1175. The following doubts should be ignored:
Doubt about an act whose time of performance has already passed, like, during Ruku a person doubts as to whether he did or did not recite Surah al-Hamd,
Doubt occurring after the Salam of prayers,
Doubt after the time of prayers has already passed,
Doubt of a person, who doubts too much,
Doubt by the Imam (one who leads the congregation prayers) about the number of Rak'ats when the ma'mum (follower) is aware of the number, and similarly the doubts of the ma'mum when the Imam knows the number of Rak'ats.
Doubt which occurs in Mustahab prayers and Namaz of Ihteya.
I- Doubts about an Act Whose Time of Performance has passed
1176. 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 engaged himself in the next act, which he would not have intentionally performed in a normal circumstance, like reading the next Surah, he should ignore the doubt. But in a situation other than this, he should perform the act about which he doubts.
1177. 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.
1178. 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.
1179. 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.
1180. If a person doubts while rising to stand, whether or not he has performed Sajdah or tashahhud, he should ignore the doubt.
1181. 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.
1182. 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 Sajdah, he should perform them. And if he remembers later that he had already performed that Rukn, as an obligatory precaution,his prayers will become void because of additional Rukn.
1183. If a person doubts whether or not he has performed an act which is not a Rukn of namaz, and if he has 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.
1184. 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 Sajdah, and ignores his doubt, but remembers later that he had actually not performed that 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 Sajdah, he should perform them, and if he remembers this during Ruku or thereafter, his prayers are void.
1185. 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.
1186. If a person doubts whether or not he has said Salam of prayers 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- Doubt After the Salam (While concluding the prayers)
1187. 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 Rak'at prayers whether he has performed 3 or 5 Raka'ts, his prayers would be void.
III- Doubt after the Time of Prayers has passed
1188. 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.
1189. 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.
1190. 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.
1191. 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) .One Who Doubts Too Much
1192. Kathirush shak is a person who doubts quite often, meaning that he doubts more than a normal person does, due to an unsettled mind or whims. A normal person who doubts at least once in every three prayers, should ignore his doubts.
1193. If a person with such an obsession doubts about having performed any part of prayers, he should decide that he has performed it. For example, if he doubts whether he has performed Ruku, he should say that he has performed it. And if he doubts about having performed an act which invalidate prayers, like, if he doubts whether in the Fajr prayers he has offered 2 or 3 Rak'ats, he should consider that he has offered the prayers properly.
1194. 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.
1195. 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.
1196. 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.
1197. A person who doubts whether he has become one of those who doubt too much (Kathirush shak), he should act according to the normal rules relating to doubts. And as long as a Kathirush shak person is not sure that he has returned to the normal condition, he should ignore his doubt.
1198. If a Kathirush 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 has not gone into next Rukn. And if he has commenced the next Rukn, his prayer, as a precaution is void.For example, if he doubts whether he has performed Ruku or not, and ignores his doubt, but remembers before the second Sajdah that he has not performed Ruku, he should return and perform Ruku, but if he remembers it in the second Sajdah, his prayer, as a precaution is void.
1199. 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.
1200. 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. Similarly, if the Imam is sure about the number of Rak'ats, and the follower has a doubt, he should ignore his doubt.
VI. Doubt while offering Recommendable Prayers
1201. 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.
1202. Omission of a Rukn invalidates Nafilah (Mustahab prayers), but addition of a Rukn does not invalidate it. 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 re-enter 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.
1203. 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.
1204. 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. If, he suspects that he has offered 2 Rak'ats or less, then as an obligatory precaution, 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.
1205. If a person in Nafilah prayers performs an act which, if he had performed in an obligatory 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.
1206. If a person doubts whether he has offered a particular Mustahab prayer or not, and if that prayer does not have a fixed time, like, the prayers of Ja'far 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.