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Should the worshiper base their action on the minimum when in doubt between two prostrations, or on the maximum to definitively cut off intrusive thoughts (waswas)? And should they base their action on the minimum when in doubt about the number of adhkar (remembrances), or should they repeat the dhikr anew?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the doubt about the number of prostrations is not frequent, then base your action on the lesser number and perform another prostration. Then perform two prostrations of forgetfulness before the salām, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If one of you doubts in his prayer and does not know how many he has prayed, three or four, then let him cast aside the doubt and build upon what he is certain of, then prostrate twice before he says the salām." However, if the doubt is constant, then do not pay attention to it and do not perform the prostrations of forgetfulness. The morning and evening remembrances and those after prayer are sunnah. If your doubt is not frequent, then be diligent in performing all of them; otherwise, do not pay attention to the doubt.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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