Discussion of the reason for the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) commitment to reciting Surat al-Sajdah in the Fajr prayer on Friday.

The Shaykh : There is a difference between committing to reciting Surat al-Sajdah and committing to reciting any surah that contains a prostration. This commitment is not obligatory; rather, it is a religious innovation. This is unlike committing to reciting Surat al-Sajdah, which is the recommended practice. However, many people who lack knowledge assume that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) commitment to reciting Surat al-Sajdah in the Friday Fajr prayer was for the sake of the prostration. Based on this, they commit on their own to reciting any other surah or any other verses that contain a prostration. But regarding this, it is said: "Establish the throne, then erase it." Establish that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Sajdah for the sake of the prostration, and not for what is in it regarding the Resurrection and the raising of the dead, or the verses concerning the signs of Allah in the universe. There is no way to prove this. Therefore, it is also said: "Can the shadow be straight while the stick is crooked?" Can the shadow be straight? The shadow, which is the ruling here, and what it is built upon is crooked, namely that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Sajdah for the sake of the prostration. The answer is clear.