What Is Sujud at-Tilawah, the Prostration of Recitation?
ما هو سجود التلاوة؟
Sujud at-Tilawah is a Sunnah (the Messenger, peace be upon him, used to do it), and it is a prostration made when reciting certain verses of the Noble Quran.
سجود التلاوة سنة (كان الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يفعله)، وهو سجود عند تلاوة آيات معينة في القرآن الكريم.
1. The First Prostration in the Mushaf | أول سجدة في المصحف
Surah Al-A'raf ends with a verse about the angels: those who are near your Lord are not too proud to worship Him; they glorify Him, and to Him they prostrate (7:206). Ibn Kathir explains that prostration was legislated here because their prostration is mentioned, so that the believers resemble them, and that this is the first prostration in the Quran, at which prostration is legislated for the reciter and the listener by consensus. The full count is given in how many places of prostration the Quran has.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَلَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ (سورة الأعراف: 206)
تختم سورة الأعراف بقوله تعالى عن الملائكة: (إن الذين عند ربك لا يستكبرون عن عبادته ويسبحونه وله يسجدون) (الأعراف 7: 206). قال ابن كثير: ولهذا شرع لنا السجود هاهنا لما ذكر سجودهم لله عز وجل، وهذه أول سجدة في القرآن مما يشرع لتاليها ومستمعها السجود بالإجماع.
2. Satan Withdraws Weeping | اعتزال الشيطان يبكي
The Prophet said: When the son of Adam recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Satan withdraws weeping and says: Woe to him! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so Paradise is his; I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so the Fire is mine (Sahih Muslim 81).
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ (سورة البقرة: 34)
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إذا قرأ ابن آدم السجدة فسجد اعتزل الشيطان يبكي، يقول: يا ويله، أمر ابن آدم بالسجود فسجد فله الجنة، وأمرت بالسجود فأبيت فلي النار" (صحيح مسلم 81).
3. Sunnah or Obligation? | سنة أم واجب؟
Al-Qurtubi reports that the scholars differed: Malik and al-Shafi'i said it is not obligatory, while Abu Hanifah said it is, taking the command to prostrate as binding and citing the hadith of Satan's weeping. The others relied on the hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab: he recited Surah An-Nahl on the minbar on a Friday, came down at the verse of prostration and prostrated, and the people prostrated; the next Friday he said: O people, we pass by verses of prostration; whoever prostrates has done right, and whoever does not, there is no sin on him; and he did not prostrate. Ibn Umar added: Allah has not made the prostration obligatory, unless we wish (Sahih al-Bukhari 1077). When it becomes binding in congregation is explained in when Sujud at-Tilawah becomes obligatory.
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ * يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ (سورة النحل: 49-50)
قال القرطبي: واختلفوا في وجوب سجود التلاوة، فقال مالك والشافعي: ليس بواجب، وقال أبو حنيفة: هو واجب، وتعلق بأن مطلق الأمر بالسجود على الوجوب وبحديث اعتزال الشيطان يبكي. واعتمد الآخرون على حديث عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: قرأ يوم الجمعة على المنبر بسورة النحل حتى إذا جاء السجدة نزل فسجد وسجد الناس، حتى إذا كانت الجمعة القابلة قرأ بها حتى إذا جاء السجدة قال: يا أيها الناس، إنا نمر بالسجود، فمن سجد فقد أصاب، ومن لم يسجد فلا إثم عليه، ولم يسجد عمر. وزاد نافع عن ابن عمر: إن الله لم يفرض السجود إلا أن نشاء (صحيح البخاري 1077).
4. What Is Said in the Prostration | ما يقال في السجدة
Aishah said that the Prophet used to say in the prostrations of the Quran at night: My face has prostrated to the One who created it and brought forth its hearing and its sight, by His might and His power (Jami at-Tirmidhi 580, graded hasan sahih by at-Tirmidhi; Sunan Abi Dawud 1414). Al-Qurtubi reports that most jurists say the takbir for it, and that according to the majority it has no closing salam.
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ (سورة السجدة: 15)
قالت عائشة رضي الله عنها: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول في سجود القرآن بالليل: "سجد وجهي للذي خلقه وشق سمعه وبصره بحوله وقوته" (جامع الترمذي 580، وقال: حسن صحيح، وسنن أبي داود 1414). ونقل القرطبي أن عامة الفقهاء على التكبير لها، وأنه لا سلام لها عند الجمهور.
5. The Reproach in Surah Al-Inshiqaq | العتاب في سورة الانشقاق
Allah says: so what is wrong with them that they do not believe, and when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate (84:20-21). Ibn Kathir explains: why do they not prostrate out of reverence and respect when the words of Allah are recited to them? Abu Hurairah recited this surah and prostrated in it, and said: had I not seen the Prophet prostrate, I would not have prostrated (Sahih al-Bukhari 1074). Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-Inshiqaq; the other places are listed in which surahs contain the verses of prostration.
فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ * وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ (سورة الانشقاق: 20-21)
قال تعالى: (فما لهم لا يؤمنون * وإذا قرئ عليهم القرآن لا يسجدون) (الانشقاق 84: 20-21)، قال ابن كثير: وما لهم إذا قرئت عليهم آيات الله وكلامه وهو هذا القرآن لا يسجدون إعظاما وإكراما واحتراما؟ وقرأ أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه هذه السورة فسجد بها، وقال: لو لم أر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يسجد لم أسجد (صحيح البخاري 1074).
Scholarly Insight: Al-Qurtubi records several views on the number of places of prostration, among them fifteen, fourteen, and eleven, the best-known view in the school of Malik. He explains that the difference comes from differing reports and practice, and from whether a bare command to prostrate in the Quran means the prostration of recitation or the obligatory prostration of prayer. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is Sujud at-Tilawah?
A prostration made when reciting or hearing one of the verses of prostration in the Quran. The Prophet used to make it.
Is Sujud at-Tilawah obligatory?
Malik and al-Shafi'i held that it is not obligatory and Abu Hanifah held that it is, as al-Qurtubi reports. Umar said on the minbar that whoever does not prostrate commits no sin (Sahih al-Bukhari 1077).
What is said in the prostration of recitation?
The Prophet used to say in it at night: My face has prostrated to the One who created it and brought forth its hearing and its sight, by His might and His power (Jami at-Tirmidhi 580).
What does Satan do when a believer prostrates?
He withdraws weeping, saying that the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and did so, and Paradise is his, while he refused and the Fire is his (Sahih Muslim 81).
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 →