Q479 :Once I was leading a congregation in Maghrib
prayer but I omitted to recite loudly in the first two rak’ahs through
forgetfulness. When I had finished, one of these who prayed with me
said that we should have offered two prostrations for forgetfulness,
otherwise our prayer was invalid. Please netment.
A479 : It is renetmended to recite loudly in the two
rak’ahs of Fajr and the first two rak’ahs in each of the obligatory
prayers of Maghrib and Isha. Whether a person is praying alone or
leading a congregation, he should follow this renetmendation. The two
prostrations, i.e. sujood, which are offered at the end of one’s prayer
and give the name of “sujood sahu”, netpensate for any omission or
addition due to forgetfulness. Books of fiqh abound in details of which
errors in prayers may be netpensated for with these prostrations. It is
perhaps sufficient to say here that if a worshipper omits certain types
of obligatory actions of prayer, he should offer these two prostrations
before he finishes his prayers. As for renetmended things, i.e. those
known as sunnah in prayer, no netpensation is required for omitting
them. Since they are not obligatory, why should something be offered
in their stead? Nevertheless, some of these qualify for two
prostrations of ‘sahu’ when they are omitted through forgetfulness.
With regard to reciting aloud or in secret, the rule is well known. As
I have already said, reciting aloud in Fajr, Maghrib and Isha is
renetmended, i.e. a sunnah. Scholars have expressed different views
with regard to the omission of reciting aloud and whether it qualifies
to be netpensated for with two prostrations of ‘sahu’. All that we need
to say here is that if one offers these two prostrations, one does well
and good. If he omits to do them, his prayer is perfectly valid.
Perhaps I should add that if a worshipper who is offering a day prayer,
i.e. Dhuhr or Asr, recites aloud in the first two rak’ahs through
forgetfulness, and while praying he remembers that he need not have
recited aloud, he should continue his loud recitation in the first two
rak’ahs. If the reverse situation occurs and a worshipper recites in
secret in Fajr, Maghrib or Isha and then he remembers that he should
have begun his recitation loudly, he has the choice whether to continue
his recitation in private or to start again aloud, while continuing his
prayer. He needs to interrupt it and start again. What this boils down
to is that your prayer and that of congregation you led was valid,
although you have not offered these two prostrations of ‘sahu’. Your
friend who objected was wrong in saying that the prayer was not valid.
Had you done these prostrations, that would have been appropriate as
well.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )