If an imam of a congregational prayer has a doubt about the number of rakʿahs – for example, he doubts whether he has performed three rakʿahs or four rakʿahs – then, in the event that a follower is certain or supposes that he has performed four rakʿahs and makes it known to the imam that he has performed four rakʿahs,[1] the imam must complete the prayer and it is not necessary for him to perform ṣalāt al‑iḥtiyāṭ.
Similarly, if the imam is certain or supposes that he has performed a certain number of rakʿahs and a follower has a doubt about the number of rakʿahs, the follower must dismiss his doubt. The same applies with regard to a doubt that they may have about the acts of prayers, such as a doubt about the number of sajdahs performed.
[1] For example, the follower can make it known to the imam that he has performed four rakʿahs by saying ‘alḥamdu lillāh’ after the second sajdah of the fourth rakʿah in a manner that is audible to the imam, thereby alerting him to the fact that he must now start saying the tashahhud of the prayer. 6. Doubts in recommended prayers 4. An excessive doubter (kathīr al‑shakk) العربية فارسی اردو English Azərbaycan Türkçe Français