Fatwa ID: 08725
Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Question:
Due to sihr, I frequently have doubts when performing salah. Should I just ignore these doubts. Also, if I am unsure whether or not I have performed a certain amount of rakats, what should I do?
For example, in a 4 rakat prayer sometimes I have doubts about whether I am in the 3rd rakat or 4th rakat and I am unsure how to act what should I do? Would sajdah sahw be necessary in this case or no?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
As a rule, doubts should be ignored wherever possible. You should pay no heed to frequent doubts and waswasa, especially if they are affecting your daily worship. It may help you to visit a trained Muslim counsellor or therapist for help with managing your worries.1
The procedure upon forgetting how many rakaats you have performed depends on your mental state. If you have a stronger belief in one number over the other, then you should act on your belief and ignore your doubts. No sajdah sahw would be required.
On the other hand, if you have no idea which of the two possibilities is true then you should act on the lower number. If in doubt between three and four rakaats, you should act as if you had only performed three. You should sit and pray tashahhud in every rakaat which could possibly be your last rakaat. Therefore, in a four-rakaat salah, you should sit for tashahhud in both the third and fourth rakaats, as either one could be your true fourth rakaat. Sajdah sahw would also be necessary.2
It may be helpful for you to try out a few methods to keep track of your rakaats. One method is firmly fixing which surahs you intend to read before beginning the salah. While praying in jamaat in the masjid or with a few friends or family members would be ideal, even praying near someone else who is performing the same salah could be helpful. As well as this, try to pray in a distraction-free environment. Before beginning salah, calm your breathing and make a firm intention to put aside your daily worries and instead focus on your recitation and connection with Allah (عز و جل). Learning the meaning of what you recite during salah could also help you keep focus.
References:
(1)
إِنَّ الشَّكَّ وَالِاحْتِمَالَ لَا يُوجِبُ الْحُكْمَ بِالنَّقْضِ، إذْ الْيَقِينُ لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.148
وْ أَيْقَنَ بِالطَّهَارَةِ وَشَكَّ بِالْحَدَثِ أَوْ بِالْعَكْسِ أَخَذَ بِالْيَقِينِ، وَلَوْ تَيَقَّنَهُمَا وَشَكَّ فِي السَّابِقِ فَهُوَ مُتَطَهِّرٌ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.150
لِأَنَّ قَطْعَ الْوَسْوَسَةِ وَاجِبٌ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.21
وَالسَّبِيلُ فِي الْوَسْوَسَةِ قَطْعُهَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ اشْتَغَلَ بِذَلِكَ لَأَدَّى إلَى أَنْ يَتَفَرَّعَ لِأَدَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَهَذَا لَا يَجُوزُ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.33
(2)
(قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ كَثُرَ شَكُّهُ)
بِأَنْ عَرَضَ لَهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي عُمْرِهِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ، أَوْ فِي صَلَاتِهِ عَلَى مَا اخْتَارَهُ فَخْرُ الْإِسْلَامِ. وَفِي الْمُجْتَبَى: وَقِيلَ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي سَنَةٍ، وَلَعَلَّهُ عَلَى قَوْلِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ بَحْرٌ وَنَهْرٌ.(قَوْلُهُ لِلْحَرَجِ)
أَيْ فِي تَكْلِيفِهِ بِالْعَمَلِ بِالْيَقِينِ.(قَوْلُهُ وَإِلَّا) أَيْ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَغْلِبْ عَلَى ظَنِّهِ شَيْءٌ، فَلَوْ شَكَّ أَنَّهَا أُولَى الظُّهْرِ أَوْ ثَانِيَتُهُ يَجْعَلُهَا الْأُولَى ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ لِاحْتِمَالِ أَنَّهَا الثَّانِيَةُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ لِمَا قُلْنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً وَيَقْعُدُ
لِاحْتِمَالِ أَنَّهَا الرَّابِعَةُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي أُخْرَى وَيَقْعُدُ لِمَا قُلْنَا، فَيَأْتِي بِأَرْبَعِ قَعَدَاتٍ قَعْدَتَانِ مَفْرُوضَتَانِ وَهُمَا الثَّالِثَةُ وَالرَّابِعَةُ، وَقَعْدَتَانِ وَاجِبَتَانِ؛ وَلَوْ شَكَّ أَنَّهَا الثَّانِيَةُ أَوْ الثَّالِثَةُ أَتَمَّهَا وَقَعَدَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى أُخْرَى وَقَعَدَ ثُمَّ الرَّابِعَةَ وَقَعَدَ، وَتَمَامُهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ وَسَيُذْكَرُ عَنْ السِّرَاجِ أَنَّهُ يَسْجُدُ لِلسَّهْوِ.
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.93
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
