Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in one of the afternoon prayers. (The narrator says) Perhaps he mentioned the Dhuhr prayer or the Asr prayer. But I am more inclined to think it was the Asr prayer. The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in two rak‘ahs, then he said the salam. Then he moved towards a piece of wood placed at the front of the mosque, and he placed both his hands on it, one hand over the other. The hasty people left (the mosque), saying that the prayer had been shortened. Among those present were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but they did not have the courage to speak to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about this. A man whose name was Dhu’l-Yadayn said to him: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Has the prayer been shortened, or did you forget? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The prayer has not been shortened, and I have not forgotten. He said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), perhaps you did forget. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Is it so? The people replied: Yes. The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned and led us in two rak‘ahs, then he said the salam, then he performed two prostrations of forgetfulness (sujud as-sahw), each as long as his usual prostrations, then he raised his head, then he performed the second prostration, as long as his usual prostrations, then he raised his head. Muhammad ibn Sirin, the narrator, was asked: Are these words also in the narration: then he said the salam? He replied: I do not remember these words from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), but I have been told that Sayyiduna Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated these words: then he said the salam. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The meaning of the information given by Sayyiduna Dhu’l-Yadayn (may Allah be pleased with him) is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke during the prayer, on the basis that his prayer was complete and he had fulfilled what was obligatory upon him. Sayyiduna Dhu’l-Yadayn (may Allah be pleased with him) thought that perhaps the prayer had been returned to its former obligation, so he spoke in the belief that he was not in a state of prayer and that the prayer was complete. But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sought confirmation from his companions and became certain of the matter, he then completed his prayer. As for the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) responding to him by saying“Yes,”it was incumbent upon them to answer the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) even if they were performing prayer. Allah Almighty says:“O you who believe! Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.”As for today, the revelation has ceased and the obligations have been established. So if the imam speaks, thinking that his prayer is complete after saying the salam, his prayer will not be invalidated. But if he asks the followers and they respond to him, then their prayer will be invalidated, and if the imam asks some of the followers about this, then the imam’s prayer will also be invalidated, because now the obligations have been firmly established and the revelation has ceased. The reason for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) experiencing forgetfulness during the prayer was that he was sent as a teacher. He taught both by word and by deed. So sometimes such a state would occur to him, the purpose of which was to inform his ummah what would be obligatory upon them in such a situation, i.e., the situation that would arise for them after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).