1183. If a person doubts whether he has performed a component of prayer that is not a pillar, he should perform it so long as he has not proceeded to the next component of prayer. For example, if while reciting the second sÙrah, a person doubts whether he has recited sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah or not, he should recite sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah. If he later realizes that he had already recited it, his prayer will be valid.
1184. If a person doubts whether he has performed a pillar of prayer or not, he should dismiss his doubt if he has proceeded to the next component of prayer. For example, if a person doubts while reciting the tashahhud whether he performed the two sujÙd or not, he should dismiss his doubt.
If however, he later realizes that he had omitted it, and the pillar is takbÐrat al-iÎrÁm in particular, his prayer will be deemed invalid irrespective of whether he has proceeded to the next pillar or not. In the event it is other than takbÐrat al-iÎrÁm, and he has not proceeded to the next pillar, he should perform it. However, if he has proceeded to the next pillar, his prayer will be invalid. For example, if prior to the rukÙ of the subsequent rak‘ah, a person realizes that he had not performed the two sujÙd, he should perform them. However, if he realizes after proceeding to rukÙ, his prayer will be invalid.
1185. If a person doubts whether he has performed a component of prayer that is not a pillar, he should dismiss his doubt if he has proceeded to the next component. For example, if a person doubts while reciting the second sÙrah whether he has recited sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah or not, he should dismiss his doubt. However, if he later realizes that he had not performed it, he should perform it so long as he has not proceeded to the subsequent pillar. If he has already engaged in the subsequent pillar, his prayer will be valid. Therefore, if for example he remembers while engaged in qunÙt that he has not recited the second sÙrah, he must recite it. However, if he remembers it while he is engaged in rukÙ, his prayer will be valid.
1186. If a person doubts whether he has said the salÁm of prayer or not, he should dismiss his doubt if he has proceeded to the next prayer, or engaged himself in an act that would break the form of the prayer and remove him from the state of one who is praying. However, if the doubt arises prior to these, he should say the salÁm, even if he has begun to recite the ta‘qÐbÁt. If he doubts whether he said the salÁm correctly or not, he should dismiss his doubt in any case.
1187. If after completing the salÁm of prayer, a person doubts whether he offered his prayer correctly or not—such as doubting whether he had performed rukÙ‘ or not—or doubts whether he had offered four rak‘ah or five, he should dismiss his doubt. A great number of renowned scholars have said that if both possibilities entertained in the doubt are invalid, his prayer will be invalid. An example of this is a person who doubts after completing the salÁm of a four rak‘ah prayer, whether he offered three or five rak‘ah. However, this ruling is problematic and obligatory precaution dictates that he should perform another rak‘ah, perform two sajdah al-sahw after salÁm, and also repeat his prayer.
1188. If after the time of prayer has passed, a person doubts whether he has offered his prayer or not, or speculates that he has not offered it, it is not necessary for him to offer it. However, if a person doubts before the time of the prayer has elapsed whether he has offered his prayer or not, he will have to offer his prayer even though he may be speculating that he has already offered it.
1189. If a person doubts after the time of prayer has elapsed whether he offered his prayer correctly or not, he should dismiss his doubt.
1190. If the time of Ûuhr and ‘aÒr prayers has passed, and a person knows that he has offered a four rak‘ah prayer, but does not know whether he offered it with the intention of Ûuhr or ‘aÒr prayer, he should offer a four rak‘ah qaÃÁ prayer with the intention of offering the prayer that is obligatory on him.
1191. If the time of maghrib and ‘ishÁ prayer has passed, and a person knows he has offered a prayer, but does not know whether he offered a three rak‘ah prayer or four rak‘ah prayer, he should offer the qaÃÁ of both the maghrib and ‘ishÁ prayer.
1192. KathÐr al-shakk is a person who is considered to doubt a lot according to the common understanding. An instance of kathÐr al-shakk is a person who entertains a doubt in each of three consecutive prayers. Such a person should dismiss his doubt so long as his doubt is not caused by anger, fear or anxiety.
1193. If a kathÐr al-shakk doubts whether he has carried out a part or condition of prayer or not, he should assume that he has carried it out. For example, if he doubts whether he has performed the rukÙ or not, he should assume he has done so. Similarly if he doubts whether he has performed an act that invalidates prayer or not, such as doubting whether he has performed two or three rak‘ah in the fajr prayer, he should assume the validity of his prayer.
1194. If a person who excessively entertains doubts regarding a particular part of prayer, entertains a doubt regarding another part, he should act according to the instructions of that doubt. For example, if a person who entertains a lot of doubts regarding sujÙd, doubts whether he has performed rukÙ or not, he should act according to its instructions. That is, if he has not performed sujÙd, he should perform the rukÙ. However, if he has proceeded to sujÙd, he should dismiss his doubt.
1195. If a person who excessively entertains doubts in a particular prayer, such as the Ûuhr prayer, entertains a doubt in another prayer, such as the ‘aÒr prayer, he should act according to the instructions for that doubt.
1196. If a person who entertains a lot of doubts while praying in a particular place, entertains a doubt while praying in another place, he should act according to the instructions for that doubt.
1197. If a person doubts whether he has become kathÐr al-shakk or not, he should act according to the instructions of the doubt (he entertains in his prayer). On the other hand, a kathÐr al-shakk should dismiss his doubts until he is certain he has returned to a normal condition.
1198. If a person who doubts excessively, entertains a doubt as to whether he has performed a pillar or not, and dismisses his doubt only to realize later on that he had in fact omitted that pillar, his prayer will be deemed invalid if it is the takbÐrat al-ihram, regardless of whether he has proceeded to the subsequent pillar or not. If it is other than the takbÐrat al-ihram, he should perform it, so long as he has not proceeded to the subsequent pillar. However, if he has proceeded to the subsequent pillar, his prayer will be deemed invalid. For example, if a person doubts whether he performed rukÙ or not, and dismisses his doubt, but prior to engaging in sujÙd, realizes that he had not performed rukÙ, he should return and perform it. However, if he realizes it during his second sujÙd, his prayer will be deemed invalid.
1199. If a person who doubts excessively, entertains a doubt as to whether or not he has performed a part of prayer that is not a pillar, and dismisses his doubt, only to realize later on that he had in fact omitted it, he should perform it so long as he has not passed its place. However, if its place has passed, his prayer will be valid. For example, if a person doubts whether he has recited sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah or not, and dismisses his doubt, but realizes during qunÙt that he had omitted it, he should recite it. If he realizes after proceeding to rukÙ, his prayer will be valid.
1200. If the Imam of a congregational prayer doubts concerning the number of rak‘ah, for example, he doubts whether he has performed three rak‘ah or four rak‘ah, then in the event that the follower is certain or speculates that he has performed for example, four rak‘ah, and makes the Imam realize that he has performed four rak‘ah, the Imam should complete his prayer and he will not have to offer the iÎtiyÁÔ prayer. Similarly, if the Imam is certain about the number of rak‘ah he has performed, or speculates about it, but the follower doubts, he should dismiss his doubt.
1201. If a person doubts concerning the number of rak‘ah he has offered in a recommended prayer, and if the possibility with the higher number of rak‘ah invalidates the prayer, he should assume he has performed the lesser number of rak‘ah. For example, if during the nÁfilah of fajr, a person doubts whether he has performed two rak‘ah or three, he should assume he has performed two rak‘ah. However, if the possibility with the higher number does not invalidate the prayer, such as a doubt between one and two rak‘ah, his prayer will be valid, regardless of the option he adopts
1202. The omission of a nÁfilah prayer’s pillars invalidates it. However, there is no harm in increasing its pillars. Therefore, if a person forgets a component of the nÁfilah, and recollects while engaged in the subsequent pillar, he should perform the forgotten component, and repeat the pillar he was engaged in. For example, if a person recollects while engaged in rukÙ that he forgot to recite sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah, he should recite sÙrat al-FÁtiÎah and then repeat the rukÙ.
1203. If a doubt arises concerning one of the components of a nÁfilah prayer, be it a pillar or not, he should perform it so long its place has not passed. However, if its place has passed, the doubt should be dismissed.
1204. If during a two rak‘ah nÁfilah, a person speculates that he has performed three rak‘ah or more, his prayer will be valid. If he speculates that he has performed two rak‘ah or less, he should act according to his speculation. For example, if he speculates that he has offered one rak‘ah, he should offer one more rak‘ah.
1205. If during a nÁfilah prayer, a person performs an act which would obligate him to perform a sajdah al-sahw in an obligatory prayer, or if he forgets one sujÙd, or the tashahhud, and recollects after the salÁm of the prayer, neither sajdah al-sahw, nor the qaÃÁ become obligatory on him.
1206. If a person doubts whether he has offered a recommended prayer or not, he should assume he has not offered it if it is a prayer that is not time-specific, such as the prayer of JÁ‘far al-ÓayyÁr (Peace be upon him). He should similarly assume he has not offered it if it is a prayer that is time-specific, such as the daily nÁfilah, if his doubt arises within the specified time. However, if his doubt arises after the specified time has elapsed, he should dismiss his doubt.
1207. There are nine cases, in which, if a doubt concerning the rak‘ah of prayer arises in a four rak‘ah prayer, a person should cogitate and based on obligatory precaution, he should not delay his cogitation. If he attains certitude or suspects one of the possibilities in his doubt, he should act according to it, and complete his prayer. If he does not attain certitude or does not have a reasonable doubt about any of the possibilities, he should act in accordance with the subsequent nine instructions:
First: If after completing the obligatory dhikr of the second sujÙd, a person doubts whether he has performed two or three rak‘ah, he should assume he has performed three rak‘ah, perform another rak‘ah and complete his prayer. After the prayer, he should offer a single rak‘ah of iÎtiyÁÔ prayer standing.
Second: If after completing the obligatory dhikr of the second sujÙd, a person doubts whether he has performed two or four rak‘ah—although there is case to be made for offering the option between starting the prayer from the beginning, or assuming that one has offered four rak‘ah and performing the iÎtiyÁÔ prayer—obligatory precaution however, dictates he should assume he has offered four rak‘ah, complete his prayer and offer a two rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer standing.
Third: If after completing the obligatory dhikr of the second sujÙd, a person doubts whether he has performed two, three or four rak‘ah, he should assume he has performed four rak‘ah, complete his prayer and then offer a two rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer standing and then another two rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer sitting.
Fourth: If after completing the obligatory dhikr of the second sujÙd, a person doubts whether he has performed four or five rak‘ah, he should assume he has performed four rak‘ah, complete his prayer and offer two sajdah al-sahw.
However, if any one of these four doubts arise after completing the first sujÙd, or prior to completing the obligatory dhikr of the second sujÙd, his prayer will be invalid.
Fifth: If during any component of prayer, a person doubts whether he has performed three or four rak‘ah, he should assume he has performed four rak‘ah and complete his prayer. Based on the opinion of a great number of renowned scholars, he should then offer either a single rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer standing or a two rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer sitting. However, obligatory precaution dictates that he should select the two rak‘ah iÎtiyÁÔ prayer sitting.
