The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer-05b
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The reciter: Zuhayr ibn Harb, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Sa'id, and Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna all narrated to me from Yahya al-Qattan. Zuhayr said: Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated to us from 'Ubayd Allah, who said: Nafi' informed me from Ibn 'Umar: Sahih Muslim 575a.
The Shaykh : This contains evidence for the prescription of the prostration of recitation. The prostration of recitation is that whose cause is recitation, but it is not just any recitation that serves as a cause; rather, the places of prostration in the Qur'an are specific and known. In some verses, the mention of prostration passes by, but prostration is not prescribed, such as His saying:[Al-Hijr 15:98-99] There is no prostration in this. So the prostration of recitation is specific and based on divine authority. There are hadiths regarding it, and they have been collected and written down, and we distributed them to the students previously. I do not know if they are still available or not. Are they available? Praise be to Allah.
The scholars differed regarding this prostration, first of all, on its prescription: is it prescribed as obligatory or as recommended? Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) held that the prostration is obligatory, and that whoever does not prostrate is sinful, because Allah censured those who did not do so in His saying:[Al-Inshiqaq 84:21] This is a censure. [Al-Inshiqaq 84:20-21] And the majority of scholars held that it—that is, the prostration of recitation—is recommended, and this is the correct view, that it is recommended. This is because it is established that Zayd ibn Thabit recited Surat al-Najm to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and did not prostrate in it. If the prostration had been obligatory, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would not have approved of Zayd leaving the prostration. As for the verse, it can be said: [Al-Inshiqaq 84:20-21] because they were disbelievers, as He said: Or it can be said that the prostration intended here is broader than the known form, and that it is prostration of humility, like the saying of the Exalted: [Ar-Ra'd 13:15] And Allah the Exalted mentioned the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, and many people. This is closer to the truth: that the intended meaning of His saying: is: they do not humble themselves to what came in the Qur'an.
The second issue: Does this prostration have the ruling of prayer, such that what is required for prayer is required for it, namely purity, a barrier, facing the qiblah, glorification, and the like? Or is it an independent prostration that does not have the ruling of prayer? There is also disagreement among the scholars on this. Some said: It is prayer, and one must say takbir when prostrating, glorify Allah, say takbir when rising, and say taslim. However, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) chose that it is not prayer, but a simple prostration intended for humility. He cited as evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Surat al-Najm, and the Muslims and the polytheists prostrated with him, and the prayer of a polytheist is not accepted. Also, it is not established that he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say takbir for the prostration or say taslim. This indicates that it is not prayer. What he (may Allah have mercy on him) held is the correct view—that it is not prayer—meaning it does not have the ruling of prayer. But there is no doubt that it should not be said: "Prostrate even if the qiblah is behind your back," or "Prostrate even if you are not in a state of wudu." A person would not dare to say this, even though Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said so. But a person should be cautious about prostrating to Allah while having turned his back to His House, or prostrating to Allah without purity, or without a barrier.
The third issue: Does one say takbir or not? We said, in the context of our discussion of Shaykh al-Islam's (may Allah have mercy on him) view, that one does not say takbir. However, the people of the Sunan narrated a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say takbir only when prostrating, not when rising, and he did not say taslim. So there is only the takbir of prostration, meaning the lowering, and there is no taslim, unless the prostration is during prayer. In that case, it is necessary to say takbir when prostrating and when rising, because those who described the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that he used to say takbir every time he lowered himself and every time he raised himself. It is well known that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite the verse of prostration in prayer and prostrate in it, and they did not exclude the prostration of recitation. This indicates that it is necessary to say takbir when prostrating and when rising if that is during the prayer.
The fifth issue: Does one prostrate during the times of prohibition? The answer to this is easy: If we say it does not have the ruling of prayer, then one should prostrate, because the prohibition of prayer does not apply to anything else. If we say it is prayer, then prostrating during the times of prohibition depends on the disagreement regarding the permissibility of voluntary prayer with a cause. If we say voluntary prayer with a cause is permissible, then it is permissible to prostrate during the times of prohibition. If we say it is not permissible, then one does not prostrate during the times of prohibition. The Hanbali school holds that one does not prostrate for recitation during the times of prohibition, because the prostration of recitation is prayer, and voluntary prayer is not permissible during the times of prohibition. However, the correct view is that one prostrates for recitation at any time one recites, whether during the times of prohibition or not.
Now, the sixth issue regarding the prostration of recitation: Does the listener and the one who is listening prostrate? And if we say they prostrate, do they prostrate even if the reciter does not, or not? We say: The listener does not prostrate, because the listener does not share in the reward with the reciter. The one who is listening prostrates, but only if the reciter prostrates. Evidence for this is that when Usamah ibn Zayd did not prostrate, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not prostrate. Also, the reciter is the primary one, so he is the imam of the listener. If the imam does not prostrate, the follower does not prostrate. This is the correct view. But you might ask: What is the difference between the listener and the one who is listening? The listener is the one who is occupied with himself by reading or praying or otherwise, and hears a person reciting the Qur'an and passes by a prostration. The one who is listening is the one who pays attention to him, listens to him, and follows him with his heart.
The questioner : But Ibn 'Umar's saying: "until some of us could not find a place for their foreheads," what does this mean, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : It appears to be an exaggeration, an exaggeration describing the narrowness of the place.
The questioner : Does this not indicate, O Shaykh, that they were in a circle?
The Shaykh : There is a possibility that they were in a circle and that their heads faced each other. This indicates that facing the qiblah is not a condition, but it is not certain; the matter does not allow for anything else, otherwise the matter would be clear.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while reciting the Qur'an recited its surah containing sajda, and he performed prostration and we also prostrated along with him (but we were so overcrowded) that some of us could not find a place for our forehead (when prostrating ourselves).
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقرأ القرآن فيقرأ سورة فيها سجدة فيسجد ونسجد معه حتى ما يجد بعضنا موضعا لمكان جبهتهThe Shaykh : This contains evidence for the prescription of the prostration of recitation. The prostration of recitation is that whose cause is recitation, but it is not just any recitation that serves as a cause; rather, the places of prostration in the Qur'an are specific and known. In some verses, the mention of prostration passes by, but prostration is not prescribed, such as His saying:
(98) So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]. (99) And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).
فسبح بحمد ربك وكن من الساجدين، واعبد ربك حتى يأتيك اليقينThe scholars differed regarding this prostration, first of all, on its prescription: is it prescribed as obligatory or as recommended? Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) held that the prostration is obligatory, and that whoever does not prostrate is sinful, because Allah censured those who did not do so in His saying:
And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]?
وإذا قُرء عليهم القرآن لا يسجدون(20) So what is [the matter] with them [that] they do not believe, (21) And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]?
فما لهم لا يؤمنون وإذا قُرء عليهم القرآن لا يسجدون(20) So what is [the matter] with them [that] they do not believe, (21) And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]?
فما لهم لا يؤمنون وإذا قُرء عليهم القرآن لا يسجدونdo not believe
لا يؤمنونAnd to Allah prostrates whoever is within the heavens and the earth
ولله يسجد من في السماوات والأرضThey do not prostrate.
لا يسجدونThe second issue: Does this prostration have the ruling of prayer, such that what is required for prayer is required for it, namely purity, a barrier, facing the qiblah, glorification, and the like? Or is it an independent prostration that does not have the ruling of prayer? There is also disagreement among the scholars on this. Some said: It is prayer, and one must say takbir when prostrating, glorify Allah, say takbir when rising, and say taslim. However, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) chose that it is not prayer, but a simple prostration intended for humility. He cited as evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Surat al-Najm, and the Muslims and the polytheists prostrated with him, and the prayer of a polytheist is not accepted. Also, it is not established that he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say takbir for the prostration or say taslim. This indicates that it is not prayer. What he (may Allah have mercy on him) held is the correct view—that it is not prayer—meaning it does not have the ruling of prayer. But there is no doubt that it should not be said: "Prostrate even if the qiblah is behind your back," or "Prostrate even if you are not in a state of wudu." A person would not dare to say this, even though Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said so. But a person should be cautious about prostrating to Allah while having turned his back to His House, or prostrating to Allah without purity, or without a barrier.
The third issue: Does one say takbir or not? We said, in the context of our discussion of Shaykh al-Islam's (may Allah have mercy on him) view, that one does not say takbir. However, the people of the Sunan narrated a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say takbir only when prostrating, not when rising, and he did not say taslim. So there is only the takbir of prostration, meaning the lowering, and there is no taslim, unless the prostration is during prayer. In that case, it is necessary to say takbir when prostrating and when rising, because those who described the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that he used to say takbir every time he lowered himself and every time he raised himself. It is well known that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite the verse of prostration in prayer and prostrate in it, and they did not exclude the prostration of recitation. This indicates that it is necessary to say takbir when prostrating and when rising if that is during the prayer.
The fifth issue: Does one prostrate during the times of prohibition? The answer to this is easy: If we say it does not have the ruling of prayer, then one should prostrate, because the prohibition of prayer does not apply to anything else. If we say it is prayer, then prostrating during the times of prohibition depends on the disagreement regarding the permissibility of voluntary prayer with a cause. If we say voluntary prayer with a cause is permissible, then it is permissible to prostrate during the times of prohibition. If we say it is not permissible, then one does not prostrate during the times of prohibition. The Hanbali school holds that one does not prostrate for recitation during the times of prohibition, because the prostration of recitation is prayer, and voluntary prayer is not permissible during the times of prohibition. However, the correct view is that one prostrates for recitation at any time one recites, whether during the times of prohibition or not.
Now, the sixth issue regarding the prostration of recitation: Does the listener and the one who is listening prostrate? And if we say they prostrate, do they prostrate even if the reciter does not, or not? We say: The listener does not prostrate, because the listener does not share in the reward with the reciter. The one who is listening prostrates, but only if the reciter prostrates. Evidence for this is that when Usamah ibn Zayd did not prostrate, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not prostrate. Also, the reciter is the primary one, so he is the imam of the listener. If the imam does not prostrate, the follower does not prostrate. This is the correct view. But you might ask: What is the difference between the listener and the one who is listening? The listener is the one who is occupied with himself by reading or praying or otherwise, and hears a person reciting the Qur'an and passes by a prostration. The one who is listening is the one who pays attention to him, listens to him, and follows him with his heart.
The questioner : But Ibn 'Umar's saying: "until some of us could not find a place for their foreheads," what does this mean, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : It appears to be an exaggeration, an exaggeration describing the narrowness of the place.
The questioner : Does this not indicate, O Shaykh, that they were in a circle?
The Shaykh : There is a possibility that they were in a circle and that their heads faced each other. This indicates that facing the qiblah is not a condition, but it is not certain; the matter does not allow for anything else, otherwise the matter would be clear.