Forgotten the First Tashahhud in the Solat

A person joined the solat late and forgot the first tashahhud

I caught up with the last rak'ah of ‘Asar prayer, and I stood up to offer the second rak’ah, and I did not sit for the tashahhud. I thought that I had caught up with the third rak’ah in congregation, then when I sat for the second tashahhud I realized, and I did the prostration of forgetfulness, then I said the Salam. Is my prayer valid?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
All the praise and thanks is due to Allah, Subhanahu wata`ala. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

There are two issues related to this inquiry.

1. Should the one who joined the solah late and do sujud al-sahwi if he forgets something in his prayer?

Al-Bahuti (rahimahullah) said:

“He (i.e., the one who joined the prayer late) should also do the sujud al-sahwi in the following situations:

• He should sujud al-sahwi with regard to the mistaken part of the solah that he did with his imam, even if he left the imam after that or a reason.

• The one who joined the prayer late should also do the sujud al-sahwi if he forgets to do any the part of the solah that he offers alone, which is what he makes up after the imam has said the salam, even if he prostrated with him because of his (the imam’s) mistake, because now he is praying alone.”

[Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat (1/232)]

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (rahimahullah) said:

“As for the one, who joined the solah late, he should do the sujud al-sahwi and either he did a mistake with his imam, or if he made a mistake in the part of the solah that he offers alone after the imam has completed it”

[Fatawa Ibn Baaz, 11/268]

“If a person forgets the obligatory part of solah whilst making up the part of the solah that he missed, or he is not sure about his solah, then he should act on the basis of what is certain – which is the lower number – and complete his prayer, then do the sujud al-sahwi”

[Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah (7/151)]

2. When should the sujud al-sahwi be done, before the Salam or after it?

The Sunnah is that if a person forgets the first tashahhud, he should do the prostration of forgetfulness before the taslim.

It was narrated that ‘Abdallah Ibn Buhaynah (radiallahu `anhu) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) led us in praying two rak'ahs of prayer, then he stood up and did not sit, and the people stood up with him. When he had finished praying and we were waiting for his taslim, he said takbir and prostrated twice whilst he was sitting, before the taslim, then he said the taslim”

[Al-Bukhari (1224) and Muslim (570)]

This hadith indicates that the prayer of one who forgets the first tashahhud is valid, and that he should do the prostration of forgetfulness before saying the taslim at the end of the prayer.

It should be noted that the Hanbalis and Hanafis views the First Tashahhud is an obligatory (Wajib) part of the Solat. Whilst the Shafi’ies it is a Sunnah Ab'adh (almost equivalent to wajib. If one missed the wajib (or Sunnah Ab’adh part of solah he is has to make the prostrations of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahwi). But they considered The Final Tashahhud is a Pillar of the Solat.

Shaikh ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) who said:

“Thus, it becomes clear that this should be done before the Salam if you have omitted one of the obligatory parts of the prayer or if you are not sure how many rak’ahs you have done, and neither of the two choices seems more likely to be the case. And it should be done after the Salam if you have added something extra to the solah or you are not certain but one of the two choices seems more likely to be the case”

[See Majmu’ Fatawa al-Shaykh, 14/14-16]

Based on this, you did well when you did the prostration of forgetfulness before the Salam, and your prayer is valid, insya Allah.

And Allah Almighty knows best.

[Excerpted with minor modification from Fatwa No: 35909, Islam QA]