2/204. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1024 — Build Prayer on Certainty and Leave Doubt
Whoever Said The Doubt Should Be Ignored When One Is Confused Regarding (Whether He Has Prayed) Two Or Three Rak'ah
Hadith About Doubt in Prayer: Build on Certainty
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1024
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1024
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا شَكَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَلْيُلْقِ الشَّكَّ وَلْيَبْنِ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ فَإِذَا اسْتَيْقَنَ التَّمَامَ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ صَلاَتُهُ تَامَّةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ نَافِلَةً وَالسَّجْدَتَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ نَاقِصَةً كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَةُ تَمَامًا لِصَلاَتِهِ وَكَانَتِ السَّجْدَتَانِ مُرْغِمَتَىِ الشَّيْطَانِ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ هِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ زَيْدٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَحَدِيثُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ أَشْبَعُ .
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Narrated from:
‘Ata’ b. Yasar said that Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: when one of you is in doubt about his prayer (i.e, how much he has prayed), he should throw away his doubt and base his prayer on what he is sure of. When he is sure about the completion of his prayer, he should make two prostrations (at the end of the prayer). If the prayer is complete, the additional rak’ah and the two prostrations will be supererogatory prayer. If the prayer is incomplete, the additional rak’ahs will compensate it, and the two prostrations will be a disgrace for the devil.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1024In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 635English translation : Book 2, Hadith 1019
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1024
This hadith is a clear guide for doubt in prayer. The Prophet said that when a person is unsure how much he has prayed, he should throw away the doubt and base the prayer on what he is sure of. After completing the prayer with certainty, he should make two prostrations. The text explains the result in both cases. If the prayer was already complete, the extra rak'ah and prostrations count as extra prayer. If it was incomplete, the added rak'ah completes it, and the two prostrations are a disgrace for the devil. For searchers asking what to do when unsure in salah, this hadith gives a careful and steady answer.
What we learn from this hadith
- Doubt in prayer should be set aside in favor of what is certain.
- Two prostrations are made after the prayer is completed with certainty.
- The added rak'ah either completes the prayer or counts as extra prayer, as stated in the hadith.
