If you make a mistake in prayer that calls for sujud sahwi, you perform two prostrations—not one—and complete them either before or after the salām according to the type of mistake and the school you follow. The shared practical method is straightforward: make takbīr (saying “Allāhu akbar”), prostrate, sit briefly, prostrate again, then complete the prayer in the appropriate order. The schools differ on timing and on whether a particular recitation should be prescribed.
What sujud sahwi is and when it is performed
Sujud sahwi (the prostration for forgetfulness) is a corrective act within prayer for certain mistakes caused by forgetfulness, such as omitting an emphasized sitting or being uncertain about the number of rak‘ahs (units of prayer). It is not a general extra act of worship to add whenever you feel unsure: the mistake must be one for which the rules of prayer call for this correction. If you are simply troubled by recurring doubts, do not treat every passing thought as a reason to add prostrations; the scholars distinguish genuine uncertainty from misgivings.
How to perform the two prostrations step by step
First, complete the parts of the prayer that remain due. At the point your school places sujud sahwi, say takbīr as you move down into prostration, then prostrate as you do in the regular prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: “When you prostrate, place your palms and raise your elbows.” (Hadith narrated by Muslim) If you cannot prostrate on the ground because of an inability, the manner of praying is adjusted to your capacity; do not force a movement that may harm you.
Make the first prostration, sit, then make the second
After the first prostration, say takbīr as you rise to sit, pause in the sitting position, then say takbīr as you go down for the second prostration. Rise again with takbīr. These are two distinct prostrations, with a sitting between them, just as in the prayer’s ordinary prostration sequence.
Complete the prayer according to the timing you follow
If your school’s ruling for the mistake places the prostrations before salām (the closing greeting), make the two prostrations after the final sitting and then give salām. If they are placed after salām, give salām first, perform the two prostrations with a sitting between them, and then follow your school’s guidance on whether a further salām is required. This final detail is not uniform across the schools, so do not assume that the sequence after the prostrations is identical in every approach.
Before or after salām: how the schools differ
There is no single timing rule that covers every case across the schools. Reports describe both placements: in one account, the Prophet ﷺ made two prostrations before salām after omitting the first sitting; another report describes two prostrations after salām when the prayer had been affected by an addition or uncertainty. The hadith of Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī gives the instruction for a particular doubt about whether three or four rak‘ahs were prayed: “When anyone of you is in doubt about his prayer, not knowing how much he prayed, three or four, let him dispel the doubt and build upon what he is certain about, then perform two prostrations before making Taslīm. If he has prayed five, they will make his prayer even-numbered, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil.” (Hadith narrated by Muslim)
The practical difference among the schools
The Mālikī approach generally places the prostrations before salām when correcting an omission, and after salām when correcting an addition; when both types occur, the details are more specific. The Shāfi‘ī and Ḥanbalī schools generally place them before salām, while the Ḥanafī school generally places them after salām, followed by a further sitting and salām. These are broad summaries: the schools also discuss particular cases, and their reasoning draws on reports that describe different circumstances. The Prophet’s omission of the first sitting and prostration before salām is reported in the hadith of Ibn Buhaynah: “When he finished the prayer and people were waiting for his making Taslīm, he said Takbīr while sitting and prostrated twice before Taslīm, then he concluded his prayer with Taslīm.” (Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
Use the ruling that matches the mistake
The kind of mistake matters: omitting something, adding an action, and being uncertain about the number of rak‘ahs are not always treated alike. The reports themselves give different examples, so it would be inaccurate to present one timing as universal. For a routine case, follow the method you have learned from your school; for a complicated combination of mistakes or a prayer already completed some time ago, ask a qualified scholar about your specific circumstances.
What to recite during sujud sahwi
You may recite the usual words of glorification used in prostration, such as “Subḥāna rabbiyal-a‘lā” (“Glory be to my Lord, the Most High”), and make supplication as you would in ordinary prostration. The two prostrations are part of the prayer’s correction, so keep the recitation simple rather than treating them as a separate prayer with a long, required formula.
No special formula is agreed upon
The schools and scholars differ over whether a distinct phrase should be prescribed specifically for sujud sahwi. There is no single special formula that all schools require; using the familiar glorification of prostration is a practical choice, while following a particular school’s recommended wording is also possible. For a refresher on the ordinary movements and sequence of prayer, use this step-by-step guide to prayer; the reference on prayer and bowing also points to the basic practice of prayer.
Sujud sahwi consists of two prostrations, with a sitting between them, and the familiar words of glorification may be recited. The timing depends on the mistake and the school’s method, so identify the case before deciding whether to place them before or after salām. You can now follow the shared steps and apply the timing you have learned.
Sources quoted
Every quotation was checked word for word against the Quran and hadith texts in our database.
- Hadith narrated by Muslim — authentic
- Hadith narrated by Muslim — authentic
- Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim — authentic
The Al Muslim Plus editorial team · tested on October 22, 2026