Chapter on sujūd as-sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness)
As-sahw means forgetfulness—leaving something unintentionally—and the one who does so incurs no sin, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “My community has been pardoned for mistakes and forgetfulness.”
Such forgetfulness befell the Prophet ﷺ for many wise purposes:
• to demonstrate that he was a human being; what happens to others could happen to him, yet he would not be left upon it, in protection of Prophethood;
• to legislate for the ummah in similar situations;
• to console anyone to whom it occurs, for when he learns that it happened to the Prophet ﷺ he need not grieve or fear a flaw in his religion or a deficiency in his faith; and there are other secrets known to Allah.
The causes that require this prostration are three:
- an addition in the prayer,
- an omission,
- or doubt.
Sujūd as-sahw was prescribed to please the Most Merciful, to enrage Satan, and to make up for the shortfall.
First ḥadīth
Muhammad ibn Sīrīn relates from Abū Hurayrah who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in one of the two afternoon prayers (1).” Ibn Sīrīn added, “Abū Hurayrah actually named it, but I have forgotten which one.” He went on: “He led us in two rakʿahs, then gave the salām. He then walked over to a beam set crosswise in the mosque, leaned on it as though angry, placed his right hand over his left, and interlaced his fingers. The quick-stepping people (2) left through the doors of the mosque, saying, ‘Has the prayer been shortened?’ Among the congregation were Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, yet both were too awed to speak to him.
“One of the people—a man with long arms known as Dhul-Yadayn—said, ‘Messenger of Allah, did you forget, or has the prayer been shortened (3)?’
“He replied, ‘I did not forget, nor has it been shortened.’ Then he asked, ‘Is it as Dhul-Yadayn (4) says?’”