✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly forbade the recitation of the Qur’an during the acts of bowing (Rukūʿ) and prostration (Sujūd) in Salah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أَلَا وَإِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ رَاكِعًا أَوْ سَاجِدًا
“Be aware! I have been forbidden from reciting the Qur’an while bowing or prostrating.”
[Muslim: 479; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb al-Nahy ʿan Qirāʾat al-Qurʾān fī al-Rukūʿ wa al-Sujūd; Aḥmad: 1/219; Abū Dāwūd: 876; Nasā’ī: 1/189; Bayhaqī: 1/87]
This Hadith serves as clear evidence of the prohibition and outlines the etiquette of Qur’anic recitation — that it should be done while standing or outside of the states of Rukūʿ and Sujūd.
❖ Recitation of the Qur’an is not allowed in the Rukūʿ and Sujūd positions.
❖ These positions are specifically designated for glorifying Allah (tasbīḥ) and supplicating (duʿāʾ), not for tilāwah.
❖ Obeying this instruction is part of following the correct prophetic method of Salah.
✔ In Rukūʿ, recite:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
✔ In Sujūd, recite:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
And also make personal duʿāʾ, as it is a moment of nearness to Allah.
❀ Reciting the Qur’an During Rukūʿ and Sujūd is Prohibited
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly forbade the recitation of the Qur’an during the acts of bowing (Rukūʿ) and prostration (Sujūd) in Salah.
Hadith of Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أَلَا وَإِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ رَاكِعًا أَوْ سَاجِدًا
“Be aware! I have been forbidden from reciting the Qur’an while bowing or prostrating.”
[Muslim: 479; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb al-Nahy ʿan Qirāʾat al-Qurʾān fī al-Rukūʿ wa al-Sujūd; Aḥmad: 1/219; Abū Dāwūd: 876; Nasā’ī: 1/189; Bayhaqī: 1/87]This Hadith serves as clear evidence of the prohibition and outlines the etiquette of Qur’anic recitation — that it should be done while standing or outside of the states of Rukūʿ and Sujūd.
Key Rulings and Lessons:
❖ Recitation of the Qur’an is not allowed in the Rukūʿ and Sujūd positions.
❖ These positions are specifically designated for glorifying Allah (tasbīḥ) and supplicating (duʿāʾ), not for tilāwah.
❖ Obeying this instruction is part of following the correct prophetic method of Salah.
What to Say Instead:
✔ In Rukūʿ, recite:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
✔ In Sujūd, recite:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
And also make personal duʿāʾ, as it is a moment of nearness to Allah.
