Which Number Should I Follow if I Doubt My Prayer Count?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

Baseless misgivings (waswasa) leave me unable to tell how many cycles of prayer (rakats) I have completed. One answer I read says to take the higher number; another says to follow my inclination, and I never have one.

Which do I follow, and how am I supposed to ignore a doubt this strong?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

You have read everything you could find, and you still feel lost, and that is not a failure on your part. Here is the whole of it: when uncertain, follow your first inclination. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

Act on your first sense, complete your prayer, and do not revisit it. In Sacred Law, a judgment once made is not overturned by a later thought.

You Do Have an Inclination — It Is the First One

You mention that you do not feel an inclination. Often, it comes first, and doubts follow, covering it. By the time you search for it, the sense has faded.

That first impression, before the argument starts, is your inclination, and it is exactly what the school asks you to act on. Imam Shurunbulali (Allah have mercy on him) writes that one whose doubt is frequent acts on his dominant assumption where he has one, and he says the reason is to relieve hardship [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah].

That relief was written for you.

There is no contradiction between the answers you found. Follow your first inclination, whether it is toward the higher or lower number. Do not question it further or seek a stronger feeling.

The Second Thought Has No Standing

This is a key point to remember. Your first determination is a judgment, and it is not undone by later thoughts.

When doubt returns, it does not change what you have already decided. You are not required to feel certain, but simply to let your decision stand.

This same principle applies after you finish your prayer. Certainty is not removed by doubt. If a doubt comes after you have given salam, it is not considered unless you are sure of an omission.

Certainty means you remember it clearly, not that you fear it may have happened. The same applies to your prostrations: if you feel it is unlikely you rose after only one, that is your inclination, and it stands.

You do not need to rely on recordings or checking. The relief comes from trusting the permission given by the Sacred Law, which you already have.

You Are Not Being Asked to Stop the Whisper

This is where the answers you read left you stranded, because “ignore it” sounded like an instruction to stop feeling something you cannot stop feeling. That is not what is being asked.

Imam Khadimi (Allah have mercy on him), commenting on Imam Birgivi’s al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya, puts it in one line: it is not within the servant’s capacity to stop Shaytan from his promptings and his whisperings, and what is within his capacity is only not to mind them and not to comply with them. [Khadimi, Bariqa Mahmudiyya]

So you have not been failing at ignoring it. Ignoring it was never a feeling you had to produce; it is a decision not to investigate.

Ibn ’Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) holds that a person whose whisperings have taken hold of him is not governed by the ordinary rules of doubt at all, but is obliged to cut off the supply of the whispering and give the doubt-making no attention, because it is the work of Shaytan. [Ibn ’Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar].

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught the same discipline inside the prayer: “So let him cast off the doubt and build on what he is certain of.” [Muslim] Cast off, not resolve.

One thing needs to change, and only one. Do not break the prayer when the doubt peaks. Stay in it, follow your first lean, and finish — a prayer that feels ruined to you is still a valid prayer, and walking out of it is the only real loss in everything you have described.

When the whisper arrives, say once, inwardly, “I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan the accursed,” and carry on without answering it.

Allah Most High has already settled what you owe: “Allah does not tax any soul but what it can bear,” and He teaches you to ask of Him, “O Lord, take us not to task if we forget, or make an honest mistake.” [Quran 2:286; Keller, The Quran Beheld]

A Companion Asked for This Exact Relief, and Received It

Uthman ibn Abi al-’As (Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said that Shaytan had come between him and his prayer and his recitation, confusing them for him.

He was told, “That is a devil called Khinzab. When you sense him, seek refuge in Allah from him, and spit lightly to your left three times.” He did it and reported, “Allah drove him away from me.” [Muslim]

During the prayer, seeking refuge is done inwardly, without spitting or counting. A Companion of the Messenger of Allah described the same struggle, was given a simple practice, and found relief. Follow your first inclination, complete your prayer, and ask Allah for the same ease.

Your recitation is a separate matter and less urgent. Bring it to a teacher when you are able, but do not worry about it today.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related Answers

Key Principles Relating to Certainty, Doubt, and Baseless Misgivings (waswasa) — Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Outlines the foundational legal principles for dealing with certainty, doubt, and baseless misgivings, helping believers navigate worship with confidence.

When Does One Perform Tashahhud If One Is Unsure about the Rak’a? — Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Explains how to proceed in prayer when uncertain about the number of rakʿas and when the tashahhud and prostration of forgetfulness are required.

Doubts In Prayer and Making Up Such Prayers — Sidi Salman Younas
Clarifies how recurring doubts affect the validity of prayer and whether prayers performed with such doubts need to be repeated.

How Do I Handle Misgivings in Salah and Prostration of Forgetfulness?
Explains how to distinguish genuine mistakes from baseless doubts in prayer and when the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) is necessary.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.

النصوص · Source-Texts —

[مجلة الأحكام العدلية، المادة ١٦ — شرح الأتاسي]
«القاعدة الاولى الاجتهاد لا ينقض بالاجتهاد»

[الشرنبلالي، مراقي الفلاح]
«(وإذا شك) في صلاته (من ليس) الشك (عادته) وقيل من لم يشك في صلاة قط بعد بلوغه وعليه أكثر المشايخ بحر عن الخلاصة (كما صلى استأنف) بعمل مناف وبالسلام قاعدا أولى لأنه المحلل (وإن كثر) شكه (عمل بغالب ظنه إن كان) له ظن للحرج (وإلا أخذ بالأقل) لتيقنه (وقعد في كل موضع توهمه موضع قعوده) ولو واجبا لئلا يصير تاركا فرض القعود أو واجبه»

[مجلة الأحكام العدلية، المادة ٤ — درر الحكام لعلي حيدر]
«المادة ٤ اليقين لا يزول بالشك»

[الشرنبلالي، نور الإيضاح]
«تبطل الصلاة بالشك في عدد ركعاتها إذا كان قبل إكمالها وهو أول ما عرض له من الشك أو كان الشك غير عادة له فلو شك بعد سلامه لا يعتبر إلا إن تيقن بالترك»

[الخادمي، بريقة محمودية]
«إذ ليس في وسع العبد منع الشيطان من نزغاته ووساوسه وإنما يكون في وسعه عدم المبالاة بوساوسه وعدم المطاوعة فيها فالركون والقبول من قبيل المبالاة والمطاوعة»

[ابن عابدين، رد المحتار]
«أن يقيد هذا بغير الموسوس أما هو فيلزمه قطع مادة الوسواس عنه وعدم التفاته إلى التشكيك لأنه فعل الشيطان وقد أمرنا بمعاداته ومخالفته»

[صحيح مسلم — ١]
«إذا شك أحدكم في صلاته فلم يدر كم صلى ثلاثا أم أربعا فليطرح الشك وليبن على ما استيقن»

[صحيح مسلم — ٢]
«أن عثمان بن أبي العاص أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: يا رسول الله إن الشيطان قد حال بيني وبين صلاتي وقراءتي يلبسها علي، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ذاك شيطان يقال له خنزب، فإذا أحسسته فتعوذ بالله منه واتفل على يسارك ثلاثا. قال: ففعلت ذلك فأذهبه الله عني»