Is the hadith (he used to say takbir at every lowering and raising) a general one that includes prostration for recitation?

The Shaykh : Now I can proceed to answer the previous question. The claim is that the statement of the Companion that the Messenger - peace be upon him - , this is not the speech of the Messenger - peace be upon him - but rather the speech of one of the Companions, whom I recall to be Abu Hurayrah or Anas ibn Malik. In that case, we cannot imagine that this Companion had comprehensive knowledge, first, of every raising or lowering performed by the Messenger - peace be upon him - including what pertains to prostration for recitation, envisioning this along with those other parts. So when he said: , we cannot envision this; because this requires intellect, if that is the correct term, and it is not valid to attribute intellect to a legislator. I say it is not valid because the Legislator is Allah - Blessed and Exalted is He. So let us correct the phrase and say: the intellect of the one who conveys the message from the Wise Lawgiver, and that is none other than the Messenger of Allah - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. Second: what comes to the mind of one who reads the hadiths regarding takbir in lowering and raising is that it refers to the customary prayers, in which prostration for recitation rarely occurs. So it does not come to the mind of the reader of the hadiths that the Companion intended even what? The lowering and descent for prostration for recitation. Third and finally: and this is the most important thing in the matter, if you mentioned previously that any part of a general statement on which no practice has been carried out, it is not permissible for us to carry out our practice on it. There is no doubt that the Messenger - peace be upon him - read the verse of prostration repeatedly and often. You know well that it is a sunnah in the Fajr prayer of Jumu'ah to recite Surat al-Sajdah. Also, it is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit that the Prophet - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - used to recite a surah containing a prostration in the 'Isha' prayer and would prostrate. And such are the hadiths regarding the prostration of the Messenger - peace be upon him - in prayer, they are numerous and successive. No one from the Companions reported that the Prophet - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - used to say takbir for this lowering when he prostrated in prayer for prostration for recitation. This was not reported. So if the generality issued by the Companion narrator regarding lowering and raising were a comprehensive and inclusive generality, as if it were issued by the Messenger - peace be upon him - and this comparison is undoubtedly an exaggeration, because we equate the expression of the Companion with the expression of the Messenger. We equate this hypothetically and for the sake of argument. If we assume this generality, we say that this part of this generality, since the practice of the Messenger - peace be upon him - did not occur on it, and it is not intended and not meant in our discussion and speech. This, as you hear, is undoubtedly regarding prayer. We said that those noble Companions who conveyed to us the prostration of the Messenger - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - in prayer did not convey to us that he used to say takbir for prostration for recitation. But I add to that and say: the Messenger - peace be upon him - also used to read the verse of prostration outside of prayer, and no one from his Companions reported that he used to say takbir even outside of prayer. So prostration for recitation, it is not prescribed to say takbir in it, neither inside prayer nor outside of prayer. Because this prostration is not a prayer, and this is a point we must be aware of. The prostration is, without doubt, a pillar of the prayer; the prayer is not valid without it. But when the prostration is separated from the prayer, it is no longer a pillar and it no longer has its known and prescribed conditions within the prayer.
They differed, with some saying it is obligatory and others saying it is a recommended practice. The recommended practice is the weaker position, and the stronger position is that the takbir is obligatory. The takbirs of transition during the prayer are obligatory because the Prophet - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - ordered the one whose prayer was defective to do them. So if we leave these matters in the prayer and move to prostration for recitation, and add to it the prostration of gratitude, we cannot attach to them the rulings that were attached to them while they were in the prayer, because they are separated from the prayer. From here we arrive at saying: since the prostration does not have its rulings attached to it as they are in the prayer, we arrive at saying: prostration is not required, nor is purity of the body required for it, nor purity from minor ritual impurity, nor even major ritual impurity, nor purity of the place, nor facing the qiblah. None of that is required for prostration for recitation because it is not a prayer. These conditions are conditions for prayer, but they are not conditions for a part of the prayer. Let us bring this closer to you with the takbir of entering prayer, Allahu Akbar. Is it permissible for a Muslim to say Allahu Akbar while he is, for example, in a state of minor ritual impurity, or even major ritual impurity? It is permissible, of course. Why? Because this is a remembrance of Allah that was prescribed at the beginning of the prayer and not prescribed within the details of the prayer, as we mentioned. Similarly, is it permissible for him to say takbir while not facing the qiblah? It is permissible. And while on a place of ritual impurity? It is permissible. Why? Because the original ruling for things is permissibility, and because we cannot bring a condition for a matter among the prescribed matters that the Wise Lawgiver did not bring, due to His saying - may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - : . I think with this I have covered the answer to your question regarding the argumentation with the generality of the Companion's statement that the Messenger - peace be upon him - used to say takbir at every lowering and raising. This is not evidence for what we mentioned earlier.

The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And may He reward you.