If a person prays Dhuhr three rak'ahs by mistake, should he complete the fourth rak'ah and perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw), or should he repeat the entire prayer?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If the worshipper remembers that he missed one or more units (rak'ahs) of prayer shortly after (around five minutes) while still in his prayer area or the mosque, he should complete the prayer by performing what he missed, then say the tasleem, prostrate for forgetfulness ( al-sahw), and say the tasleem again. However, if he remembers after a long interval, such as half an hour, or after leaving the mosque, he must repeat the entire prayer due to the lack of continuity.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/12165
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 12165
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy