Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Buhaina (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Zuhr prayer. After praying two rak‘ahs, he stood up and did not sit down. When he completed the prayer, he performed two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw) and then gave the salutation (salaam).

Salim bin Abdullah narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both), who narrates from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is following the Imam (in prayer), it is not obligatory upon him to perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw) due to his own mistake. But if the Imam makes a mistake, then it is obligatory upon the Imam to perform sajdah sahw, and it is also obligatory upon those praying behind him. However, if someone praying behind the Imam makes a mistake, then sajdah sahw is not obligatory upon him; rather, the Imam suffices for him."

Salim bin Abdullah narrates from his father that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Sajdah Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) in prayer becomes obligatory only when a person stands instead of sitting or sits instead of standing."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Once Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was discussing with me about making a mistake in prayer. During this, Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us. He came and stayed with us. He said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "If a person has doubt about his prayer, then he should perform so much prayer that his doubt becomes about having added to the prayer."

Ubaidullah bin Abdullah (narrates this statement of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them): Once I was present with Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and we were discussing about prayer. During this, Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Auf, may Allah be pleased with him, arrived. He said: Shall I not narrate to you the hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him? I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "When you have doubt about any deficiency during prayer, then continue performing the prayer until that doubt becomes about an addition."

Abu Ubaidah bin Abdullah narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you are in prayer and you are in doubt whether you have prayed three or four rak'ahs, and your predominant thought is that you have prayed four, then after reciting the tashahhud, perform two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajda sahw). Do this while you are sitting and before you say the salam. Then after that, recite the tashahhud again and then say the salam." Some other narrators have transmitted this, but they have not narrated it as a marfu' (directly attributed to the Prophet) hadith, and some other narrators have reported some differences in its wording.

Sayyiduna Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“When the imam stands up after performing two rak‘ahs (instead of sitting), if he remembers before standing up completely, he should sit down; but if he has stood up completely, then he should not sit down and should perform sajdah sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) afterwards.”Other narrators have transmitted it in the same way.

Sayyiduna Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“When a person is in doubt and stands up (instead of sitting) after completing a rak‘ah, then if he has fully stood up, he should continue his prayer in that state and later perform two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw). But if he has not fully stood up, he should sit down, and in this case, sajdah sahw will not be obligatory upon him.”

Some narrators of this narration have been criticized.

Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah narrates this statement of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Wudu is the key to prayer; it begins with the opening takbir and ends with the salam.”The narrator named Ubaydullah has narrated some words differently.