Category: Abi Dawud

Narrated Ata’ ibn Yasar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you is in doubt about his prayer, and does not know how much he has prayed, three or four rak’ahs, he should pray one (additional) rak’ah and make two prostrations while sitting before giving the salutation. If the (additional) rak’ah which he prayed is the fifth one, he will make it an even number by these two prostrations. If it is the fourth one, the two prostrations will be a disgrace for the devil.

Zaid b. Aslam reported on the authority of the chain of Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If one of you is in doubt about his prayer, and if he is sure that he prayed three rak’ah, he should stand and complete one rak’ah along with its prostrations. Then he should sit and recite the tashahhud. When he finishes the prayer, and there remains nothing except salutation, he should make two prostrations while he is sitting and afterwards should give the salutation. The narrator then narrated the tradition similar to that of Malik. Abu Dawud said: Similarly, this tradition has been narrated by Ibn Wahb from Malik, Hafs b. Maisarah, Dawud b. Qais and Hisham b. Sa’d. But Hisham projected it to Abu Sa’id al-Khudri.

AbuUbaydah reported, on the authority of his father Abdullah (ibn Mas’ud), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When you offer the prayer, and you are in doubt about the number of rak’ahs whether offered three or four, and you have prayed four rak’ahs in all probability in your opinion, you should recite tashahhud and make two prostrations while you are sitting before giving the salutation. afterwards you should recite the tashahhud and give the salutation again. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by ‘Abd al-Wahid from Khusaif, but he did not report it as a statement of the Prophet (ﷺ). The version of ‘Abd al-Wahid has been corroborated by Sufyan, Sharik, and Isra’il. They differed amongst themselves about the text of the tradition and they did not narrate it with the continuous chain up to the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated AbuSa’id al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays, and he does not know whether he prayed more or less rak’ahs (than those prescribed by the Shari’ah), he should perform two prostrations while he is sitting. If the devil comes to him, and tells him (suggests him): “You have been defiled,” he should say: “You have told a lie,” except that he feels smell with his nose, or sound with his ears (then his ablution will break). These are the wording; of the tradition reported by Aban. Abu Dawud said: Ma’mar and ‘Abi b. al-Mubarak mentioned the name “Iyad b. Hilal and al-Awza’i mentioned the name of Iyad b. Abi Zuhair.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; When one of you stands up to pray, the devil comes to him and confuses him so that he does not know how much he has prayed. If any of you has such an experience, he should perform two prostrations while he is sitting. Abu Dawud said; This tradition has been narrated in a similar manner by Ibn ‘Uyainab, Ma’mar and al-Laith.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Muhammad b. Muslim through a different chain of narrators. This version adds; “While he is sitting before he gives the salutation.”

This traditions has also been narrated by Muhammad b. Muslim al-Zuhr through a different chain of transmitters and to the same effect. This version adds; He should perform two prostrations before giving the salutation.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Ja’far: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Anyone who is in doubt in his prayer should make two prostrations after giving the salutation.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Buhaynah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer praying two rak’ahs. When he stood up and did not sit (at the end of two rak’ahs) the people stood up along with him. When he finished the prayer and we expect him to give the salutation, he said: “Allah is most great.” While sitting and made two prostrations before giving the salutation. Then he gave it.

This tradition (mentioned above) has also been transmitted by al-Zuhri through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds: Some of us recited the Tashahhud while they were standing. Abu Dawud said: Ibn-Zubair made two prostrations before giving the salutation in a similar way when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs. This is the opinion of al-Zuhrl.