forgetting during namaz

[ahmad786]

salam alaikum

if you suddenlt cant remember halfway through your salat what stage you are at, how many rakats you have prayed, what do you do ? Is our namaz jaiz if we suddenly carry on from where we thought we left of ? and how do we know how and when to apply sajda sahw in this situation.

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

Wa'laykum-as-Salaam wa Rahmatullahi,

If we carry on from where we thought we left off, and this is the dominant thought, and the only one that you are sure of, then you must carry your salah on, because that is what you believe. For example, if you thought you prayed four rak'ahs for zuhar, when in reality you only prayed three, then when you remember you only read three, continue the fourth in the normal fashion, and perform sajdah-e-sahw, after it. The same will apply for three rak'ahs and you thought you only prayed two, and two rak'ahs and so on.
Realisation of any mistakes relating to the number of rak'ahs must later be rectified by sajdah-e-sahw, at the time of salaam, which is waajib.

May Allah steer us away from all types of forgetfulness.

M. Waseem Ashrafi