[Q 598] Sajdah Sahw for Resident Follower

QUESTION:

A question has arisen regarding the following issue: A resident person begins the prayer behind a traveler (musafir) as the imam. After the imam finishes with salam, he stands to complete his remaining two rak‘ahs. If during this time he forgetfully misses a wajib, will sajdah sahw become necessary upon him?

ANSWER:

In the described situation, according to the stronger (rajih) opinion, if the resident follower forgetfully omits a Wajib (necessary act) in the last two rak‘ahs, then Sajdah Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) will be necessary upon him. This is because, in the matter of not reciting, he is like a follower (lahiq), whereas in the obligation of Sajdah Sahw, he is like one praying individually (munfarid), since he was only a follower of the imam to the extent of the imam’s prayer; Once the imams prayer is complete, he became an individually praying person.

Regarding the status of a resident follower behind a traveler imam and the obligation of Sajdah Sahw, it is mentioned in books such as Al-Mabsut of Sarakhsi and Durr al-Mukhtar:
“والمقيم خلف المسافر كالمسبوق، وقيل كاللاحق.”
Under this, in Radd al-Muhtar (also known as Fatawa Shami), Khatam al-Muhaqqiqin, Allama Ibn Abidin al-Shami رحمة الله تعالى عليه writes:

“(قوله و المقيم إلخ) ذكر في البحر أن المقيم المقتدي بالمسافر كالمسبوق في أنه يتابع الإمام في سجود السهو ثم يشتغل بالإتمام. و أما إذا قام إلى إتمام صلاته و سها فذكر الكرخي أنه كاللاحق فلا سجود عليه، بدليل أنه لا يقرأ. وذكر في الأصل أنه يلزمه السجود وصححه في البدائع لأنه إنما اقتدى بالإمام بقدر صلاة الإمام، فإذا انقضت صار منفردا و إنما لا يقرأ فيما يتم لأن القراءة فرض في الأوليين و قد قرأ الإمام فيهما. اهـ. قال في النهر: وبهذا علم أنه كاللاحق في حق القراءة فقط۔”
(Al-Durr al-Mukhtar ma‘a Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Salah, Vol. 2, p. 660, Quetta)

Under the statement in Radd al-Muhtar: “وبهذا علم أنه كاللاحق في حق القراءة فقط. اهـ”, in Jadd al-Mumtar, Imam Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan عليه الرحمة الرحمن, while identifying the stronger opinion, states:

“والحق أن تضعيفه سهو، وإنما الضعيف قول الكرخي بعدم الإيجاب؛ لأنه خلاف ظاهر الرواية المصرح بها في “الأصل” المصححة في “البدائع” و “الفتح” المؤيدة بكلمات “الهداية” و “الكافي” و “التبيين” و إن ذكر في “الخانية” قول الكرخي مقتصرا عليه”
(Jadd al-Mumtar, Vol. 3, pp. 535–536, Maktabat al-Madinah, Karachi)

It is also mentioned in Fatawa Ridawiyyah:
“And for the mentioned resident, after the imam has completed, if forgetfulness occurs… if it is in those two rak‘ahs in which he has been given the ruling of a follower (lahik), then the scholars differ regarding the obligation of Sajdah Sahw, and the more correct opinion is that it is necessary. In Bahr al-Ra’iq it is stated: ‘When a resident follows a traveler and then stands to complete his prayer and forgets, it is mentioned in Al-Asl (Al-Mabsut) that Sajdah Sahw is necessary upon him, and this has been authenticated in Al-Bada’i.’ (summarised)”

Answered by: Qazi Muteeb Attari (Ask Mufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari.
Translated answer
Date: 17th March 2026.