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Asalam alaykum everyone
I am suffering from brain fog, and so I am very forgetful and it is very hard for me to concentrate. So when I pray salat, I am always forgetting. For example, whether I recited surah fatiah completely, how many rakahs I prayed. This is why I am constantly repeating each salat twice or more and that is very difficult for me.
Is there anything I could do to help fix my situation? I think it is probably waswasah, but I do not feel strong enough to fight the waswasahs.
Well what I would do is during your Salah ask Allah sws if you can concentrate better during Salah. I had a problem similar to yours so this is what I did and it helped dramatically. I would also focus/regulate your breathing this helps build concentration and helps clear your mind.
Wa'alaykumussalam Warahmatullahi
For the Forgetfulness of Surah Al-Fatihah, try to focus on its meaning and Insha Allah the forgetfulness will be reduced. For the forgetfulness of how many raka'ah you prayed, try to count in Salah. However, i understand that you have thought about it and it's hard to do so. Well if you forgot about how many raka'ah you do in salah, then you should do sujud sahwi
Narrated `Abdullah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed (and the sub-narrator Ibrahim said, "I do not know whether he prayed more or less than usual"), and when he had finished the prayers he was asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Has there been any change in the prayers?" He said, "What is it?' The people said, "You have prayed so much and so much." So the Prophet (ﷺ) bent his legs, faced the Qibla and performed two prostration's (of Sahu) and finished his prayers with Taslim (by turning his face to right and left saying: 'As-Salamu `Alaikum- Warahmat-ullah'). When he turned his face to us he said, "If there had been anything changed in the prayer, surely I would have informed you but I am a human being like you and liable to forget like you. So if I forget remind me and if anyone of you is doubtful about his prayer, he should follow what he thinks to be correct and complete his prayer accordingly and finish it and do two prostrations (of Sahu).
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you is in doubt about his prayer and he does Dot know how much he has prayed, three or four (rak'ahs). he should cast aside his doubt and base his prayer on what he is sure of. then perform two prostrations before giving salutations. If he has prayed five rak'ahs, they will make his prayer an even number for him, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil.
Conclusion: Choose the strongest option, about how many raka'ah you prayed. If you don't even know which one is the strongest option, then pick the shortest one. (For example, if you completely unaware whether you offer 3 rakaah or 4 rakaah, then pick the lowest one, which is 3 rakaah). Then do Sujud Sahwi before salution. If you forgot to do sujud sahwi before salution, then Insha Allah for this situation you can do Sujud Sahwi too after Salution (Unless someone tell you that you are short in raka'ah. If that's the case, then offer your missing raka'ah). And Allah knows best.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) offered one of the evening prayers (the sub-narrator Muhammad said, "I think that it was most probably the 'Asr prayer") and he finished it after offering two rak'at only. He then stood near a price of wood in front of the Mosque and put his hand over it. Abu Bakr and 'Umar were amongst those who were present, but they dared not talk to him about that (because of excessive respect for him), and those who were in a hurry went out. They said, "Has the prayer been reduced?" A man who was called Dhul-Yadain by the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to the Prophet), "Has the prayer been reduced or have you forgotten?" He said, "Neither have I forgotten, nor has the prayer been reduced." He said, "Certainly you have forgotten." So the Prophet (ﷺ) offered two more rak`at and performed Taslim and then said Takbir and performed a prostration of Sahu like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer and then raised his head and said Takbir and then put his head down and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer, and then raised his head and said Takbir.
'Imran b. Husain reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said the afternoon prayer and gave the salutation. at the end of three rak'ahs and then went into his house. A man called al-Khirbaq, who bad long aims, got up and went to him, and addressed him as Messenger of Allah and mentioned to him what he had done. He came out angrily trailing his mantle, and when he came to the people he said: Is this man telling the truth? They said: Yes. He then said one rak'ah and then gave salutation and then performed two prostrations and then gave salutation. (Muslim)
Conclusion: If you are short in rak'ah and someone tell you about it, then you should offer the missing raka'ah and do sujud sahwi after salution
Narrated `Abdullah bin Buhaina Al-Asdi:
(the ally of Bani 'Abdul Muttalib) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up for the Zuhr prayer and he should have sat (after the second rak`a but he stood up for the third rak'a without sitting for Tashah-hud) and when he finished the prayer he performed two prostrations and said Takbir on each prostration while sitting, before ending (the prayer) with Taslim; and the people too performed the two prostrations with him instead of the sitting he forgot. (Bukhari)
Conclusion: If you forgot to do the first Tashahhud, you should offer Sujud sahwi before salution. For this i do not know if you can offer it after salution or not
In Sujud sahwi, you should say like what you usually say when in the state of prostration
And Allah knows best.
