2/162. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 890 — Seven Limbs of Sujud
The Limbs Upon Which One Should Prostrate
Hadith About Prostrating on Seven Limbs
Sunan Abi Dawud : 890
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 890
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أُمِرْتُ " . وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ أُمِرَ نَبِيُّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَسْجُدَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ آرَابٍ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Ibn ‘Abbas reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying : I have been commanded, and sometimes the narrator said: Your prophet (ﷺ) was commanded to prostrate on seven limbs.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 890In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 500English translation : Book 2, Hadith 889
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 890
This Hadith also centers on the seven limbs of sujud. Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, I have been commanded, and sometimes the narrator said, your Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was commanded, to prostrate on seven limbs. The text is brief, but the meaning is strong. Sujud is not an unclear act left to personal style. It is a posture with a known form. The Hadith about prostrating on seven limbs helps a reader connect prayer with full bodily submission. The focus is not on a long speech, but on a simple command about how the prostration is performed. The repeated wording also shows how narrators preserved slight wording differences while keeping the main meaning.
What we learn from this hadith
- The report highlights the seven-limb form of sujud.
- Small wording differences are preserved in the narration.
- Prayer includes clear physical acts, not only inner feelings.
