Quran Prostration Rules
Total Hadiths 13
What Prophetic Hadiths Teach Us About Quran Prostration Rules
These authentic prophetic narrations clarify the ruling on performing prostration during Quran recitation, known as Sajdah al-Tilawah. According to Islamic scholars, these texts indicate that performing prostration while reading or listening to specific verses is highly recommended but not strictly mandatory. For instance, the narration from Ibn Abbas highlights that the prostration in Surah Sa'd is not compulsory, even though the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) chose to perform it. Similarly, Zaid bin Thabit shared that he recited Surah An-Najm in front of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the Prophet did not perform a prostration at that time. Together, these accounts show that while the Prophet exemplified the practice, he also demonstrated flexibility, confirming it is a voluntary act of devotion rather than an obligation.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ {ص} لَيْسَ مِنْ عَزَائِمِ السُّجُودِ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْجُدُ فِيهَا.
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The prostration of Sa`d is not a compulsory one but I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrating while reciting it.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1069In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 3USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 2, Book 19, Hadith 175
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لَيْسَ { ص } مِنْ عَزَائِمِ السُّجُودِ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْجُدُ فِيهَا .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
A prostration when reciting Sad is not one of those which are divinely commanded, but I have seen Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrate himself.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1409In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 9English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1404
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْفُرَاتِ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الرَّازِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْنَا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِذَا مَرَّ بِالسَّجْدَةِ كَبَّرَ وَسَجَدَ وَسَجَدْنَا . قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَكَانَ الثَّوْرِيُّ يُعْجِبُهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ يُعْجِبُهُ لأَنَّهُ كَبَّرَ .
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite the Qur'an to us. When he came upon the verse containing prostration, he would utter the takbir (Allah is most great) and we would prostrate ourselves along with him. The narrator 'Abd al-Razzaq said: Al-Thawri liked this tradition very much. Abu Dawud said: This was liked by him for this contains the uttering of takbir.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1413In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 13English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1408
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، - قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَأَيْتُهُ بِمَكَّةَ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قُدَامَةَ، عَنْ مَطَرٍ الْوَرَّاقِ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الْمُفَصَّلِ مُنْذُ تَحَوَّلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ .
Abdullah ibn Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not make a prostration at any verse in al-Mufassal from the time he moved to Medina.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1403In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 3English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1398
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قُسَيْطٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم {وَالنَّجْمِ} فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا.
Zaid bin Thabit Narrated from:
I recited An-Najm before the Prophet, yet he did not perform a prostration.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1073In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 7USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 2, Book 19, Hadith 179
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قُسَيْطٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم النَّجْمَ فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا .
Zaid bin Thabit Narrated from:
I recited to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (Surat) An-Najm and he did not prostrate in it.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1404In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 4English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1399
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ السَّرْحِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَخْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ قُسَيْطٍ، عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَعْنَاهُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ كَانَ زَيْدٌ الإِمَامَ فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا .
Zaid bin Thabit Narrated from:
This tradition has also been transmitted by Zaid b. Thabit through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. Abu Dawud said: Zaid was imam (in a prayer) and he did not make prostration.
[1] Meaning, Zaid recited, and the Prophet ﷺ did not prostrate because Zaid did not prostrate.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1405In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 5English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1400
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ السَّرْحِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، أَنَّ مِشْرَحَ بْنَ هَاعَانَ أَبَا الْمُصْعَبِ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَفِي سُورَةِ الْحَجِّ سَجْدَتَانِ قَالَ " نَعَمْ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْجُدْهُمَا فَلاَ يَقْرَأْهُمَا " .
'Uqbah bin 'Amir Narrated from:
I said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Are there two prostrations in Surah al-Hajj? He replied: Yes; if anyone does not make two prostrations, he should not recite them.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1402In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 2English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1397
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ خُصَيْفَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ قُسَيْطٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ، أَنَّهُ، سَأَلَ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم {وَالنَّجْمِ} فَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فِيهَا.
Ata ibn Yasar Narrated from:
I asked Zaid bin Thabit about prostration on which he said that he had recited An-Najm before the Prophet, yet he (the Prophet) had not performed a prostration.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1072In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 6USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 2, Book 19, Hadith 178
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ بْنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْعُتَقِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُنَيْنٍ، - مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ كُلاَلٍ - عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَقْرَأَهُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَجْدَةً فِي الْقُرْآنِ مِنْهَا ثَلاَثٌ فِي الْمُفَصَّلِ وَفِي سُورَةِ الْحَجِّ سَجْدَتَانِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ سَجْدَةً وَإِسْنَادُهُ وَاهٍ .
Amr b. al-'As Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) taught me fifteen prostrations while reciting the Qur'an, including three in al-Mufassal and two in Surah al-Hajj. Abu Dawud said: Abu al-Darda' has reported eleven prostrations from the Prophet (ﷺ), but chain of this tradition is weak.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1401In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 1English translation : Book 7, Hadith 1396
