Made a Mistake in Prayer? Sujud al-Sahw Explained Simply

Everyone makes mistakes in prayer — even the Prophet ﷺ occasionally did, and he used those moments to teach his companions what to do. If you're new, you will lose count, forget a sitting or say the wrong thing sometimes. That's normal, and Islam has a simple fix for most of it: sujud al-sahw, the prostrations of forgetfulness.

Allah does not burden you beyond your ability

Mistakes made through forgetfulness are not sins. The Qur'an teaches us to ask:

Al-Baqarah 2:286

The Prophet ﷺ said that he was a human being who forgot as others forget, and that when someone forgets in prayer they should make two prostrations. So relax — the aim is to do your best, not to be perfect.

What is sujud al-sahw?

Sujud al-sahw is two extra prostrations (sajdahs) made near the end of the prayer to make up for certain mistakes. You prostrate as normal, sit briefly between them, then prostrate again, saying what you normally say in sujud.

When exactly? This is one of the points where the schools of thought differ:

• Some (such as the Shafi'i school) do the two prostrations before the final salam.
• Some (such as the Hanafi school) say one salam, then make the two prostrations, then finish the tashahhud and salam again.
• Others (the Maliki and Hanbali schools) say it depends on the type of mistake.

All of these are based on things the Prophet ﷺ did, so each is valid. Practice varies — ask your local mosque which way they teach, and follow one way consistently.

Common mistakes and what to do

You forgot the first sitting (in a 3- or 4-unit prayer)

If you stood up for the third unit without sitting for the first tashahhud and only remembered once standing, carry on and make sujud al-sahw at the end. This is exactly what happened to the Prophet ﷺ once, and it is what he did.

You're not sure how many units you've prayed

If you genuinely doubt — "was that three or four?" — most scholars say: go with the lower number, because that is the one you're sure of. Pray the remaining unit and make sujud al-sahw. If you usually have a strong feeling one way, some scholars say to go with that feeling instead.

If doubts come constantly and are hurting your prayer, don't let them take over. Scholars advise people who are overwhelmed by doubts to ignore them and carry on — the doubt is from whispering, not from Allah.

You prayed an extra unit by mistake

If you realise during the extra unit, sit down straight away, finish the prayer and make sujud al-sahw. If you only realise after finishing, many scholars say to make sujud al-sahw then, as long as you haven't left the place or it hasn't been long.

You missed an essential part

Some parts of prayer are pillars that the prayer cannot stand without — for example a bowing (ruku') or a prostration. Sujud al-sahw alone doesn't replace a missing pillar. Usually you go back and do it (or count that unit as incomplete and add one), then make sujud al-sahw. The details differ between schools, so ask your local imam if this happens often.

You said the wrong words or recited quietly by mistake

Small slips — reciting aloud in a quiet prayer, saying the wrong dhikr — are usually not serious. Depending on the school, they may need sujud al-sahw or nothing at all.

Praying behind an imam

If you are praying in congregation and the imam makes the mistake, you follow him, including in his sujud al-sahw. To alert him to a mistake, men say "Subhan Allah" and women clap lightly. If you make a small mistake behind the imam, it is generally carried by the imam's prayer.

If you joined late, you complete the units you missed after the imam's salam.

When do you repeat the whole prayer?

Rarely. Most scholars say you repeat the prayer if you missed a pillar and didn't make it up, if you broke your wudu, if you deliberately skipped something essential, or if you talked or ate on purpose. For ordinary forgetfulness, sujud al-sahw is enough.

How AskDeen can help

When a mistake happens, it's easy to worry all day: "Is my prayer valid?" Ask AskDeen in plain words — "I forgot to sit after two units of Dhuhr, what do I do?" — and get a calm, clear answer with the hadith behind it, plus a note when schools of thought differ.

You can ask follow-up questions as often as you need while you learn, and AskDeen shows prayer times for where you are. Mistakes are part of learning. Keep praying — AskDeen is here for the questions along the way.