Ruling 1222.* In the following two situations, one must perform sajdatā al‑sahw after the salām of the prayer in a manner that will be explained later:

1. one forgets to say the entire tashahhud;

2. in a four rakʿah prayer after going into the second sajdah, one doubts whether he has performed four or five rakʿahs, or he doubts whether he has performed four or six rakʿahs, as mentioned earlier in the fourth situation in the section on valid doubts.

Also, performing sajdatā al‑sahw is necessary in three further situations, based on obligatory precaution:

1. one generally knows that he has mistakenly omitted or added something in a prayer and the prayer is ruled to be valid;

2. one inadvertently talks during prayers;

3. one says the salām of the prayer at a time when he must not; for example, in the first rakʿah he inadvertently says the salām. The recommended precaution is that if he forgets one sajdah, or when he must stand – for example, while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah – he mistakenly sits down, or when he must sit – for example, while saying tashahhud – he mistakenly stands up, then in these cases, he should perform sajdatā al‑sahw. In fact, for anything that is mistakenly omitted or added in prayer, he should perform sajdatā al‑sahw. The rules of these situations will be explained in the following rulings.

Ruling 1223. If a person talks mistakenly or because he imagines his prayer has finished, then based on obligatory precaution, he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw.

Ruling 1224. It is not obligatory for one to perform sajdatā al‑sahw for the sound he makes when coughing; however, if one inadvertently groans, sighs, or says ‘oh’, then based on obligatory precaution, he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw.

Ruling 1225. If a person repeats correctly something that he had inadvertently recited incorrectly, it is not obligatory for him to perform sajdatā al‑sahw for reciting it again.

Ruling 1226. If, while performing prayers, one inadvertently talks for a while and all his talking stems from one mistake, then performing sajdatā al‑sahw after the salām of the prayer is sufficient.

Ruling 1227. If a person inadvertently does not say al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah, the recommended precaution is that he should perform sajdatā al‑sahw after prayers.

Ruling 1228. If at a time when he must not say the salām of the prayer one inadvertently says: assalāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādil lāhiṣ ṣāliḥīn, or he says: assalāmu ʿalaykum even if after it he does not say: wa raḥmatul lāhi wa barakātuh, then based on obligatory precaution, he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw. However, if he mistakenly says: assalāmu ʿalayka ayyuhan nabiyyu wa raḥmatul lāhi wa barakātuh, then the recommended precaution is that he should perform sajdatā al‑sahw. If he says two or more words of the salām, then based on obligatory precaution, he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw.

Ruling 1229. If a person mistakenly says all three sentences of salām at a time when he must not say salām, sajdatā al‑sahw will suffice.

Ruling 1230. If a person forgets one sajdah or tashahhud and remembers it before performing rukūʿ of the next rakʿah, he must go back and perform it; and based on recommended precaution, he should perform sajdatā al‑sahw for the additional standing.

Ruling 1231. If a person remembers in rukūʿ or after it that he has forgotten one sajdah or tashahhud from the previous rakʿah, he must make up the sajdah after the salām of the prayer [for the forgotten sajdah]; and for [the forgotten] tashahhud, he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw.

Ruling 1232. If a person intentionally does not perform sajdatā al‑sahw after the salām of the prayer, he commits a sin; and based on obligatory precaution, he must perform it as soon as possible. In the event that he inadvertently does not perform it, he must perform it as soon as he remembers and it will not be necessary for him to perform the prayer again.

Ruling 1233. If a person doubts whether or not, for example, sajdatā al‑sahw have become obligatory for him, it is not necessary for him to perform them.

Ruling 1234. If a person doubts whether, for example, sajdatā al‑sahw [i.e. two of them] have become obligatory for him or four, it is sufficient if he performs sajdatā al‑sahw.

Ruling 1235. If a person knows that he has not performed one of the sajdatā al‑sahw, and it is not possible to perform the other one on account of a long time having elapsed, or he knows that he inadvertently performed three sajdahs, then he must perform sajdatā al‑sahw.