Short answer
If you stood up and were closer to standing, or fully upright, do not go back down. Carry on and do sajdah al-sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness) at the end, and the prayer is valid. If you were still closer to sitting, sit back down, and in the Hanafi school no sahw is needed.
The first sitting with its tashahhud is wajib. Missing it by mistake is fixed by sajdah al-sahw, done after one salam to the right. If you return to sitting after you were already closer to standing, the sound view is that the prayer is not broken, but you must still do sajdah al-sahw.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- The first tashahhud is a sunnah; leaving it is fixed by sajdah al-sahw done before the salam.
- Maliki
- Sajdah al-sahw for an omission like this is done before the salam.
- Hanbali
- The first tashahhud is wajib; if you stood fully, do not return, and do sajdah al-sahw before the salam.
Explanation
In a three or four rakat prayer you sit after the second rakat for the first tashahhud. If you forget and start rising for the third, the Hanafi rule depends on how far you got:
- Still closer to sitting (knees not yet straightened, back not upright): sit back down, recite the tashahhud, and continue. According to the relied Hanafi view no sajdah al-sahw is needed.
- Closer to standing, or fully standing: do not return. Carry on with the prayer and do sajdah al-sahw at the end.
This comes straight from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ, who once stood up after two rakats of Dhuhr without sitting, carried on, and prostrated twice at the end in place of the sitting he missed. The hadith in Abu Dawud states the rule in words: if he stands up fully he should not sit back, and he should prostrate twice for forgetting.
How to do sajdah al-sahw in the Hanafi way: in the final sitting, recite only the tashahhud, give one salam to the right, make two sajdahs, then sit and recite the tashahhud, the salawat (durud) and a du'a, and finish with the salam on both sides. Full details are in our guide to sajdah sahw.
Praying behind an imam? Follow the imam. If he stands, you stand, and you do his sahw with him. If you forgot to do sajdah al-sahw at all, the Hanafi school says the prayer should be repeated while its time remains. For doubts about how many rakats you prayed, see 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 can be repaired.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1230
Sahih... قام في صلاة الظهر وعليه جلوس فلما أتم صلاته سجد سجدتين ...
"He stood up in the Dhuhr prayer when he should have sat, and when he finished his prayer he prostrated twice."
The Prophet ﷺ fixed a missed first sitting with sajdah al-sahw.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1036
Graded sahih... فإن استوى قائما فلا يجلس ويسجد سجدتي السهو ...
"If he stands up fully, he should not sit, and he should make the two prostrations of forgetfulness."
Once fully standing, you do not return.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on sajdah al-sahw. If he forgets the first sitting and is closer to sitting he returns; if closer to standing he does not, and he prostrates for forgetfulness.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on sajdah al-sahw. Sahw is done after the salam and is required for leaving a wajib by mistake.
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.