أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُجَيْنُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّی قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَائِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ أَحَدُکُمْ صَلَّی ثَلَاثًا أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَلْيُصَلِّ رَکْعَةً ثُمَّ يَسْجُدْ بَعْدَ ذَلِکَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فَإِنْ کَانَ صَلَّی خَمْسًا شَفَعَتَا لَهُ صَلَاتَهُ وَإِنْ صَلَّی أَرْبَعًا کَانَتَا تَرْغِيمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 1244
It was narrated from Abu Saeed Al-Khudri that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: “If one of you does not know whether he prayed three or four (Rak’ahs), let him pray a Rak’ah then prostrate twice after that when he is sitting. Then if he prayed five (Rak’ahs), they (the two prostrations) will make his prayer even and if he had prayed four, they will annoy and humiliate the Shaitan.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020