321 – “When the imam rises after two rakʿahs and remembers before he has become fully upright, let him sit down; but if he has become fully upright, let him not sit down, and let him perform two prostrations for forgetfulness.”

It was recorded by Abu Dawud (1036), Ibn Majah (1208), al-Daraqutni (145), al-Bayhaqi (2/343), and Ahmad (4/253, 253–254), through Jabir al-Juʿfi, who said: Al-Mughirah ibn Shubayl al-Ahmasi narrated to us, from Qays ibn Abi Hazim, from al-Mughirah ibn Shuʿbah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said it.

I say: The narrators in this chain of transmission are reliable, apart from Jabir al-Juʿfi, who was weak and a Rafidite. Abu Dawud said after citing the hadith: “This is the only hadith from Jabir al-Juʿfi in my book.”

I say: Al-Hafiz said in al-Talkhis (2/4): “He is very weak.”

I say: Ibn al-Mulaqqin said after it in Khulasat al-Badr al-Munir (fol. 68/2): “It was said in al-Maʿrifah: He is not to be relied upon as proof. However, it has been narrated through two other routes and has become well known among the jurists.”

I say: The two routes referred to were recorded by al-Tahawi; one of them was also recorded by Abu Dawud and others, from al-Mughirah:

“That he prayed and then rose after two rakʿahs. They said, ‘Glory be to Allah,’ to alert him, but he continued. When he had completed his prayer, he performed two prostrations for forgetfulness. Then, when he had concluded, he said: ‘The Messenger of Allah did as I have done.’”

Al-Hafiz said: “Al-Hakim also narrated it—meaning, through one of the two routes—from Ibn Abbas, and from