What is the ruling on a latecomer to prayer who caught the first rukūʿ with the Imam, and after the Imam’s taslīm, he thought he had caught the second rakʿah and not the first, then he remembered that after standing up? What should he do? Is his prayer valid if he sits, performs the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd as-sahw), and then performs the taslīm?
The Imam bears the forgetfulness of the one praying behind him as long as he is following him. However, if the one praying behind him forgets after the Imam has given the salutations, then he prostrates the prostration of forgetfulness. He must hasten to sit and give the salutations and not complete the extra rak'ah, otherwise his prayer becomes invalid.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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