Which Surah of the Quran Has Two Places of Prostration?
ما هي السورة التي ورد فيها موضعان لسجود التلاوة؟
Surah al-Hajj 22:18, 22:77.
(Do you not see that to Allah bow down ˹in submission˺ all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and ˹all˺ living beings, as well as many humans, while many are deserving of punishment. And whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. Surely Allah does what He wills.) [Al-Hajj 22:18]
(O believers! Bow down, prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord, and do ˹what is˺ good so that you may be successful.) [Al-Hajj 22:77]
سورة الحج 22: 18، والحج 22: 77.
(أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩) [الحج 22: 18]
(يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ وَٱسْجُدُوا۟ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ وَٱفْعَلُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩) [الحج 22: 77]
1. Verse 18: All Creation Prostrates | الآية 18: سجود الخلائق
The first prostration comes at verse 18: do you not see that to Allah prostrate whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many of the people, while many deserve the punishment. Whoever Allah humiliates has no one to honour him. This prostration, made by the reciter and the listener on reaching such a verse, is explained in what Sujud at-Tilawah is.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ (سورة الحج: 18)
تأتي السجدة الأولى في الآية 18: (ألم تر أن الله يسجد له من في السماوات ومن في الأرض والشمس والقمر والنجوم والجبال والشجر والدواب وكثير من الناس) (الحج 22: 18)، وكثير حق عليه العذاب.
2. Verse 77: A Command to the Believers | الآية 77: أمر للمؤمنين
The second comes near the end of the surah, at verse 77, as a direct command: O you who believe, bow, prostrate, worship your Lord and do good, so that you may succeed. The fifteen places of prostration are listed in which surahs contain the verses of prostration.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (سورة الحج: 77)
وتأتي الثانية قرب آخر السورة في الآية 77 أمرا صريحا: (يا أيها الذين آمنوا اركعوا واسجدوا واعبدوا ربكم وافعلوا الخير لعلكم تفلحون) (الحج 22: 77).
3. Favoured With Two Prostrations | فضلت بسجدتين
Uqbah ibn Amir asked: O Messenger of Allah, has Surah Al-Hajj been favoured by having two prostrations? He said: Yes, and whoever does not prostrate them should not recite them (Jami at-Tirmidhi 578). At-Tirmidhi said its chain is not that strong, and Ahmad Shakir and al-Albani graded it weak; Ibn Kathir questioned the weakening, noting that the narrator Ibn Lahi'ah stated plainly that he heard it. At-Tirmidhi adds that Umar ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Umar said Surah Al-Hajj was favoured with two prostrations. Whether the prostration of recitation is ever binding is set out in when Sujud at-Tilawah becomes obligatory.
قال عقبة بن عامر رضي الله عنه: قلت: يا رسول الله، فضلت سورة الحج بأن فيها سجدتين؟ قال: "نعم، ومن لم يسجدهما فلا يقرأهما" (جامع الترمذي 578). وقال الترمذي: هذا حديث ليس إسناده بذاك القوي، وضعفه أحمد شاكر والألباني، وقال ابن كثير: وفي هذا نظر، فإن ابن لهيعة قد صرح فيه بالسماع. وذكر الترمذي أنه روي عن عمر بن الخطاب وابن عمر أنهما قالا: فضلت سورة الحج بأن فيها سجدتين.
4. Where the Scholars Differ | موضع الخلاف
At-Tirmidhi records that Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaq prostrate at both verses, while Sufyan al-Thawri, Malik and the people of Kufa saw one prostration in the surah. Ibn Kathir says the imams differed on the second prostration in two views, and al-Qurtubi counts fourteen places without it as the view of the Hanafis and of Ibn Wahb in one report, judging that dropping it is correct because the hadith affirming it is not authentic. How the full count is reached is set out in how many places of prostration the Quran has.
ذكر الترمذي أن ابن المبارك والشافعي وأحمد وإسحاق يقولون بالسجدتين، وأن سفيان الثوري ومالكا وأهل الكوفة رأوا فيها سجدة واحدة. وقال ابن كثير: اختلف الأئمة في هذه السجدة الثانية من سورة الحج على قولين، وعدها القرطبي أربع عشرة سجدة بإسقاط ثانية الحج وقال: وهو قول أصحاب الرأي، والصحيح سقوطها لأن الحديث لم يصح بثبوتها.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which surah has two places of prostration?
Surah Al-Hajj, at verses 18 and 77.
Do all scholars count both?
No. At-Tirmidhi records that al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, Ibn al-Mubarak and Ishaq count both, while Sufyan al-Thawri, Malik and the scholars of Kufa count one.
Is there a hadith about the two prostrations?
Uqbah ibn Amir asked whether Surah Al-Hajj was favoured with two prostrations and the Prophet said yes (Jami at-Tirmidhi 578). At-Tirmidhi said its chain is not strong and al-Albani graded it weak.
Which Companions held two prostrations in Al-Hajj?
Umar ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Umar, as at-Tirmidhi reports.