah in the first two as well as in the latter two raka’at, and only remembers at the time of reciting the at-tahiyyaat that he did not recite another Surah in one or two raka’at, the salaah will still become proper if he makes sajdah-e-sahw. 

Ruling No 6: If a person forgot to recite surah faatihah & only recited a surah, or recited a surah first & then surah faatihah, he will have to make sajdah-sahw.

Ruling No 7: After reciting Surah Faatihah, a person began thinking as to which Surah he should recite. His thinking took so long that in that time Subhanallah could have be recited three times. Even then sajdah-e-sahw will become waajib. 

Ruling No 8: In the last raka’ah, after reciting at-tahiyyaat and durood shareef, a person had a doubt as to whether he offered three or four raka’at. While thinking about this, he kept silent and took so long to make the salaam that in that time he could have recited Sub’hanallah three times, and after that he remembered that he offered all four raka’at – even in this case it will be waajib to make sajdah-e-sahw. 

Ruling No 9: A person recited Surah Faatihah and another Surah, but thereafter he unintentionally began thinking of something. He took so long to go into ruku that in that time he could have recited SubhanAllah three times. Even then, sajdah-e-sahw will become waajib.

Ruling No 10: Similarly, sajdah-e-sahw will become wajib in the following instances: while he was busy with his recitation he stopped and began thinking of something, he sat in the second or fourth raka’ah for at-tahiyyaat and did not commence reciting it immediately. Instead, he sat and started thinking of something, when he stood up from the ruku, he stood silently and started thinking of something, when he sat down in-between the two sajdahs, he started thinking of something. In order words, if a person unintentionally delays in executing a particular posture or gets delayed due to thinking of something, then sajdah-e-sahw becomes wajib.

Ruling No 11: In a three or four raka’ah fardh salaah when the person sat for the at-tahiyyaat in the second raka’ah, he unintentionally recited at-tahiyyaat two times. Even then sajdah-sahw will become waajib. And after the at-tahiyyaat if he recited the following from the durood: اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍor if he recited more than that and only thereafter he remembered that he was supposed to stand up for the third raka’ah, even then sajdah-e-sahw will become waajib. But if he recites less than this, sajdah-e-sahw will not become waajib.  

Ruling No 12: With regards to nafl salaah, it is permissible to recite the durood after the at-tahiyyaat when sitting for the second raka’ah. By reciting the durood in a nafl salaat, sajdah-e-sahw does not become waajib. However, if at-tahiyyaat is recited twice, sajda-e-sahw will become wajib even in a nafl salaat.

Ruling No 13: If several things occur in salaah, whereby sajdah-e-sahw becomes wajib, then one sajdah-e-sahw will suffice for all the mistakes.

Ruling No 14: After making sajda-e-sahw, a person commits another mistake which makes sajda-e-sahw waajib. The first sajda-e-sahw will suffice and it will not be necessary to make another one.

Ruling No 15: If a person forgets to observe the first sitting (qa’dah ula) and stands up, he should not sit back down  upon remembering the mistake, but should complete the prayer and perform sajdah-e sahw. However, if he realizes his mistake before standing up fully, he should sit down & sit in the qa’dah ula & he will not have to  perform sajdah-e- sahw.

Ruling No 16: If the doubt occurs after having completed his salaah, that is, he is not sure as to whether he offered three or four raka’at. Then this doubt is not even considered – the salaah is valid. But if he clearly remembers that he only offered three raka’at, he should stand up and offer one more raka’ah and also make sajda-e-sahw. However, if on completing his salaah, he started speaking or did something else with which salaat breaks, he will have to repeat his salaah. Similarly, if this doubt creeps in after having recited at-tahiyyaat, the same rule will apply. That is, as long as he does not remember clearly, he should not worry about it. However, it will be good to repeat the salaat as a precaution so that the uneasiness of the heart is removed and no doubt remains. 

Ruling No 17: If a person intentionally commits those errors which make sajdah-e-sahw wajib, then sajdah-e-sahw will not become waajib. Instead, he will have to repeat the salaah. Even if he makes the sajda-e-sahw, the salaah will still not be valid. If a person forgets those things which are not fard or wajib in salaah, his salaat will remain valid and he will not have to make sajda-e-sahw.  

Ruling No 18: Sajdah-e-sahw is not waajib in the following instances:

1. He forgets to recite the thanaa’ in the beginning, he forgets to recite the tasbeeh in ruku

2. He forgets to recite the tasbeeh in sajdah, he forgets to reciteسَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه when standing up from ruku.

3. At the time of saying takbeer-e-tahreema he forgets to raise his hands to his ears (or to the shoulders for women).

4. At the end of his salaah he made salaam without reciting the durood and a du’aa.

In all the above cases, sajdah-e-sahw is not waajib.