What is the ruling on prostration of recitation, and is the prostration in Surat Sad considered a prostration or not, because I have heard that it is not considered a prostration because it is in the wording of bowing?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This questioner asks: What is the ruling on prostration of recitation, and is the prostration in Surat Sad considered a prostration or not, because I have heard that it is not considered a prostration because it is in the wording of bowing?
The Shaykh : Prostration of recitation is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah); it is not permissible for a person to leave it, but it is not obligatory. The evidence that it is not obligatory is that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), recited a verse containing a prostration on the pulpit on a Friday, then he came down and prostrated. Then he recited it on another Friday and did not prostrate, and he said: "Allah has not made prostration obligatory upon us except that we may do it if we wish". He said this (may Allah be pleased with him) in the presence of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and no one objected to him. This indicates that prostration of recitation is not obligatory.
As for the prostration in the prostration of Surat Sad, the correct view is that it is a prescribed prostration.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated in it, as is authentic from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: "Surat Sad is not among the obligatory prostrations, and I have seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrating in it". Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Prostration of recitation is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah); it is not permissible for a person to leave it, but it is not obligatory. The evidence that it is not obligatory is that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), recited a verse containing a prostration on the pulpit on a Friday, then he came down and prostrated. Then he recited it on another Friday and did not prostrate, and he said: "Allah has not made prostration obligatory upon us except that we may do it if we wish". He said this (may Allah be pleased with him) in the presence of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and no one objected to him. This indicates that prostration of recitation is not obligatory.
As for the prostration in the prostration of Surat Sad, the correct view is that it is a prescribed prostration.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated in it, as is authentic from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: "Surat Sad is not among the obligatory prostrations, and I have seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrating in it". Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.