Mistakes in Salah (Prayer) of Three or Four Rak‘at

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَلَّى فَلَمْ يَدْرِ أَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ هُوَ أَمْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ قَالَ فَمَا ذَهَبَ وَهْمُهُ إِلَيْهِ إِنْ رَأَى أَنَّهُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ وَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنَ الرَّابِعَةِ شَيْ‌ءٌ سَلَّمَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ نَفْسِهِ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ يَقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ‌[2].

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who performs Salah (prayer) but does not know if he is in the third or fourth Rak‘at. He (the Imam) said, ‘It depends on what his guessing indicates. If he according to his guess thinks it is the third or fourth he accepts it along with his soul, then performs two Rak‘at

قَالَ: إِنِ اسْتَوَى وَهْمُهُ فِي الثَّلَاثِ وَ الْأَرْبَعِ سَلَّمَ وَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ يَقْصِدُ فِي التَّشَهُّدِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one’s guess settles on his performing three or four Rak‘at, he says the phrase of offering greeting of peace, then performs two Rak‘at and four Sujud (prostrations) with al-Fatihah al-Kitab in a sitting position and says Tashahhud (testimonies of belief).”’

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَنْ لَمْ‌ يَدْرِ فِي أَرْبَعٍ هُوَ أَمْ فِي ثِنْتَيْنِ وَ قَدْ أَحْرَزَ الثِّنْتَيْنِ قَالَ يَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ وَ هُوَ قَائِمٌ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَ يَتَشَهَّدُ وَ لَا شَيْ‌ءَ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ فِي ثَلَاثٍ هُوَ أَوْ فِي أَرْبَعٍ وَ قَدْ أَحْرَزَ الثَّلَاثَ قَامَ فَأَضَافَ إِلَيْهَا أُخْرَى وَ لَا شَيْ‌ءَ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا يَنْقُضُ الْيَقِينَ بِالشَّكِّ وَ لَا يُدْخِ

“I once asked one of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about a man who performs Salah (prayer) but does not know if he is in the second or fourth Rak‘at but he knows that he has performed two Rak‘at. He (the Imam) said, ‘He performs two Rak‘at and four Sujud (prostrations). He does it in a standing position with al-Fati

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ لَا يَدْرِي رَكْعَتَيْنِ صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعاً قَالَ يَتَشَهَّدُ وَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ يَقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ثُمَّ يَتَشَهَّدُ وَ يُسَلِّمُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى أَرْبَعاً كَانَتْ هَاتَانِ نَافِلَةً وَ إِنْ كَانَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتْ هَاتَانِ تَمَامَ الْأَرْبَعِ وَ إِنْ تَكَلَّمَ فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَج

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who does not know if he has performed two Rak‘at or four. He (the Imam) said, ‘He says Tashahhud (testimonies of belief) and the phrase of offering greeting of peace, then stands up to perform two Rak‘at and four Sujud (prostrations) in which he reads al-Fatihah al-Kitab

إِنَّمَا السَّهْوُ مَا بَيْنَ الثَّلَاثِ وَ الْأَرْبَعِ- وَ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَ فِي الْأَرْبَعِ بِتِلْكَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ وَ مَنْ سَهَا وَ لَمْ يَدْرِ ثَلَاثاً صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعاً وَ اعْتَدَلَ شَكُّهُ قَالَ يَقُومُ فَيُتِمُّ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فَيَتَشَهَّدُ وَ يُسَلِّمُ وَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرُ وَهْمِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْبَعِ تَشَهَّدَ وَ سَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ فَاتِح

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘The case of doubt whether it is three or four or if it is two or four is of the same position. If one doubts and does not know if he has performed three or four and his doubt about both sides are equal’, he (the Imam) said, ‘Such person stands up and completes (Salah (prayer)). He then

يَقُومُ‌[2] فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ قِيَامٍ وَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ جُلُوسٍ وَ يُسَلِّمُ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ كَانَتِ الرَّكْعَتَانِ نَافِلَةً وَ إِلَّا تَمَّتِ الْأَرْبَعُ.

“Abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), about the case of one who performs Salah (prayer) and doubts if he has prayed two, three, or four Rak‘ah, has said, ‘ He stands up and performs two Rak’ah in a standing position. He then says the phrase of offering greeting of peace, then performs two Rak’ah in a sitting position, and says the ph

إِذَا لَمْ تَدْرِ ثَلَاثاً صَلَّيْتَ أَوْ أَرْبَعاً وَ وَقَعَ رَأْيُكَ عَلَى الثَّلَاثِ فَابْنِ عَلَى الثَّلَاثِ وَ إِنْ وَقَعَ رَأْيُكَ عَلَى الْأَرْبَعِ فَسَلِّمْ وَ انْصَرِفْ وَ إِنِ اعْتَدَلَ وَهْمُكَ فَانْصَرِفْ وَ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَنْتَ جَالِسٌ.

“Abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you do not know whether you have performed three or four Rak’ah and your thought settles on three, then consider it three. If your thought settles on four, say Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace) and end Salah (prayer). If your guess is equal; end Salah (prayer), then p

إِذَا لَمْ تَدْرِ ثِنْتَيْنِ صَلَّيْتَ أَمْ أَرْبَعاً وَ لَمْ يَذْهَبْ وَهْمُكَ إِلَى شَيْ‌ءٍ فَتَشَهَّدْ وَ سَلِّمْ ثُمَّ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ تَقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ ثُمَّ تَشَهَّدْ وَ سَلِّمْ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ إِنَّمَا صَلَّيْتَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتَا هَاتَانِ تَمَامَ الْأَرْبَعِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَلَّيْتَ أَرْبَعاً كَانَتَا هَاتَانِ نَافِلَةً وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ لَا تَدْرِي ثَلَاثاً صَلَّيْتَ

“Abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), has said, ‘ You may not know whether you have performed two or four Rak’ah and your guess about one side is not greater than the other side. You must say Tashahhud (testimonies of belief) and Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace), then perform two Rak’ah and four Sujud (prostrations).

فِي مَنْ لَا يَدْرِي أَ ثَلَاثاً صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعاً وَ وَهْمُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ سَوَاءٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِذَا اعْتَدَلَ الْوَهْمُ فِي الثَّلَاثِ وَ الْأَرْبَعِ فَهُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَ هُوَ قَائِمٌ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ أَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ وَ قَالَ فِي رَجُلٍ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَ ثِنْتَيْنِ صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعاً وَ وَهْمُهُ يَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْأَرْبَعِ أَوْ إِلَى الرَّكْعَتَ

One may not know whether he has performed three or four and his guess about both sides is equal. (For such case) he (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘If his guess is equal about three and four, he has the choice to perform one Rak’ah standing or two Rak’ah in a sitting position and four Sujud (prostrati