How Many Places of Prostration Are in the Quran?
كم عدد مواضع سجود التلاوة في القرآن الكريم؟
There are 15 places of prostration in the Noble Quran (one of them is a prostration in the school of Abu Hanifa).
يوجد في القرآن الكريم 15 موضعا للسجود (منها سجدة في مذهب أبي حنيفة).
1. Fifteen Places | خمسة عشر موضعا
Al-Qurtubi writes that the most that has been said is fifteen prostrations, the first at the end of Al-A'raf and the last at the end of Al-Alaq, and that this was the view of Ibn Habib, of Ibn Wahb in one report, and of Ishaq. The fifteen places are listed surah by surah in which surahs contain the verses of prostration.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب (سورة العلق: 19)
قال القرطبي: أقصى ما قيل خمس عشرة، أولها خاتمة الأعراف، وآخرها خاتمة العلق، وهو قول ابن حبيب وابن وهب في رواية وإسحاق. وآخرها قوله تعالى: (كلا لا تطعه واسجد واقترب) (العلق 96: 19).
2. The Prostration of Sad | سجدة ص
Ibn Abbas said: Sad is not one of the obligatory prostrations, yet I saw the Prophet prostrate in it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1069). An-Nasa'i reports that the Prophet prostrated in Sad and said: Dawud made it in repentance, and we make it in thanks (Sunan an-Nasa'i 957); Ibn Kathir notes that all its narrators are trustworthy. Ibn Kathir adds that the imams differed over it, and that the later school of al-Shafi'i counts it as a prostration of thanks rather than one of the obligatory prostrations. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Sad.
وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ (سورة ص: 24)
قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: (ص) ليس من عزائم السجود، وقد رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يسجد فيها (صحيح البخاري 1069). وروى النسائي أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سجد في (ص) وقال: "سجدها داود توبة ونسجدها شكرا" (سنن النسائي 957)، وقال ابن كثير: رجال إسناده كلهم ثقات، وذكر أن الأئمة اختلفوا فيها، وأن الجديد من مذهب الشافعي أنها ليست من عزائم السجود بل هي سجدة شكر.
3. Two in Surah Al-Hajj | سجدتا سورة الحج
At-Tirmidhi records that Umar ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Umar said Surah Al-Hajj was favoured with two prostrations, and that this is the view of Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaq, while Sufyan al-Thawri, Malik and the people of Kufa held there is one prostration in it (Jami at-Tirmidhi, after hadith 578). More is in which surah has two places of prostration.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (سورة الحج: 77)
ذكر الترمذي أنه روي عن عمر بن الخطاب وابن عمر أنهما قالا: فضلت سورة الحج بأن فيها سجدتين، وبه يقول ابن المبارك والشافعي وأحمد وإسحاق، ورأى بعضهم فيها سجدة، وهو قول سفيان الثوري ومالك وأهل الكوفة (جامع الترمذي، عقب الحديث 578).
4. Prostrations in the Short Surahs | السجود في المفصل
Three of the fifteen are in the Mufassal, the short surahs at the end of the Mushaf: An-Najm (53:62), Al-Inshiqaq (84:21) and Al-Alaq (96:19). Ibn Mas'ud said that the Prophet recited An-Najm in Makkah and prostrated, and everyone with him prostrated except one old man, who lifted a handful of pebbles to his forehead (Sahih al-Bukhari 1067). What this prostration is, and who makes it, is explained in what the prostration of recitation is.
فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا (سورة النجم: 62)
ثلاث من هذه السجدات في المفصل: سجدة النجم (النجم 53: 62)، وسجدة الانشقاق (الانشقاق 84: 21)، وسجدة العلق (العلق 96: 19). وقال ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه: قرأ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم النجم بمكة فسجد فيها وسجد من معه، غير شيخ أخذ كفا من حصى أو تراب فرفعه إلى جبهته (صحيح البخاري 1067).
Scholarly Insight: A hadith of Amr ibn al-As says that the Prophet taught him fifteen prostrations in the Quran, three of them in the Mufassal and two in Surah Al-Hajj (Sunan Abi Dawud 1401). Al-Qurtubi notes that its narrator Abdullah ibn Munayn is not relied upon, and al-Albani graded it weak, so the count rests on the reports about each place rather than on this hadith. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-Hajj.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many places of prostration are in the Quran?
Fifteen, according to the answer above, one of them in Surah Sad counted in the school of Abu Hanifa. Other scholars give lower counts.
Is the prostration in Surah Sad one of them?
Ibn Abbas said it is not one of the obligatory prostrations, yet he saw the Prophet prostrate in it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1069).
Which surah has two places of prostration?
Surah Al-Hajj (22:18 and 22:77) according to al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and others, while Malik and the scholars of Kufa counted one (Jami at-Tirmidhi 578).
Are there prostrations in the short surahs?
Yes: An-Najm (53:62), Al-Inshiqaq (84:21) and Al-Alaq (96:19). The Prophet prostrated in An-Najm in Makkah (Sahih al-Bukhari 1067).
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →