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Is the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd as-sahw) performed before or after the salutation (taslīm), and is it followed by the testification (tashahhud)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

According to the Maliki school, the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) is performed before the salutation (taslim) if it is due to a deficiency, and after it if it is due to an excess. If both a deficiency and an excess occur, the well-known opinion is to prioritize the deficiency and perform the prostration for both before the salutation. Another opinion suggests performing it after the salutation, prioritizing the excess. The tashahhud after the two prostrations of forgetfulness before the salutation is a sunnah, and there is no penalty for one who omits it, whether intentionally or forgetfully.

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

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