What if I make a mistake?

Forgetting a foundational act is not the same as forgetting a recommended act. Prostrations of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) do not automatically replace a missing pillar.

What determines the correction

The appropriate response depends on the act involved, the stage of the prayer and the school being followed. These details work together; there is no single correction that applies to every mistake.

• The prayer and school: The legal rank of an act, and the method of correcting its omission, can differ between schools. Follow the guidance for the prayer you are offering and the school you practice.
• The type of mistake: Leaving out a foundational act is different from omitting a recommended act. An addition, an omission and uncertainty about what happened also require different consideration. Corrective prostrations do not automatically make up for an unperformed pillar.
• When it is remembered: Remembering immediately, later in the same unit, in a subsequent unit or after the closing salam can affect the available correction. This timing helps determine whether an act or unit must be completed, or whether the prayer needs to be repeated.
• Your role in the prayer: Praying alone, leading a congregation and following an imam are different situations. Guidance for an individual should not be assumed to apply unchanged to someone following an imam.

Applying the guidance

Depending on these details, the correction may involve returning to an act, completing a unit, performing prostrations of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw), or repeating the prayer. Both the timing and the method of those prostrations differ by school. For a particular incident, explain what happened and when you noticed it to a trusted teacher familiar with your school.

Frequent intrusive doubts should not become a cycle of constant restarting. Seek consistent guidance from a teacher rather than treating every possibility as certainty.