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Doubts which should be ignored

I. Doubt About Actions Whose Time Has Passed

1190. If a person doubts while offering prayers as to whether or not he has performed a particular obligatory act, like if he doubts whether or not he has recited Surah al-Hamd, and if he has not engaged himself in the next act. He should perform the act about which he doubts, and if he has engaged in the next act, he must ignore it.

1191. If a person doubts while reciting a verse, whether or not he has recited the preceding verse, or doubts while reciting the end part of a verse, whether or not he has recited its beginning, he should ignore his doubt.

1192. If a person doubts after Ruku or Sajdah, whether or not he has performed its obligatory parts, like Zikr and steadiness of the body, he should ignore his doubt.

1193. If, while going into Sajdah, a person doubts whether or not he has performed Ruku, or if he doubts whether he stood up after Ruku or not, he should ignore the doubt.

1194. If a person doubts while rising to stand, whether or not he has performed Tashahhud, he should ignore the doubt. But if one doubts about Sajdah, he/she must return and do it.

1195. If a person, who is offering prayers sitting or lying, doubts at the time of reciting Surah al-Hamd or Tasbihat Arba’ah, whether or not he has performed Sajdah or Tashahhud, he should ignore his doubt. And if the doubt occurs before reciting Surah al-Hamd or Tasbihat Arba’ah, he should perform them.

1196. If a person doubts whether or not he has performed one of the Rukn of prayers, and if he has not yet engaged himself in the next act, he should perform it. For example, if he doubts before reciting Tashahhud, whether or not he has performed two Sajdahs, he should perform them. And if he remembers later that he had already performed that Rukn, his prayers will become void because of additional Rukn.

1197. If a person doubts whether or not he has performed a Rukn, like while in Tashahhud, he doubts whether or not he has performed two Sajdahs, and ignores his doubt, but remembers later that he had actually not performed the Rukn, he should perform it if he has not entered into the next Rukn. However, if he has engaged himself in the next Rukn, his prayer is void. For example, if he remembers before Ruku of the next Rak’at, that he had not performed two Sajdahs, he should perform them, and if he remembers this during Ruku or thereafter, his prayers are void.

1198. If a person doubts whether or not he has performed an act which is not a Rukn of Namaz, and if he ha not engaged himself in the following act, he should perform it. For example, if he doubts before reciting the other Surah, whether or not he has recited Surah al-Hamd, he should recite Hamd. And if he remembers after reciting Hamd that he had already recited it, his prayers will be in order, because a Rukn has not been added.

1199. If a person doubts whether or not he has performed an act, which is not a Rukn, and if he is engaged in the next act, he should ignore his doubt. For example, if he doubts while reciting the other Surah, whether or not he has recited Surah al-Hamd, he should ignore his doubt. And if he remembers later that he had actually not performed that act, he should perform it, if he has not entered into the next Rukn, and if he has entered the next Rukn, his prayers are in order. Based on this, if he remembers in Qunut that he has not recited Surah al-Hamd, he should recite it; and if he remembers it in Ruku, his prayers are in order. But he/she must perform two Sahv Sajdahs or the Surah al-Hamd that he/she has not offered and if the obligatory part, which is not recited is Tashahhud or Sajdah, offering its Qadha is necessary.

1200. If a person doubts whether or not he has said Salam of prayers or he has said it correctly, when he is engaged in supplications or other Namaz, or when the form of Namaz has already changed, he should ignore his doubt. And if he doubts before these acts, he should say Salam. And if he doubts at any stage, whether he recited the Salam correctly or not, he should ignore that doubt.

II. Doubts After Salam

1201. If a person becomes doubtful after the Salam of prayers, as to whether or not he has offered the prayers correctly, like if he doubts whether or not he has performed the Ruku, or doubts in a 4 Rak’at prayers as to whether he has performed 4 or 5 Rak’ats, he should ignore his doubt. But if both sides of the doubt lead to invalidity of the prayers, like if he doubts in 4 Rakat prayers whether he has performed 3 or 5 Rak’ats, his prayers would be void.

III. Doubts After The Set Time

1202. If a person doubts, after the time for prayers has already passed, as to whether he has offered the prayers or not, or if he suspects that he may not have offered it, it is not necessary for him to offer that prayers. If, however, he doubts before the expiry of the time for that prayers, as to whether or not he has offered it, he should offer it, even if he has a feeling that he might have done so.

1203. If a person doubts after the time for prayers has passed, whether or not he has offered the prayers correctly, he should ignore his doubt.

1204. If, after the time for Zuhr and Asr prayers has passed, a person knows that he has offered 4 Rak’ats, but does not know whether it was with the intention of Zuhr prayers or Asr prayers, he should, offer 4 Rak’ats of Qadha prayers with the Niyyat that he is praying that which is obligatory upon him.

1205. If after the time for Maghrib and Isha prayers has elapsed, a person knows that he has offered one prayer, but does not know whether it was of 3 or 4 Rak’ats, he should offer Qadha of Maghrib and Isha prayers.

IV. Kathirush Shak Or One Who Doubts Frequently

1206. If one doubts three times in one prayer or three consecutive prayers, like Fajr, Zuhr and Asr prayers, he/she is Kathirush Shak and if this point is not because of anger, fear or unsettled mind, he/she must ignore it.

1207. If a Kathirush Shak doubts about performing something that does not invalidate Namaz, he/she must suppose that he has performed it. For example, if he/she doubts whether he/she has performed Ruku, he/she must suppose that it is performed, but if the act invalidates Namaz, he/she must suppose that it is not done. For example, if he/she doubts that he/she has performed one Ruku or more, because adding Ruku invalidates Namaz, he/she must suppose that one Ruku is performed.

1208. If a person frequently doubts about a particular act of prayers, then doubts occurring about other acts of prayers, should be dealt with according to their prescribed rules. For example, if a person who frequently doubts about having performed Sajdah, doubts about having performed Ruku, he should act according to the rules relating to it, that is, if he has not performed Sajdah, he should perform Ruku, and if he has already performed Sajdah, he should ignore his doubt.

1209. If a person frequently doubts in a particular prayer like Namaz of Zuhr, and if he has a doubt in the prayers of Asr, he should act according to the rules of doubts.

1210. If a person, who doubts more only when he offers prayers at a particular place, becomes subjected to doubts at another place of prayers, he should act according to the rules of doubts.

1212. If a Khathirush Shak person doubts whether he has performed a Rukn or not, and ignores his doubts, but remembers later that he had actually not performed it, he should perform it, if he hasnot gone into next Rukn. And if he has commenced the next Rukn, his prayer is void. For example, if he doubts whether he has not performed Ruku, he should return and perform Ruku, but if he remembers it in Sajdah, his prayer is void.

1213. If a Kathirush Shak person doubts whether he has performed an act which is not a Rukn, and ignores his doubt and remembers later that he has not performed it, and the stage of its performance has not passed, he should perform it, and if he has passed its stage, his prayer is in order. For example, if he doubts whether he has recited Hamd, he should recite it. But if he remembers after having gone to Ruku, his Namaz will be in order.

V. Doubts Regarding Leader and Follower in Namaz

1214. If an Imam who is leading a congregational prayer, doubts about the number of Rak’ats, like if he doubts whether he has performed three or four Rak’ats, he will follow the indication given by the follower who is certain about the numbers. If he indicates that it is the fourth, Imam will accept it and complete the prayers. There is no need for Ihtiyat Namaz (precautionary prayer) in this case. Similarly, if the Imam is sure about the number of Rak’ats, and the follower has a doubt, he should ignore his doubt.

VI. Doubts in Recommendatory (Mustahab) Prayers

1215. If a person doubts about the number of Rak’ats in a Mustahab prayer and if the higher side makes the prayers void, he should decide on the lesser side of the doubt. For example, if he doubts whether he has performed 2 Rak’ats or 3 in Nafilah of Fajr prayers, he should decide that he has performed 2 Rak’ats. But if the higher side does not invalidate the prayers, like if he doubts whether he has performed 2 Rak’ats or 1, he is free to decide either way, and his prayers will be valid.

1216. As an obligatory precaution, reducing a Rukn invalidates Nafilah prayers but adding a Rukn does not have this effect. Hence, if the person offering Nafilah prayers forgets to perform any part, and remembers when he has entered into another Rukn, he should return to perform the forgotten part and then reenter the Rukn. For example, if he remembers during Ruku that he has not recited Surah al-Hamd, he should return to recite Surah al-Hamd, and then go into Ruku again.

1217. If a person doubts whether he has performed any Rukn or non-Rukn part of Nafilah prayers, he should perform it if its stage has not passed, and if it has, then he should ignore the doubt.

1218. If in a Mustahab prayer of two Rak’ats, a person suspects that he has offered 3 Rak’ats or more, he should ignore his doubt, and his prayers are in order, except when it invalidates Namaz. If he suspects that he has offered 2 Rak’ats or less, then he should pay heed to that suspicion. For example, if he suspects that he has performed one Rak’at only, as a precaution, he will perform another Rak’at.

1219. If a person in Nafilah prayers performs an act which if he had performed in prayers, it would have been necessary for him to do Sajdatus Sahv, or if he forgets one Sajdah, it will not be necessary to perform Sajdatus Sahv, or give Qadha for the Sajdah after the Nafilah is over.

1220. If a person doubts whether he has offered a particular Mustahab prayers or not, and if that prayer does not have a fixed time, like the prayers of Ja’ar Tayyar, he should decide that he has not offered it. The position is the same if that prayer has a fixed time, like Nafilah of daily prayers, and a person doubts before its time lapses, whether he has offered it or not. However, if he doubts after its time has gone, he should ignore his doubt.