Shakkiyat of prayer are divided into 23 types.

8 types invalidate the prayer while one should not pay attention to 6 types. [Special rules applies to the rest]. The doubts which do not invalidate the prayer and can be compensated (by ihtiyat prayer etc.) are as follows: If after lifting head from the 2nd prostration one doubts [fiftyfifty] as to whether they have completed two or three rak`ahs they should consider it as the third rak`ah offer another rak`ah complete the prayer and offer onerak`ah standing or tworak`ah sitting ihtiyaat prayer in a way which will be mentioned later. In the doubt between 2nd and 4th rak`ah after lifting head from the 2nd prostration one should consider it as the 4th rak`ah complete the prayer and say a tworak`ah standing ihtiyaat prayer. For the doubt between the 2nd 3rd and 4th rak`ah after completing the 2nd prostration they should consider it as the 4th rak`ah complete the prayer and say a tworak`ah standing ihtiyaat prayer and tworak`ahs sitting ihtiyaat prayer. However if one of the previous 3 doubts arises for somebody after lifting head from the 1st prostration or before sitting after the 2nd one they can break the prayer and say it from the beginning. If the doubt is between the 3rd and 4th rak`ah and arises any point during the prayer one should consider it as the 4th rak`ah complete prayer and say onerak`ah standing or tworak`ah sitting prayer. In the doubt between the 4th and 5th rak`ah if it arises while one is standing one should sit down recite tasahhud and say tasleem and thereafter say onerak`ah standing or tworak`ah sitting ihtiyaat prayer. If a doubt between the 3rd and 5th rak`ah arises while in standing position one should sit down read tashahhud say tasleem and perform a tworak`ah standing ihtiyaat prayer. If one doubts while in standing position as to whether they are in the 3rd 4th or 5th rak`ah they should sit down read tashahhud say tasleem and thereafter say tworak`ah standing plus tworak`ah sitting ihtiyaat prayers. Issue 1 Whoever is obliged to say an ihtiyaat prayer should make the intention for it immediately after completing prayers tasleem say takbeerah alihraam recite alFaatihah bow to ruku` prostrate twice say tashhuad and tasleem. If one is obliged to say tworak`ah ihtiyaat prayer then after the 2nd prostration [of the first rak`ah] they make another rak`ah like the 1st one and terminate it with tashahhud and tasleem. Issue 2 Ihtiyaat prayer has neither soorah nor qunoot. Its intention should not be uttered verbally and it is an obligatory caution that alFaatihah and its bismillah are recited silently. Issue 3 If prior to starting the ihtiyaat prayer one remembers that their prayer was correct it is not necessary to say it. Also if one remembers so during the ihtiyaat prayer it is not necessary to complete it. Issue 4 If before starting ihtiyaat prayer one understands that they said fewer number of rak`ahs then in case that they have not yet performed something that may invalidate the prayer they should return and complete what they have not done and then say twoprostrations of inadvertence (sajdatay alsahw) for the additional tasleem they had said. However if they have already done an act that invalidates prayer (like turning their back towards qiblah) they should repeat the prayer. Issue 5 If after completing ihtiyaat prayer one understands that their prayer was defective in an amount equivalent to the ihtiyaat prayer they said e.g. they have said a onerak`ah ihtiyaat prayer for the doubt between 3rd and 4th rak`ah to understand later that they have actually said threerak`ah prayer their prayer is ruled as correct. Issue 6 If after completing ihtiyaat prayer one understands that the defect of the prayer was lesser than the ihtiyaat prayer they offered e.g. in the doubt between 2nd and 4th rak`ah one says tworak`ah ihtiyaat prayer to understand later that they have actually said 3 rak`ahs they should say the compensation [i.e. in this case the forth rak`ah] and repeat the whole prayer again. The doubts which one should not pay attention to them in prayer are as follows 1st To doubt about something after passing its place like to doubt about whether or not one had recited alHamd while they are in ruku`. 2nd To doubt after salam of prayer. 3rd To doubt after the prayer time passes. 4th The doubt of those who doubt too much "kathir ushshak". 5th Imams doubting the

number of prayer rak`ah if the congregant knows it and vice versa. 6th The doubts in a mustahabb prayer. Details 1st To doubt about something after passing its place When one doubts whether they had done an obligatory prayers action or not like reciting alHamd then if they has not started with the next action [like ruku`] they should redo what they doubt but if they doubt after they have already started with the next action they should ignore it. In case one doubts as to whether they said the verse before the one they are reciting or whether or not they said the beginning of the verse which they are reading its end they should not pay attention to their doubt. After completing ruku` or sujud one shouldnt pay attention to their doubt as to whether or not they have fulfilled the obligatory parts of them (like dhikr and being still). In case one while on the way to sujud doubts whether or not they did ruku` or stood up after ruku` they should ignore it. If while standing up one doubts whether or not they did tashahhud they should not pay attention but if they doubt whether they have done sujud or not they should return and do it. If one doubts whether or not they have done a rukn of the prayer [say sujud] then if they did not start with the next action [tashahhud] they should do the doubted rukn. However if they remember later that they have done it the prayer is void because of performing an extra rukn. When one doubts if they have done a nonrukn prayer part [say the surah of alHamd] or not before they start with the next action [the next surah] they should do the doubted action. Assuming they remember later that they have really done it the prayer is correct because they did not perform an extra rukn. If one doubts as to whether or not they have done a rukn of prayer e.g. they doubt their performing the two prostrations while they are doing tashahhud they should not pay attention to this doubt. But if they remember for sure that they have not done a rukn then if they have not entered the next rukn they should do the forgotten rukn. But if they remember that after they have entered the next rukn the prayer is voided. For example if one remembers before bowing to the ruku` of the next rak`ah that they did not do the two sajdahs they should do them [and continue the prayer from these sajdahs]. But their remembering the same during or after the ruku` would invalidate the prayer. If one doubts as to whether or not they have done a nonrukn prayer action [say alHamd] then if they already started with the next action [the other surah] they should not pay attention to this doubt. But if they remember thereafter that they have not done the doubted part then if they have not entered the next prayer rukn they should do the forgotten rukn. But if they remember that after they have entered the next rukn the prayer is correct. For example if during qunut one remembers that they did not recite alHamd they should recite it. However if they remember the same during ruku` the prayer is correct. If one doubts whether they have said the salam of prayer or not then in case they already started performing the postprayer actions (ta`qibat) other prayer or disturbed the prayer status through doing a different action they should ignore it otherwise they should say salam. However if one doubts whether they said salam correctly or not they should never pay attention to it whatever the situation is. 2nd To doubt after salam of prayer. When after saying prayer salam one doubts whether or not they have done prayer correctly e.g. whether have done ruku` or not or [in a fourrak`ah prayer] whether they perform four or five rak`ahs they would not pay attention to it. But if both of the doubted matters are void e.g. to doubt in a fourrak`ah prayer whether they have performed three or five rak`ahs the prayer is void. 3rd To doubt after the prayer time passes. If after the passage of the prayer time one doubts as to whether they offered prayer or not or they guess [i.e. more than fifty percent] that they did not offer it they are not required to offer it. But if such a doubt or guess comes before the passage of the prayer time they should offer it. Furthermore if they just guess during the prayer time that they have offered the prayer they should also offer it. One should not pay attention if they doubt after the time passed whether they have done prayer

correctly or not. If after the time of noon and afternoon passed one knows that they have offered a fourrak`ah prayer but did not remember whether they offered it with the intention of noon or afternoon one they should offer a single fourrak`ah prayer in qada with the intention of the due prayer. If after the time of maghrib and `isha passed one knows that they have offered one prayer but did not remember whether it was a threerak`ah or a fourrak`ah one they should offer both maghrib and `isha prayers in qada. 4th The doubt of those who doubt too much "kathir ushshak". The individual who doubts three times in a prayer or one who doubts in three successive prayers (e.g. morning noon and afternoon) is called kathir ushshak (i.e. doubts too much). If the doubts of such an individual do not arise from anger fear or absentmindedness he should not pay attention to them. If a person who doubts too much doubts whether he has done some act of the prayer or not then if doing this act does not normally invalidate the prayer like if they doubt as to whether they have done ruku` or not they should consider that they have done it. And if they doubt whether they have done an action whose doing does normally invalidate the prayer like doubting whether they have done one or two ruku`s they should consider that they have not done more than one ruku` (because doing more than one ruku` does invalidate the prayer). The person who doubts too much as to a certain prayer part [say two prostrations] then if he doubts as to another part they should act according to its ruling regularly. For example if they now doubt whether they have done ruku` or not they should act according to the mentioned rule of doubt in ruku` i.e. if they are in standing position they do ruku` and if they have already gone to prostration they ignore it. If one doubts as to whether or not they have become kathir ushshak they should act according to the doubt rules. Unless the kathir ushshak person is sure that they have returned to the state of normal people they should not pay attention to their doubts. With prayers for your success Asalamu Alykum, First of all i would like to congratulate you about the critical work you are doing there. Brother, i have heard that doubts in fajr and maghrib salah annul prayers. However, we have been told that if we are in prayer and doubt whether it is the fourth or third rakat, or second or third, or first or second (in zuhr, asr and isha), we should deem it the greater one in case of third or fourth we should deem it fourth, in case of second or third we should deem it third, in case of first or second we should deem it second. After that we have been directed to offer salat e ehtiyaat one rakah. Is this correct? does it apply to fajr or maghrib? what if somebody doubts twice in prayers? does he have to offer combined or separate salat e ehtiyaat?. Please assist and keep me in your prayers. Wasalam Mohsin Ali Servant of Shian e Haider e Qaraar.