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?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
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.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/126191
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 126191
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- . 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