17. Prostration During Recital of the Quran

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 1067In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   قَرَأَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ النَّجْمَ بِمَكَّةَ فَسَجَدَ فِيهَا وَسَجَدَ مَنْ مَعَهُ غَيْرَ شَيْخٍ أَخَذَ كَفًّا مِنْ حَصًى أَوْ تُرَابٍ فَرَفَعَهُ إِلَى جَبْهَتِهِ وَقَالَ يَكْفِينِي هَذَا فَرَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قُتِلَ كَافِرًا

   The Prophet ﷺ recited Suratan-Najm (103) at Mecca and prostrated while reciting it and those who were with him did the same except an old man who took a handful of small stones or earth and lifted it to his forehead and said, "This is sufficient for me." Later on, I saw him killed as a non-believer.

2. Sahih al-Bukhari 1068In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ فِي صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ {الم تَنْزِيلُ} السَّجْدَةَ وَ{هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ}

   On Fridays the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Alif Lam Mim Tanzil-As-Sajda (in the first rakʿa) and Hal ata ʿalal-insani i.e. Surat ad-Dahr (LXXVI) (in the second rakʿa), in the Fajr prayer.

3. Sahih al-Bukhari 1069In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   {ص} لَيْسَ مِنْ عَزَائِمِ السُّجُودِ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَسْجُدُ فِيهَا

   The prostration of Saʿd is not a compulsory one but I saw the Prophet ﷺ prostrating while reciting it.

4. Sahih al-Bukhari 1070In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ النَّجْمِ فَسَجَدَ بِهَا فَمَا بَقِيَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ إِلاَّ سَجَدَ فَأَخَذَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ كَفًّا مِنْ حَصًى أَوْ تُرَابٍ فَرَفَعَهُ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ وَقَالَ يَكْفِينِي هَذَا فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدُ قُتِلَ كَافِرًا

   The Prophet ﷺ recited Surat-an-Najm (53) and prostrated while reciting it and all the people prostrated and a man amongst the people took a handful of stones or earth and raised it to his face and said, "This is sufficient for me. Later on I saw him killed as a non-believer."

5. Sahih al-Bukhari 1071In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ سَجَدَ بِالنَّجْمِ وَسَجَدَ مَعَهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ وَالْجِنُّ وَالإِنْسُ

   The Prophet ﷺ I prostrated while reciting An-Najm and with him prostrated the Muslims, the pagans, the jinns, and all human beings.

6. Sahih al-Bukhari 1072In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ {وَالنَّجْمِ} فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا

   I asked Zaid bin Thabit about prostration on which he said that he had recited An-Najm before the Prophet, yet he (the Prophet) had not performed a prostration.

7. Sahih al-Bukhari 1073In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   قَرَأْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ {وَالنَّجْمِ} فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا

   I recited An-Najm before the Prophet, yet he did not perform a prostration.

8. Sahih al-Bukhari 1074In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   قَالَ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَرَأَ {إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْشَقَّتْ} فَسَجَدَ بِهَا فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ أَلَمْ أَرَكَ تَسْجُدُ قَالَ لَوْ لَمْ أَرَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَسْجُدُ لَمْ أَسْجُدْ

   I saw Abu Huraira reciting Idha-Sama' un-Shaqqat and he prostrated during its recitation. I asked Abu Huraira, "Didn't I see you prostrating?" Abu Huraira said, "Had I not seen the Prophet ﷺ prostrating, I would not have prostrated."

9. Sahih al-Bukhari 1075In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْنَا السُّورَةَ فِيهَا السَّجْدَةُ فَيَسْجُدُ وَنَسْجُدُ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ أَحَدُنَا مَوْضِعَ جَبْهَتِهِ

   When the Prophet ﷺ recited a Sura that contained the prostration he would prostrate and we would do the same and some of us (because of the heavy rush) could not find a place for prostration.

10. Sahih al-Bukhari 1076In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ السَّجْدَةَ وَنَحْنُ عِنْدَهُ فَيَسْجُدُ وَنَسْجُدُ مَعَهُ فَنَزْدَحِمُ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ أَحَدُنَا لِجَبْهَتِهِ مَوْضِعًا يَسْجُدُ عَلَيْهِ

    When the Prophet ﷺ recited Surat As-Sajda and we were with him, he would prostrate and we also would prostrate with him and some of us (because of the heavy rush) would not find a place (for our foreheads) to prostrate on.

11. Sahih al-Bukhari 1077In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَرَأَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ بِسُورَةِ النَّحْلِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ السَّجْدَةَ نَزَلَ فَسَجَدَ وَسَجَدَ النَّاسُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الْجُمُعَةُ الْقَابِلَةُ قَرَأَ بِهَا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ السَّجْدَةَ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا نَمُرُّ بِالسُّجُودِ فَمَنْ سَجَدَ فَقَدْ أَصَابَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْجُدْ فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ عُمَرُ ؓ

    ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab recited Surat-an-Nahl on a Friday on the pulpit and when he reached the verse of Sajda he got down from the pulpit and prostrated and the people also prostrated. The next Friday ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab recited the same Sura and when he reached the verse of Sajda he said, "O people! When we recite the verses of Sajda (during the sermon) whoever prostrates does the right thing, yet it is no sin for the one who does not prostrate." And ʿUmar did not prostrate (that day). Added Ibn ʿUmar "Allah has not made the prostration of recitation compulsory but if we wish we can do it."

12. Sahih al-Bukhari 1078In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ الْعَتَمَةَ فَقَرَأَ {إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْشَقَّتْ} فَسَجَدَ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذِهِ قَالَ سَجَدْتُ بِهَا خَلْفَ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ ﷺ فَلاَ أَزَالُ أَسْجُدُ فِيهَا حَتَّى أَلْقَاهُ

    I offered the ʿIsha' prayer behind Abu Huraira and he recited Idhas-Sama' Un-Shaqqat, and prostrated. I said, "What is this?" Abu Huraira said, "I prostrated behind Abul-Qasim and I will do the same till I meet him."

13. Sahih al-Bukhari 1079In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي فِيهَا السَّجْدَةُ فَيَسْجُدُ وَنَسْجُدُ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ أَحَدُنَا مَكَانًا لِمَوْضِعِ جَبْهَتِهِ

    Whenever the Prophet ﷺ recited the Sura which contained the prostration of recitation he used to prostrate and then, we, too, would prostrate and some of us did not find a place for prostration.