Q: Salaah-472: The Imaam mistakenly stood up after the second Rakaah without sitting Qa'dah. He then completed the salaah after four Rakaahs with Sajdah Sahw. Will only two Rakaahs be regarded as Taraaweeh? Is the final Qa?dah not Fardh (obligatory) in sunnah and Nafl salaahs? Has a Fardh (obligatory) act been merely delayed or omitted completely in this case?

Answer: It is necessary to sit in Qa'dah after every two Rakaahs of Nafl Salaahs, failing which, the salaah will be invalid. However, if four or more Rakaahs (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 or 20) of Taraaweeh salaah is performed with only one Qa?dah, at the end coupled with sajdah sahw two Rakaahs will be valid according to some Ulema because the Qa'dah will be transferred to the end. The Sajdan Sahw, will therefore compensate for the delay in the Qa'dah. It must however be remembered that because the Taraaweeh salaah Is performed in Jamaa'ah like the Fardh salaahs, it is not just any Nafl salaah, but close in status to the Fardh (obligatory) and Waajib (compulsory) salaahs.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2