Fatwa ID: 02410

Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Imad Ali

Question:

Sometimes in the 3rd rakah I accidentally recite atahiyat but only few words, due to forgetfulness, and immediately stop. In the last rakah I perform sajda of forgetfulness. Question is if one only partially makes the mistake but doesn’t completely do it as they remember that they are making the error then is the sajda of forgetfulness obligatory or no? Is what I do correct?

Answer

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The following things are obligatory i.e. Wajib in Salah:

1. Recitation of Surah Fatiha in every raka’ah.
2. Adding a Surah (or three verses) in the first two rak’ahs of Fardh, and in every rak’ah of Witr and Nafl.
3. Standing up after ruku.
4. Tranquility in each position.
5. The middle sitting.
6. Recitation of the Tashahhud in every sitting.
7. The words of Salam.
8. Reciting aloud the Fajr, Maghrib and Isha and reciting softly the Zuhr and Asr.
9. If one is praying by himself, he has the choice; if he wishes he may recite aloud where the imam would, making his voice audible to himself, or if he wishes he may subdue his voice in all the recitations.

Sajdah Sahwe will become obligatory if…;

1. Any Wajib act being omitted.
2. Any Wajib act being displaced, i.e. observing it before time or later than its actual occasion of being observed.
3. Any Wajib act being delayed to the extent of one rukn i.e. the time taken to say SubhanAllah three times.
4. Any Wajib act being reported.
5. Any Wajib act is being altered, i.e. loud recitation being recited in place of silent recitation.
6. Any Fardh act being displaced, i.e. observing it before time or later than its actual occasion of being observed.
7. Any Fardh act being repeated.

(Raddul Muhtar pg: 543 V: 2)

If any of the above mishaps occur due to forgetfulness, only then Sajdah Sahwe will remedy the error. However, if a person deliberately missed the aforementioned things then his Salah will break. Sajdah Sahwe will not be sufficient.

Regarding your question yes, you did the correct thing by performing sajdah sahw for reciting a few words of attahiyat in the third rakaat

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Moulana Muhammad Imad Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham