Prostrations of reading (سجود التلاوة)
The prostration of tilawah
The prostration of tilawah is legislated for the reader and the listener in obedience to the Merciful and contradicting Satan. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,
إِذَا قَرَأَ ابْنُ آدَمَ السَّجْدَةَ فَسَجَدَ اعْتَزَلَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَبْكِي يَقُولُ يَا وَيْلَهُ أُمِرَ ابْنُ آدَمَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَسَجَدَ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ وَأُمِرْتُ بِالسُّجُودِ فَأَبَيْتُ فَلِيَ النَّارُ
Translation:
When a son of Adam recites a Sajdah* and prostrates, Satan withdraws weeping, saying: ‘Woe is me! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, and Paradise will be his; I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so I am doomed to Hell.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah)
There are fourteen places in the Qur’an where we are asked to prostrate.
1) The end of surah Al-A’araaf (الأعراف)
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُۥ وَلَهُۥ يَسْجُدُونَ
Surely, those who are with your Lord (i.e. the angels) are not arrogant against His worship, and they proclaim His purity, and before Him they prostrate themselves. (7:206)
2) Verse 15 of surah Al Ra’ad (الرعد)
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ طَوْعًۭا وَكَرْهًۭا وَظِلَـٰلُهُم بِٱلْغُدُوِّ وَٱلْـَٔاصَالِ
To Allah bow in prostration all who are in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows as well in morns and eves. (13:15)
3) Verse 50 of surah An-Nahl (النحل)
يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ
They fear their Lord above them and do as they are commanded. (16:50)
4) Verse 109 of surah Al-Israa’ (الاسراء)
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًۭا
They fall down on their faces weeping, and it increases humbleness in their hearts. (17:109)
5) Verse 58 of surah Maryam ( مريم )
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍۢ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَٱجْتَبَيْنَآ ۚ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًۭا وَبُكِيًّۭا
Those are the people whom Allah has blessed with bounties, the prophets from the progeny of ’Ādam, and of those whom We caused to board (the Ark) along with NūH, and from the progeny of Ibrāhīm and Isrā’īl (Jacob), and from those whom We guided and selected. When the verses of The RaHmān (The All-Merciful) were recited before them, they used to fall down in Sajdah (prostration), while they were weeping. (19:58)
6) Verse 18 of surah Al-Hajj (الحج) according to Hanfi and Shafi schools of thought
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ
Have you not seen that to Allah prostrate all those in the skies and all those on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many from mankind? And there are many on whom punishment has become due. And the one whom Allah puts to disgrace, there is none to give him respect. Surely Allah does what He wills. (22:18)
and Verse 77 of surah Al Hajj (الحج) according to the Shafi school of thought.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ وَٱسْجُدُوا۟ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ وَٱفْعَلُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who believe, bow down in Rukū‘ and bow down in Sajdah, and worship your Lord and do good deeds, so that you achieve success. (22:77)
7) Verse 60 of surah Al-Furqan (الفرقان)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًۭا
When it is said to them, “Prostrate to the Most Compassionate,” they ask ˹in disgust˺, “What is ‘the Most Compassionate’? Will we prostrate to whatever you order us to?” And it only drives them farther away. (25:60)
8) Verse 26 of surah An-Naml (النمل)
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
˹He is˺ Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.” (27:26)
9) Verse 15 of surah As-Sajda
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهَا خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًۭا وَسَبَّحُوا۟ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Only those people believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded of them, fall in prostration and pronounce the purity and praise of their Lord, and who do not wax proud. (32:15)
10) Verse 24 of surah Al-Saad (الصاد) according to Hanfi school of thought
قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبْغِى بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَقَلِيلٌۭ مَّا هُمْ ۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّـٰهُ فَٱسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًۭا وَأَنَابَ
He (Dawūd) said, “He has certainly wronged you by demanding your ewe to be added to his ewe. Many partners oppress one another, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and very few they are.” And Dawūd realized that We had put him to a test, so he prayed to his Lord for forgiveness, and bowing down, he fell in prostration, and turned (to Allah). (38:24)
11) Verse 38 of surah Al-Fusilat (فصلت)
فَإِنِ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فَٱلَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ يُسَبِّحُونَ لَهُۥ بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْـَٔمُونَ
Still, if they show arrogance, then those who are with your Lord proclaim His purity night and day, and they do not get weary. (41:38)
12) Verse 62 of surah An-Najm (النجم)
فَٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟
Now, fall down in prostration and worship (Allah). (53:62)
13) Verse 21 of surah Al-Inshiqaq (الانشقاق)
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ
And when the Qur’ān is recited to them, they do not offer sajdah (prostration)? (84:21)
14) Verse 19 of surah Al-A’laq (العلق)
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب
No! Never obey him, and bow down in sajdah, and come close to Me. (96:19)
Question: What is the proper way to perform sajdah tilawat? What is recited and when is it done? JazakAllah Khair.
Answer: Check Answer Here