The Third Issue:
Some jurists hold that when a traveller joins a resident imam and catches less than one rakʿah, he is not obliged to complete the prayer; but if he catches a full rakʿah, completing the prayer in full becomes incumbent upon him. This is the rule for making up a portion of the prayer when the imam has preceded him.
[Making Up Part of the Prayer on Account of Forgetfulness]
As for the ruling on making up part of the prayer that applies to the imam or an individual worshiper because of forgetfulness, the scholars agree that anything missed that constitutes a pillar (rukn)—that is, an obligatory element—must be performed, and nothing can replace actually doing it. Within that principle, however, there are subsidiary questions over which they differed: some obliged merely making up the missed part, while others required repeating the entire prayer.
Take the case of someone who forgets four prostrations in a four-rakʿah prayer—one prostration in each rakʿah. The opinions are:
• He rectifies the fourth rakʿah by performing its prostration, nullifies the preceding rakʿahs, and then performs them anew; this is the view of Mālik.
• The whole prayer is invalid and must be repeated; this is one of the two reports from Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.
• He performs four consecutive prostrations, after which his prayer is complete; this is the position of Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Thawrī, and al-Awzāʿī.
• He corrects the fourth rakʿah and counts two prostrations toward it; this is the school of al-Shāfiʿī.
The basis of the disagreement is whether the prescribed order (tartīb) must be observed. Whoever insists on maintaining the order in both prostrations and rakʿahs declares the entire prayer invalid. Whoever insists on order only in the prostrations invalidates all rakʿahs except the last, drawing an analogy with what a follower makes up of the imam’s prayer. Those who do not consider order obligatory permit all four prostrations to be performed together in a single rakʿah—especially if they believe that order is not required in an act repeated in every rakʿah, namely prostration. Since each rakʿah consists of standing, bowing, and prostration, and prostration is repeated, Abū Ḥanīfah’s companions argued that repetition does not oblige preserving the same order.
A similar controversy exists among Mālik’s disciples regarding someone who forgets to recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah in the first rakʿah. Some said he does not count that rakʿah and must make it up; others said he must repeat the entire prayer; still others said he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness and his prayer is complete. The ramifications of this chapter are numerous, and none are directly addressed in the texts; our present purpose is only to outline the foundational issues.
[Chapter Three of the Fourth Section on the Prostration of Forgetfulness]
[The Prostration Occasioned by Forgetfulness]
[Section One: Determining the Ruling of the Prostration]
Chapter Three of the Fourth Section treats the prostration of forgetfulness. The Sacred Law prescribes this prostration in one of two situations:
- When an addition or omission occurs in the actions or words of the prayer through forgetfulness, not deliberation; or
- When doubt arises concerning the acts of the prayer.
As for the prostration required because of forgetfulness, not doubt, our discussion will be confined to six sections: