Islamic Manual

The prostrations of forgetfulness (sahw), recitation (tilawah) and thanks (shukr)

The prostration of forgetfulness that fixes a mistake in prayer, the prostration due on reciting a verse of prostration, and the prostration of gratitude.

Sajdah Sahw means "prostration of forgetting." It's two extra times you put your forehead down, near the end of the prayer, to fix a mistake you made by accident.

The rules of Sajdah Sahw

  1. If you miss a whole pillar (like forgetting to bow), the prayer just doesn't count, whether that was on purpose or by accident: Sajdah Sahw can't fix that.
  2. If you only miss a sunnah or a recommended act, your prayer still counts and you don't need to do Sajdah Sahw at all.
  3. Sajdah Sahw works the same way for fard, wajib and nafl prayers.
  4. If you make more than one mistake, one Sajdah Sahw (two prostrations) fixes all of them; you don't need extra.
  5. If you accidentally make a mistake during the Sajdah Sahw itself, you don't need to do yet another one.
  6. If you forget to do Sajdah Sahw and only remember after the prayer, you can still do it, as long as you haven't yet turned away from the Qibla or started talking.
  7. If the imam makes a mistake, everyone, the imam and all the followers, does Sajdah Sahw together. If only one follower makes a mistake and the imam doesn't, nobody does Sajdah Sahw for it.
Necessary (Wājib)must do

If you make a mistake in your prayer by accident, you must do Sajdah Sahw, two extra prostrations near the end, to fix it. One Sajdah Sahw covers every mistake in that prayer. It cannot fix a missed pillar, and you do not need it for a missed sunnah.

Sajdah Tilawah is a separate prostration you do when a "verse of prostration" is recited or heard.

Rules of Sajdah Tilawah

  1. It's only obligatory on people who are old enough and sane enough that prayer itself is obligatory on them, not on children, not on someone who isn't sane, and not on a woman during her period or after childbirth.
  2. It IS obligatory on someone who is drunk or who needs a full bath (ghusl).
  3. If it becomes obligatory while you're not praying, do it right away if you can; doing it later is still okay, just not as good. If it becomes obligatory WHILE you're praying, you must do it immediately.
  4. If the same verse gets recited or heard several times in one sitting, you only need to do this prostration once, unless the gathering breaks up (for example, everyone eats a proper meal, talks a lot, walks off somewhere, or starts buying and selling), then a second one is needed.
  5. It's disliked to recite a whole surah while skipping over its verse of prostration on purpose.
Necessary (Wājib)must do

When you recite or hear a verse of prostration, you must do Sajdah Tilawah. If it happens during prayer, do it right away; outside prayer, it is best to do it straight away too. If the same verse is repeated in one sitting, one prostration is enough.

Sajdah Shukr is a prostration of thanks, not part of prayer at all.

Sajdah Shukr

  1. It's a good thing to do when something good happens to you, or when a problem you were facing goes away.
  2. It's disliked to do it right after finishing your prayer, so people don't get the wrong idea that it's actually part of the prayer.
  3. You do it the same way as Sajdah Tilawah.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

It is a good thing to do a prostration of thanks when something good happens to you or a problem goes away. Do it the same way as Sajdah Tilawah, but not right after finishing a prayer, so nobody thinks it is part of the prayer.

Sajdah Sahw, the prostration of forgetfulness, consists of two extra prostrations, performed near the end of the prayer, to correct a mistake made unintentionally.

The rules of Sajdah Sahw

  1. If a pillar (rukn) of the prayer is missed, whether the omission is intentional or accidental, the prayer is not valid; Sajdah Sahw cannot remedy the loss of a pillar.
  2. Missing a sunnah or a mustahabb act leaves the prayer valid, and Sajdah Sahw is not required for it.
  3. Sajdah Sahw applies equally to fard, wajib and nafl prayers.
  4. Where multiple mistakes occur, a single Sajdah Sahw (two prostrations) is sufficient for all of them.
  5. If a further mistake happens during the Sajdah Sahw itself, no additional Sajdah Sahw is required for it.
  6. If someone forgets to perform Sajdah Sahw and only realises after completing the prayer, they may still perform it, provided they have not yet turned their chest from the Qibla or begun speaking.
  7. If the imam makes a mistake, both the imam and the followers perform Sajdah Sahw together; if only a follower makes the mistake, no one performs it.
Necessary (Wājib)must do

Sajdah Sahw, two extra prostrations near the end of the prayer, is wajib to correct an unintentional mistake in a fard, wajib or nafl prayer, and a single Sajdah Sahw suffices for all the mistakes in one prayer. It cannot remedy a missed pillar (rukn), which invalidates the prayer, and it is not required for a missed sunnah or mustahabb act.

Sajdah Tilawah is a separate prostration due on reciting or hearing a verse of the Qur'an that calls for prostration.

Rules of Sajdah Tilawah

  1. It is obligatory only on those on whom Salah itself is obligatory, whether for its performance or its makeup (qadha). It is not obligatory on minors, on someone who is insane, or on a woman during menstruation or postnatal bleeding, though if the insanity lasts less than a full day and night, it does become obligatory. It is obligatory on someone intoxicated or in a state of major impurity (janabah).
  2. If it becomes obligatory outside of prayer, it is better to perform it immediately; delaying it remains permissible, though disliked (makruh tanzihi). If it becomes obligatory during Salah, it must be performed immediately.
  3. If a single verse of prostration is recited multiple times in one gathering, only one Sajdah Tilawah is obligatory; likewise, if the same verse is heard from multiple people in the same gathering, only one is required, provided the gathering itself does not change. Eating more than a few bites, speaking more than a few words, taking several steps, or engaging in buying and selling counts as changing the gathering, after which two prostrations become obligatory.
  4. Reciting an entire Surah while deliberately omitting its verse of prostration is disliked (makruh).
Necessary (Wājib)must do

Sajdah Tilawah is wajib on anyone on whom prayer itself is obligatory when they recite or hear a verse of prostration. If it becomes due during the prayer it must be performed at once; outside the prayer it is better performed immediately, though delay is permitted. One prostration suffices for a verse repeated within a single gathering.

Sajdah Shukr (the prostration of gratitude) is a further, distinct prostration, not a part of Salah.

Sajdah Shukr

  1. It is recommended when a person receives a blessing, or when a calamity is removed from them.
  2. Performing it immediately after Salah is disliked (makruh), so as to avoid the misconception among the unlearned that it is an obligatory or recommended prostration within the prayer itself.
  3. It should be performed in the same manner as Sajdah Tilawah.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

Sajdah Shukr, the prostration of gratitude, is recommended (mustahabb) on receiving a blessing or on the removal of a calamity, and is performed in the same manner as Sajdah Tilawah. Performing it immediately after the prayer is disliked (makruh), lest it be taken for part of the prayer.

Sajdat as-sahw comprises two additional prostrations, performed toward the close of the prayer, to remedy an unintentional (sahw) omission or defect.

The governing rules of sajdat as-sahw

  1. The omission of a rukn, whether deliberate or through sahw, invalidates the prayer outright; sajdat as-sahw cannot substitute for a missing rukn.
  2. The omission of a sunnah or a mustaḥabb act leaves the prayer valid and requires no sajdat as-sahw.
  3. Sajdat as-sahw applies without distinction to farḍ, wājib and nafl prayers.
  4. Where several sahw-errors occur within a single prayer, one sajdat as-sahw (two prostrations) discharges all of them.
  5. A further sahw occurring within the sajdat as-sahw itself does not oblige a second one.
  6. One who forgets to perform sajdat as-sahw and recalls it only after the prayer's completion may still perform it, provided he has not yet turned his chest from the qiblah or spoken.
  7. Where the imam commits the sahw, both he and the muqtadīn perform sajdat as-sahw together; where a muqtadī alone commits it, no one performs it.
Necessary (Wājib)must do

Sajdat as-sahw, two additional prostrations toward the close of the prayer, is wajib to remedy an unintentional (sahw) defect in a fard, wajib or nafl prayer; one sajdat as-sahw discharges every sahw within that prayer. It cannot substitute for an omitted rukn, which invalidates the prayer outright, and it is not required for an omitted sunnah or mustahabb act.

Sajdat at-tilāwah is a distinct prostration occasioned by the recitation or hearing of an āyat as-sajdah.

The governing rules of sajdat at-tilāwah

  1. It is obligatory only on one for whom ṣalāh itself is obligatory, whether as adāʾ or qaḍāʾ; it does not obligate a minor, one of unsound mind, or a woman in ḥayḍ or nifās, save that where the insanity persists for less than a full day and night, the obligation does attach. It obligates one who is intoxicated or in janābah.
  2. Where it arises outside of ṣalāh, immediate performance is preferable; delay remains valid, though makrūh tanzīhī. Where it arises within ṣalāh, immediate performance is required.
  3. Where a single āyat as-sajdah is recited repeatedly within one gathering (majlis), only one sajdah is obligatory; likewise where the same āyah is heard from several reciters within the same majlis, provided the majlis itself has not changed. Consuming more than a few morsels, speaking beyond a few words, taking several steps, or engaging in a transaction of sale constitutes a change of majlis, after which a fresh, second sajdah becomes obligatory.
  4. Reciting an entire sūrah while deliberately omitting its āyat as-sajdah is makrūh.
Necessary (Wājib)must do

Sajdat at-tilawah is wajib on every mukallaf on whom salah is obligatory upon reciting or hearing an ayat as-sajdah. Where it arises within salah it must be performed immediately; outside salah immediate performance is preferable and delay is makruh tanzihi. A single sajdah discharges a verse repeated within one majlis.

Sajdat ash-shukr (the prostration of gratitude) is a further, independent prostration, external to ṣalāh.

Sajdat ash-shukr

  1. It is mustaḥabb on receiving a blessing (niʿmah), or on the removal of a calamity (balāʾ).
  2. Performing it immediately upon the conclusion of ṣalāh is makrūh, lest the unlearned come to suppose it an obligatory or recommended prostration belonging to the prayer itself.
  3. Its manner of performance is identical to that of sajdat at-tilāwah.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

Sajdat ash-shukr is mustahabb on receiving a ni'mah or on the removal of a bala', and is performed exactly as sajdat at-tilawah. Performing it immediately upon the conclusion of salah is makruh, lest the unlearned suppose it a prostration belonging to the prayer.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 664 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

Rulings of Prayer (Salah) Note

  1. If a Pillar of Prayer is missed whether the omission is intentional or accidental, the prayer will not be valid.
  2. Missing Sunnahs or Mustahabs Sajda-e-Sahw the prayer remains valid, and Sajda-e-Sahw is not required.
  3. Sajda-e-Sahw applies equally to all types of prayers, whether obligatory, Wajib, or Nafl.
  4. If Multiple Mistakes Occur only one Sajda-e-Sahw (two prostrations) is sufficient.
  5. If There’s a Mistake During Sajda-e-Sahw no additional Sajda-e-Sahw is required.
  6. Forgetting to Perform Sajda-e-Sahw, if you realize after completing the prayer but before turning your chest away from the Qibla or engaging in conversation, you can still perform Sajda-e-Sahw.
  7. If the Imam makes a mistake, both the Imam and the followers must perform Sajda-e-Sahw. But if the follower alone makes a mistake, no one performs Sajda-e-Sahw.
  8. A latecomer (Masbooq) should perform Sajda-e-Sahw with the Imam without Saying Salam. Afterward, they should complete their remaining prayer. If a mistake happens during their remaining prayer, they should perform Sajda-e-Sahw again.
  9. If someone joins late (Lahiq) and makes a mistake, they do not perform Sajda-e-Sahw. However, if the Imam performs Sajda-e-Sahw due to their own mistake, the latecomer should follow the Imam. The latecomer should only do this in their final sitting and in the same manner as the Imam. If the latecomer performs Sajda-e-Sahw with the Imam, they should repeat it later in their own prayer.
  10. If the Imam is a traveler (Musafir) and makes a mistake, the resident followers should perform Sajda-e-Sahw along with the Imam.
  11. In Friday or Eid prayers, if the Imam makes a mistake, he should avoid performing Sajda-e-Sahw to prevent confusion or disruption among the congregation.

This ruling applies to an individual praying alone. If an Imam mistakenly stands for a fifth unit after the final sitting, the followers should alert the Imam. If the Imam returns before completing Sujood of the fifth unit, the followers should conclude the prayer with him. Otherwise, the followers should exit the prayer by reciting Salam.

(9) If someone mistakenly concludes their Dhuhr prayer after two units, thinking they have prayed four, and later realizes their mistake, they should complete the remaining two units and perform Sajda-e-Sahw at the end.

None of the following actions make Sajdah Tilawah obligatory: writing a verse of prostration, thinking about it in one’s mind without uttering it, hearing it recited by a child, or merely looking at the verse with one’s eyes.

(8) Sajdah Tilawah is obligatory only on those upon whom Salah is obligatory, whether for its performance or its makeup (Qadha). It is not obligatory on minors, those who are insane, or women during menstruation or postpartum bleeding. However, if insanity lasts less than one full day and night, Sajdah Tilawah becomes obligatory. It is also obligatory on those who are intoxicated or in a state of major impurity (Janabah).(9) If Sajdah Tilawah becomes obligatory outside of prayer, it is better to perform it immediately. If delayed, it is still permissible, though it is disliked (Makruh Tanzihi). However, if it becomes obligatory during Salah, it must be performed immediately.(10) If a single verse of prostration is recited multiple times in one gathering, only one Sajdah Tilawah is obligatory. Similarly, if the same verse is heard from multiple people in the same gathering, only one Sajdah is required, provided the gathering does not change. If a person eats more than a few bites, speaks more than a few words, takes several steps, or becomes involved in buying and selling, it is considered as changing the gathering, and two prostrations will then become obligatory.(11) Reciting an entire Surah while deliberately leaving out its verse of prostration is disliked (Makruh).

Sajdah Shukr (Prostration of Gratitude):

(1) Sajdah Shukr is recommended when a person receives a blessing or when a calamity is removed.

(2) Performing Sajdah immediately after Salah is disliked (Makruh) to avoid the misconception among the unlearned that it is an obligatory or recommended prostration in prayer.

(3) Sajdah Shukr should be performed in the same way as Sajdah Tilawah.

Terms on this page

Sajdah Sahw

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