Abu Dawud

1138. Commentary:

➊ The primary purpose of prayer (salah) is prostration (sujud); the rest is introduction and conclusion. Therefore, there should be complete tranquility and composure in prostration.

➋ Some individuals consider it appropriate to perform only prostration separately from prayer for the purpose of supplication (dua), but there is no evidence for this from the Sunnah. However, the prostration of gratitude (sujud ash-shukr) is established as Sunnah.

➌ Here, nearness does not refer to physical or spatial proximity, but rather to nearness in rank, honor, and nobility. This is because Satan was disgraced and humiliated by refusing to prostrate, while a human being, by opposing Satan—that is, by performing prostration—can attain honor and rank.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Prostration (sujud) is an indication of utmost humility and submissiveness, through which a servant expresses his poverty, neediness, and destitution before Allah. Therefore, in this state, he becomes a recipient of Allah’s grace, bounty, and mercy, and attains the utmost closeness to Allah. For this reason, it is the best occasion for supplication (du‘a), and due to this closeness, some scholars have preferred an abundance of prostrations over the prolongation of standing (qiyam).

There are three scholarly opinions regarding this:

➊ To perform more prostrations and bowings (ruku‘), i.e., to offer more voluntary prayers (nafl), is superior to prolonging the standing, and in this, the prostration should be made lengthy.

➋ According to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, prolonging the standing (qiyam) is superior.

➌ Imam Ahmad rahimahullah withheld judgment on this issue, and some have said that both are equal. According to Imam Ishaq, during the day, an abundance of bowings and prostrations is superior, and at night, prolonging the standing is superior.

From the practice of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is evident that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not pray more than eleven units (rak‘at) at night.

Supplications in Prostration and Some Rulings

In prostration (sujud), the servant is extremely close to his Lord; therefore, one should supplicate abundantly in prostration.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «أقرب ما يكون العبد من ر به وهو ساجد فأكثروا الدعاء .» [صحيح مسلم: 482]

“The servant is closest to his Lord when he is in prostration, so make plenty of supplication.”

The following supplications are established to be recited in prostration:

«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الاَعْليٰ .» [صحيح مسلم: 772]

“My Lord, the Most High, is free from all imperfections.”

«سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِي .» [صحيح بخاري: 794، 817، صحيح مسلم: 484]

“Our Lord! You are free from all imperfections, and we praise and glorify You. O Allah! Forgive me.”

«سُبْحَانَكَ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، لَا اِلَهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ .» [صحيح مسلم: 487]

“O Allah! You are free from all imperfections, and we praise and glorify You. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.”

«سُبُّوْحٌ قُدُّوْسٌ رَبُّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالرُّوْحِ .» [صحيح مسلم: 487]

“(O Allah!) You are Most Pure and Most Holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit (Jibril).”

«اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِيْ ذَنْبِيْ كُلَّهٗ، دِقَّهٗ وَجِلَّهٗ، وَأَوَّلَهٗ وَآخِرَهٗ، وَعَلَانِيَتَهٗ وَسِرَّهٗ .» [صحيح مسلم: 483]

“O Allah, forgive all my sins, the minor and the major, the first and the last, the open and the hidden.”

«اَللّٰهُمّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنْتُ، وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، سَجَدَ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ خَلَقَهٗ وَصَوَّرَهٗ، وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهٗ وَبَصَرَهٗ، تَبَارَكَ اللهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِيْنَ .» [صحيح مسلم: 771]

“O Allah! I have prostrated for You, I have believed in You, I have submitted to You. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it, fashioned it well, opened its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.”

This supplication is also established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

«اَللّٰهُمّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وِبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عَقُوْبَتِكَ وَأَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْكَ لاَ أُحْصِيْ ثَنَائً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلـٰي نَفْسِكَ .» [صحيح مسلم: 486]

“O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You. I am not able to praise You as You have praised Yourself.”

Any supplication that is authentically established may be recited in prostration; it is preferable to do so. Reciting the Qur’an in bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujud) is prohibited.

* In the state of prostration, you (the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would join both heels together, and the toes would be directed towards the qiblah.

Proof: «قالت عائشة زوج النبى فقدت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وكان معي على فراش فوجدته ساجداً راصا عقبيه مستقبلا باطراف أصابعه القبلة“ …» [معاني الآثار: 1/234، بيهقي: 2/116]

“Your noble wife Aisha radi Allahu anha narrates: One day I found you missing while you were on my bed, so I found you in the state of prostration with both heels raised and the toes facing the qiblah.”

* In prostration, you would keep both feet upright.

Proof: «عن عائشة قالت فقدت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة من الفراش فالتمسته فوقعت يدي على بطن قدمه، وهو فى المسجد وهما منصو بتان .» [صحيح مسلم: 486]

“Aisha radi Allahu anha narrates: One night I found you missing from the bed, so when I searched, my hand touched the soles of both your feet; you were in prostration and both your feet were upright.”

* You would rise from prostration by saying takbir (Allahu Akbar).

Proof: «ثم يكبر حين يرفع رأسه» [صحيح بخاري: 789، صحيح مسلم: 392]

* You would raise your head from prostration by saying Allahu Akbar, then spread your left foot and sit upon it.

Proof: «ثم يسجد ثم يقول الله أكبر ويرفع رأسه ويثني رجله اليسري فيقعد عليها .» [ابوداود: 730]

* Abdullah ibn Umar says: «إنماسنة الصلاة أن تنصب رجلك اليمني وتثني اليسري» [صحيح بخاري: 827]

“The Sunnah of (the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in prayer is that he would keep the right foot upright and spread the left foot.”

* When raising your head from prostration, you would not raise your hands.

Proof: «افتتح التكبير فى الصلاة فرفع يديه… وإذا كبر للركو ع فعل مثله وإذا قال سمع الله لمن حمده ولا يفعل ذلك حين يسجد ولا حين يرفع رأسه من السجود .» [صحيح بخاري: 738]

“At the beginning of the prayer, when saying the takbir, he would raise both hands... and when saying the takbir for bowing, he would do the same, and when saying «سمع الله لمن حمده», he would do likewise, but he would not do so when going into or rising from prostration.”