Looking for this hadith

[Tabassum07]

:salam2:

I read this in an ebook, but I can't remember the title of the book. There was a hadith concerning the prostration of forgetfulness which went something like 'if a person is in doubt whether he's prayed 3 or 4 rakats, he can pray one more and then do the prostration of forgetfulness. If his prayer then made up 4 rakat, its good for him, and if the total came to 5 rakat, shaitan flees.'

Not the exact wording, but this was the gist of the hadith. Can someone please help me find this?

 

[Ershad]

Walaikkum assalam wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu,

This one ?

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed that:
The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "If one of you is not sure about his prayer, let him forget about what he is unsure of and complete his prayer on the basis of what he is sure of. When he is sure that he has completed it, let him prostrate twice while he is sitting. Then if he has prayed five (rak'ahs), they (the two prostrations) will make his prayer even-numbered, and if he had prayed four, they will annoy and humiliate the shaitan." (Sahih)

Reference: http://sunnah.com/urn/1063630

 

[Tabassum07]

:salam2:

Yes, that's the exact one. JazakAllahu Khair, brother.

It doesn't say whether the prostration is before or after the tasleem. Do we know which one would be correct?

 

[Ershad]

:salam2:

Yes, that's the exact one. JazakAllahu Khair, brother.

It doesn't say whether the prostration is before or after the tasleem. Do we know which one would be correct?

Walaikkum assalam wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu,


Barakallahu feek!

You are referring only one hadith, sister. However, there are others.


For example:

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:
"The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) led us in praying 'Asr, and he said the salam after two rak'ahs. Dhul-Yadain stood up and said: 'Has the prayer been shortened, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) or did you forget?' The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: 'Neither.' He said: 'One of them happened, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam).' The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) turned to the people and said: 'Is Dhul-Yadain speaking the truth?' They said: 'Yes.' So the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) completed what was left of the prayer, then he prostrated twice when he was sitting after the taslim." (Sahih) (http://sunnah.com/urn/1063510)

It was narrated that Abdullah bin Buhainah said:
"The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) led us in praying two rak'ahs, then he stood up and did not sit, and the people stood up with him. When he finished the prayer, and we were waiting for him to say the taslim, he said the takbir and prostrated twice while sitting, before the taslim. Then he said the taslim." (Sahih) (http://sunnah.com/urn/1063470)

There are few other hadiths regarding forgetfulness here.

Regarding which is correct, I follow the view of the Ulema i.e. the book by Shaykh Uthaymeen Rahimahullah which you provided in the other thread.

 

[thariq2005]

:salam2:

Yes, that's the exact one. JazakAllahu Khair, brother.

It doesn't say whether the prostration is before or after the tasleem. Do we know which one would be correct?

Wa `alaykum salaam wa rahmatullaah

The narration that brother Erschad posted is not complete in its translation, wAllaahu a`lam.

This is the narration in Arabic:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : " إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ كَمْ صَلَّى ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيَطْرَحِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى مَا اسْتَيْقَنَ ، ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ ، فَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى خَمْسًا شَفَعْنَ لَهُ صَلَاتَهُ ، وَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى إِتْمَامًا لِأَرْبَعٍ كَانَتَا تَرْغِيمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ " أخرجه مسلم .

Just to translate the necessary part: "When one of you doubts in his prayer and does not know how much he has prayed- whether three or four (rak`ah)- then let him cast away the doubt and build upon that which he is certain about (i.e. take the lesser number- 3). Then he prostrates with two prostrations before the tasleem...."
(Reported by Muslim)

 

[Ershad]

Wa `alaykum salaam wa rahmatullaah

The narration that brother Erschad posted is not complete in its translation, wAllaahu a`lam.

:salam2:


Jazakallahu khairan for correcting brother.

 

[Tabassum07]

:salam2:

JazakAllahu Khair, akhi Thariq, for the clarification. It clears things up.