Al-Kāfi - The Book of Prayer

Chapter: Mistakes in Salah (Prayer) of Three or Four Rak‘at َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ عَنْ جَ٠ِيلٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠َنْ لاَ يَدْرِي أَ ثَلاَثاً صَلَّى أَ٠ْ أَرْبَعاً وَوَهْ٠ُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ سَوَاءٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِذَا اعْتَدَلَ الْوَهْ٠ُ فِي الثَّلاَثِ وَالأرْبَعِ فَهُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَهُوَ قَائِ٠ٌ وَإِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ وَقَالَ فِي رَجُلٍ لَ٠ْ يَدْرِ أَ ثِنْتَيْنِ صَلَّى أَ٠ْ أَرْبَعاً وَوَهْ٠ُهُ يَذْهَبُ إِلَى الأرْبَعِ أَوْ إِلَى الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعَ سَجَدَاتٍ وَقَالَ إِنْ ذَهَبَ وَهْ٠ُكَ إِلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعٍ فَهُوَ سَوَاءٌ وَلَيْسَ الْوَهْ٠ِثْلَهُ فِي الثَّلاَثِ وَالأرْبَعِ.

(For such case) he (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘If his guess is equal about three and four, he has the choice to perform one Rak’ah standing or two Rak’ah in a sitting position and four Sujud (prostrations) in a sitting position.’ He (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who does not know if he has performed two or four Rak’ah and his guess about four is greater or about two Rak‘at, he (the Imam) said that he performs two Rak‘at and four Sujud (prostrations).

He (the Imam) said, ‘If your guess about two Rak‘at and four is equal, then this and the case of doubt about whether it is three or four Rak‘at is not the same.”’