Is a Sajdah Al-Sahw Performed Before and After Taslim?


Hanafi Fiqh

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Is it permissible in the Hanafi madhab to have two prostrations of forgetfulness, one before and one after taslim? And could you please explain the distinction between them?

Also if someone says “Subhan Rabiy al-A’la” before their head touches the ground, is the prayer valid?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

It is sunna to perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness after one salam to your right.

It is slightly disliked (and thus not sinful and valid) to perform the prostrations of forgetfulness before the salam of the prayer. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Regarding the second part of your question, saying “Subhan Rabiy al-A’la” before your forehead reaches the ground won’t invalidate your prayer because what you have said is not from worldly talk which is the kind of talk that invalidates the prayer. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found.

Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.

He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.