Short answer
If you gave salam after too few rakats and remember straight away, before talking or turning from the qibla, stand up, complete what you missed and do sajdah al-sahw. If you already spoke or left, repeat the prayer. If you added an extra rakah, the fix depends on whether you sat after the last real rakah.
Salam given by mistake before completing the prayer does not end it, so you may complete it as long as nothing that breaks prayer has happened. For an extra rakah: if you sat for the final tashahhud and stood up, return before the sajdah of the extra rakah; if you already did that sajdah, add one more so the extra two become nafl, and do sahw. If you did not sit after the last real rakah and did the sajdah of the extra one, the fard becomes nafl and must be repeated.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- If you realise you added a rakah, sit at once and do sajdah al-sahw; the prayer is valid even if you missed the sitting after the last real rakah, as long as you then sit and recite the tashahhud. A little speech by mistake after an early salam does not stop you completing the prayer.
- Hanbali
- If you realise you added a rakah, sit at once and do sajdah al-sahw; the prayer is valid. A little speech for the sake of the prayer after an early salam does not stop you completing it.
- Maliki
- An extra rakah added by mistake is fixed by sitting as soon as you remember and doing sajdah al-sahw after the salam; the prayer is valid. A little speech for the sake of the prayer after an early salam does not stop you completing it.
Explanation
Too few rakats. Suppose you prayed three rakats of Dhuhr and gave the salam. If you realise while still sitting, or soon after, and you have not spoken, eaten, turned your chest away from the qibla or left the masjid, the prayer is not broken. Say "Allahu akbar", stand up, pray the missing rakah, then do sajdah al-sahw at the end. The Prophet ﷺ did this when he finished a prayer after two rakats and a Companion asked if the prayer had been shortened.
If you have already talked in ordinary speech, turned away or a long time has passed, start the whole prayer again.
An extra rakah. The Hanafi answer depends on whether you sat for the tashahhud after the last real rakah:
- You sat and then stood for a fifth: return to sitting as soon as you remember, as long as you have not done the sajdah of the fifth, then do sahw. If you already did that sajdah, add a sixth so the extra two become nafl, then do sahw. Your fard is fine.
- You did not sit after the fourth: return and sit if you have not yet done the sajdah of the fifth, then do sahw. If you did that sajdah, the fard has become nafl; add a sixth and pray the fard again.
Behind an imam, follow him and do not add or cut rakats yourself. If the imam stands for an extra rakah, say "subhanallah" to alert him. See sajdah sahw and not sure how many rakats you prayed.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:286
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Mistakes from forgetting are forgiven and repaired.
Sahih al-Bukhari 714
Sahih... أصدق ذو اليدين ...
"Has Dhul-Yadayn spoken the truth?"
After finishing two rakats too early, the Prophet ﷺ completed the prayer and prostrated for forgetfulness.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1226
Sahih... صلى الظهر خمسا فقيل له أزيد في الصلاة ...
"He prayed Dhuhr as five rakats, and was asked whether the prayer had been increased."
An extra rakah prayed by mistake was followed by sajdah al-sahw.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on sajdah al-sahw. Sets out the cases of standing for a fifth with and without the final sitting.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on sajdah al-sahw. Salam given by mistake does not end the prayer, so it may be completed with sahw.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.