The hadith of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf says: If he does not know whether he has prayed three (3) or two, he should treat them as two. He said: So he acted based on certainty, and built upon it, whereas the one who exercises personal effort (taharri) might have prayed three, but a doubt enters his heart that he only prayed two, unless (4) the strongest inclination in his soul is that he has prayed three, and something has entered his heart; so he exercises personal effort as to what is most correct, and prostrates after the taslim. He said: Thus, there is a difference between them. The apparent meaning of this is that he only builds upon certainty [when both possibilities are equal in his estimation and he has no predominant inclination, whether he is an Imam or praying alone] (5). This is reported from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ibn Mas'ud, and the Nakha'i said something similar, as did the scholars of reason (Ashab al-Ra'y), if this is repeated for him. If it is the first time it has afflicted him, he repeats the prayer, due to the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: "There is no ghirar (uncertainty/lack of firmness) in [a prayer nor a taslim (6)]." The third narration from Ahmad is that he builds upon [certainty, and prostrates before the taslim, just like the individual who is praying alone; this was chosen by Abu Bakr. This is also reported from Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, Shurayh, al-Sha'bi, 'Ata', Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and Salim ibn 'Abd Allah, and it is the view of Rabi'ah, Malik, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Abi Salamah, al-Thawri, al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and al-Awza'i; because Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "If one of you doubts in his prayer and does not know how much he has prayed, three or four? Let him cast away the doubt and build upon what he is certain of, then prostrate twice before he performs the taslim. If he has prayed five, they will make his prayer even, and if he has prayed the full four, they will be a humiliation for the devil." Recorded by Muslim, [and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah] (8). And from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn
(3) Omitted from: M. (4) Omitted from: Original. (5) In M: "If he has no inclination, and whenever he has a predominant inclination, he acts upon it; there is no difference between the Imam and the one praying alone." (6) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter: Returning the Salutation in Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/212, 213. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/461. (7) In M: "The prayer," and what follows: "upon certainty..." etc., is what was previously discussed regarding its appearance in M at the beginning of the issue. (8) Omitted from: Original.
