The prostration of Surah Sad

It is narrated from Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked about the prostration in Surah Sad [Surah Sad: 1], and he said: Surah Sad is not among the surahs in which prostration is obligatory, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to prostrate in Surah Sad.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Sad [Surah Sad: 1] on the pulpit. When he reached the verse of prostration, he came down from the pulpit and prostrated, and the people prostrated with him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then on another day he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Sad [Surah Sad: 1], and when he reached the verse of prostration, the people got ready to prostrate. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is only the repentance of a prophet, but I have seen that you have got ready to prostrate." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) came down (from the pulpit) and prostrated, and the people also prostrated with him (peace and blessings be upon him).
This hadith has a hasan (good) chain and is sahih (authentic).

Umar bin Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Dawud (peace be upon him) made this prostration in repentance, and we make it in gratitude."
This is the preserved (mahfuz) version, as mursal. It has also been narrated through several routes from Umar bin Dharr, from his father, from Sa'id bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, as connected (mawsul), but that is not strong.

It is narrated from Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the prostration mentioned in Surah Sad is the repentance of a prophet (peace be upon him). Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Has Allah Almighty not said: "These are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance" [Surah al-An'am: 90]?

(a) Zirr bin Hubaysh (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he did not prostrate in Sad [Surah Sad: 1] and would say: This is only the repentance of a prophet.
(b) Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) did not prostrate in Sad [Surah Sad: 1].
(c) It has reached us from a large number of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they used to prostrate in Sad [Surah Sad: 1].

Ikrimah bin Khalid (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Sa'id bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) informed him that he heard Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) say: I saw Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) recite Surah Sad [Surah Sad: 1] on the pulpit; when he reached the verse of prostration, he came down from the pulpit and prostrated, then went back up onto the pulpit.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Sa'ib bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surah Sad on the pulpit, then came down and prostrated.

Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked about the prostration in Surah Sad, and he said: "These are the people whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance" [Surah al-An'am: 90].

Al-Awwam (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the prostration in Surah Sad, and he said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked about it, and he said: "These are the guided people; follow their guidance" [Surah al-An'am: 90]. And Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to prostrate in it.

This same report is narrated through another chain, with the addition that Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Dawud (peace be upon him) was also among those (guided) people whom your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to follow; but it does not mention the practice of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both).

Sa'id bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said to me: "Do you prostrate in Surah Sad?" I said: No. He said: "Prostrate in it, for Allah Almighty says: 'These are the people guided by Allah, so follow their guidance' [Surah al-An'am: 90]." This is how Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said it. In another narration it is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that there is a prostration in Surah Sad.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw in a dream that I was reciting Sad [Surah Sad: 1]. When I reached the verse of prostration, everything fell into prostration, so much so that I saw even the inkpot, the pen and the tablet in prostration. In the morning I told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the command to prostrate in it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, last night I saw in a dream that I was praying behind a tree, and during the prayer I recited Sad [Surah Sad: 24]. When I reached the verse of prostration, I prostrated, and the tree also prostrated with me. I heard the tree reciting this supplication in prostration: 'Allahumma uktub li biha 'indaka dhikran, waj'al li biha 'indaka dhukhran, wa a'zim li biha 'indaka ajran' (O Allah, record for me with You a remembrance in return for this prostration, make it a treasure for me with You, and make for me by it a great reward with You)." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): he recited Sad [Surah Sad: 24], and when he reached the verse of prostration he prostrated, and I heard him (peace and blessings be upon him) say in his prostration the same supplication that the man had reported from the tree.
This is the wording of the narration of Abu Bakr (bin Ishaq), except that he did not say "bi-sujudi" (with my prostration).

(a) This hadith is also narrated through another chain, but with these words: 'Allahumma uktub li 'indaka biha ajran, waj'alha li 'indaka dhukhran, wa da' 'anni biha wizran, waqbalha minni kama qabilta min 'abdika Dawud' (O Allah, record for me with You a reward in return for this prostration, remove from me by it the burden (of sins), make it a treasure for me with You, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your servant Dawud (peace be upon him)). He did not mention Surah Sad; he only said: I saw that I recited a verse of prostration, so I prostrated.
(b) At its end there is also this addition: Muhammad bin Yazid bin Khunays (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Hasan bin Muhammad bin Ubaydullah bin Abi Yazid (may Allah have mercy on him) led us in prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram during the month of Ramadan. When he recited a verse of prostration he would prostrate and lengthen the prostration. He was asked about this, and he said: Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) said to me: Your grandfather Ubaydullah bin Abi Yazid (may Allah have mercy on him) informed me of this.