Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: If one forgets while reciting Al-Tahiyyat during the last qa’dah, what should they do?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
Sitting in the last qa’dah of salah is fard i.e. sitting for the duration that one can recite the entire Al-Tahiyyat until عبده و رسوله. Without this, the fard will not be fulfilled. But reciting Al-Tahiyyat until رسوله عبده و in the first and last qa’dah is wajib. Mistakenly skipping the entire Al-Tahiyyat or any part of it will necessitate sajdah sahw and skipping it intentionally will cause the salah to become wajib al-i’adah.
While reciting Al-Tahiyyat in the last qa’dah, if one cannot remember further, he can repeat the Al-Tahiyyat he already recited. If he then recalls further, then he should complete it; otherwise, if he has forgotten and cannot recall the remaining part, he should recite the durood and dua, perform sajdah sahw, then complete his salah. This is because sitting for the duration it takes to recite Al-Tahiyyat was fard, which was completed, and Al-Tahiyyat, which was wajib, is substituted through the sajdah sahw. In this way, the salah will be valid. However, if one doesn’t perform sajdah sahw, it will be wajib to repeat the salah.
Sitting in the last qa’dah for the duration of reciting Al-Tahiyyat is fard. Thus, it is stated in Al-Fatawa Al-‘Alamgiri:
(و منها القعود الأخير) مقدار التشهد. كذا في التبيين وهو من قوله التحيات لله إلى عبده و رسوله۔۔۔ و القعدة الأخيرة فرض في الفرض والتطوع حتى لو صلى ركعتين و لم يقعد في آخرهما و قام و ذهب تفسد صلاته.
(Al-Fatawa Al-‘Hindiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 70-71, Publ. Dar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut)
It is wajib to recite the entire Al-Tahiyyat, until عبده و رسوله, in the first and last qa’dah. It is stated in Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar Ma’a Radd Al-Muhtar:
(و التشھدان)ای: تشھد القعدۃ الاولیٰ و تشھد الاخیرۃ۔۔۔ (و کذا فی کل قعدۃ فی الاصح)
(Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar Ma’a Radd Al-Muhtar, Vol. 2, Book of Salah, p. 196-197, Publ. Dar Al-Ma’rifah, Beirut)
Repeating the Tashahhud in the last qa’dah doesn’t obligate sajdah sahw ever. It is stated in Al-Fatawa Al-‘Alamgiri:
و لو كرر التشهد۔۔۔ في القعدة الثانية فلا سهو عليه، كذا في التبيين
(Al-Fatawa Al-‘Hindiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 127, Publ. Dar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah)
Mistakenly skipping the entire Al-Tahiyyat or any part of it will obligate sajdah sahw. It is stated in Al-Bahr Al-Ra’iq:
يجب سجود السهو بتركه و لو قليلا في ظاهر الرواية لأنه ذكر واحد منظوم فترك بعضه كترك كله و لا فرق بين القعدة الأولى أو الثانية
(Al-Bahr Al-Ra’iq, Vol. 2, p. 102-103, Publ. Dar Al-Kitab Al-Islami, Beirut)
If one completely forgets Al-Tahiyyat and cannot recall it at all, sajdah sahw will substitute for it. Similarly, the one who forgets the wajib qira’at and performs ruku’ out of compulsion, the ruling is that sajdah sahw will suffice. My master, A’la Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan علیہ رحمة الرحمن states in Fatawa Razawiyyah:
جو فقط الحمد للّٰہ رب العٰلمین پڑھ کر بھول گیا اور رکوع کر دیا نماز کا فرض ساقط ہو جائیگا مگر ناقص ہوئی کہ واجب ترک ہوا الحمد شریف تمام وکمال پڑھنا ایک واجب ہے اوراس کے سوا کسی دوسری سورت سے ایک آیت بڑی یا تین آیتیں چھوٹی پڑھنا واجب ہے، اگر الحمد للّٰہ بھُولا تھا اور واجب اول کے ادا کرنے سے باز رکھا گیا تو واجب دوم کے ادا سے عاجز نہ تھا، فقط ایک ہی آیت پر قناعت کرکے رکوع کردینے میں قصداً ترک واجب ہوا،اور جو واجب قصداً چھوڑا جائے سجدہ سہو اس کی اصلاح نہیں کرسکتا تو واجب ہے کہ نماز دوبارہ پڑھے، ہاں اگر ایسا بھُولا کہ نہ بقیہ فاتحہ یاد آتا ہے نہ قرآن عظیم سے کہیں کی آیتیں اور نا چار رکوع کردیا اور سجدے میں جانے تک فاتحہ وآیات یاد نہ آئیں تو اب سجدہ سہو کافی ہے۔
Translation: If one only recited الحمد لله رب العالمين and forgot further, then he went in ruku’, the fard of salah is fulfilled, but it is insufficient because a wajib was not fulfilled. Reciting the complete Al-Fatihah is a separate wajib, and reciting one long verse or three short verses from another surah is also a wajib. If one forgot Al-Fatihah and didn’t complete the first wajib, he was still able to complete the second wajib. Reciting only one verse and then going into ruku’ is purposefully skipping a wajib; if a wajib is purposefully skipped, sajdah sahw cannot substitute for it. Therefore, it will be wajib to repeat the salah. However, if one completely forgot and is unable to remember the remaining Al-Fatihah or any part of the Qur’an, then he performed ruku’ out of compulsion, performing sajdah sahw will suffice, given that he didn’t recall Al-Fatihah or any verse until he performs sajdah. (Fatawa Razawiyyah, Vol. 6, p. 329-330, Publ. Raza Foundation, Lahore)
If one doesn’t perform sajdah sahw despite it being necessary, it will become wajib to repeat the salah. Thus, it is stated in Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar:
تعاد وجوبا فی العمد و السھو إن لم یسجد
(Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar, Vol. 2, Chapter: Wajib acts in salah, p. 181, Publ. Dar Al-Ma’rifah, Beirut)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FAM-657
Date: 7th Sha’ban Al-Mu’azzam 1446 AH/ 6th February 2025