What is the ruling on the validity of the prayer for the individual worshiper and the congregants, given that the Imam mistakenly sat for the Tashahhud in the third Rak'ah and began raising his finger, then remembered and stood up for the fourth Rak'ah, and did not perform the prostrations of forgetfulness (sujood al-sahw)?
The prayer of both the Imam and the congregants is valid, and there is no need for prostration of forgetfulness ( as-sahw), according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. This is because what the Imam did is considered a minor action that does not affect the validity of the prayer. This is supported by the of Al-Mughirah: "If one of you doubts and stands up after two rak'ahs, and has already stood up straight, he should continue and not return, and he should perform two prostrations. But if he has not stood up straight, he should sit down, and there is no forgetfulness upon him." Furthermore, minor actions, which if a worshipper did intentionally would not invalidate their prayer, do not necessitate sujud as-sahw if done out of forgetfulness.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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