as being from the one preceding it; because he is then obligated to perform a full rak'ah. If he counted it as from the fourth, one prostration would suffice him. If he omitted two prostrations and does not know whether they are from two rak'ahs or from one, he should assign them to two rak'ahs, so that he becomes obligated to perform two. If he knows that he omitted a pillar from a rak'ah he is currently in, but does not know if it was a bowing (ruku') or a prostration (sujud), he should assign it as a bowing; so that he becomes obligated to perform it and what follows it. By analogy to this, he should perform what will make him certain of completing his prayer, so that he does not finish it while in doubt, as this would involve reckless uncertainty (gharar) in it. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "There should be no reckless uncertainty in prayer or in the taslim." Reported by Abu Dawud. Al-Athram said: I asked Abu Abd Allah about the interpretation of this hadith, and he said: As for me, I am of the view that one should not finish the prayer except upon certainty; he should not finish it while in a state of uncertainty until he is certain that it has been completed. Even if he omitted a prostration from the first rak'ah and remembered it during the Tashahhud, he performs a rak'ah and it suffices him. Al-Athram narrated with his chain of authority from Al-Hasan, regarding a man who performed the Asr prayer or another, and forgot to perform the bowing in the second rak'ah until he remembered that in the fourth, saying: He proceeds with his prayer, completes it as four rak'ahs, does not count the one in which he did not bow, and then prostrates for forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw).

Section: If one is in doubt about having omitted a pillar of the prayer while still within it, questioning whether he failed to perform it or not, his ruling is that of one who has not performed it, whether he is an imam or praying alone; because the default is its absence. If he is in doubt about an addition that necessitates prostration, there is no prostration upon him; because the default is its absence, so prostration is not mandatory due to doubt regarding it. If he is in doubt about omitting a Wajib (obligatory act) whose omission necessitates prostration, Ibn Hamid said: There is no prostration upon him; because he is in doubt about its cause, so it does not become mandatory upon him due to doubt, just as if he were in doubt