Lesson 21: Obligatory Acts of the Prayer (2)

Seventh: Prostrations (Sujūd)

In every Rak’at of the obligatory and recommended prayers, the person must perform two prostrations (Sujūd) after doing Rukūʿ (Issue 1090).

A- Obligatory Acts of Sajdah

1. The person praying places his forehead on the ground with the intention of proximity (Issue 1090).
2. It is obligatory to place these seven limbs on the ground when performing the Sajdah: the forehead, palms of both hands, both knees, and both big toes of the feet are placed on the ground (Issue 1099).
3. Saying Dhikr:

«سُبْحَانَ اللهِ»(subḥānal lāh)

Three times, or once:

«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَی وَ بِحَمْدِهِ»

(Subḥāna rabbiyalʿ aʿlā wa biḥamdih)

In correct Arabic (Issue 1094).

4. 4. While performing Sujūd, The body must be still to the extent of obligatory Dhikr (Issue1095).
5. When one has completed the Dhikr of the first Sajdah, he must sit up until his body becomes still and then perform the second Sajdah (Issue 1101).
6. The place where one puts his forehead (on the ground when prostrating) is not to be four closed fingers higher or lower than the place where he puts his toes

(Issue 1102).

7. Placing one’s forehead on something that Sajdah is correct in it.
8. The seal (Turbat of the earth of Karbala) or the item on which he performs the Sajdah must be pure

(Issue 1110).

B – Lows of Sajdah

1. Two Sajdahs together are a Rukn. When someone abandons both Sajdahs in one rakat or adds two Sajdahs, whether intentionally or inadvertently, his prayer is invalid (Issue 1093).
2. If someone intentionally does not perform or adds a Sajdah to his prayer, his prayer becomes invalid. However, if he inadvertently leaves out a Sajdah or adds one, his prayer will not be invalidated (Issue 1092).
3. When a person intentionally or inadvertently does not place his forehead on the ground, he has not performed Sajdah (Issue 1093).
4. There must be no distance between the forehead and the thing on which Sajdah is done (Issue 1105).
5. A person who inadvertently raises his forehead from the ground must not place it on the ground again, counting it as one Sajdah, whether he is said the Dhikr of prostration or not (Issues 1116 & 1100).
6. When a person is unable to perform the Sajdah, he must point with his head, or if it is not impossible, he must point with his eyes (Issue 1115).

C – The Things on Which Sajdah Is Valid

1. Sajdah is correct on the ground and on things that grow from the earth but are neither edible nor wearable, such as wood, leaves, grass, straw, and non-edible flowers (Issues 1121 & 1123).
2. Sajdah is correct on limestone and gypsum

(Issue 1126).

3. Sajdah is correct on paper (Issue 1127).
4. Sajdah is correct on marble and other materials

(Issue 1128).

D- The Things on Which Sajdah Is Not Valid

1. Things that are edible and wearable;
2. Things not considered part of the earth, such as gold, silver, and bitumen (Issue 1122);
3. Vine leaves before drying;
4. A plant that is commonly eaten in some cities;
5. Unripe fruit (Issue 1126);
6. Agate and turquoise (Issue 1129);
7. A Sajdah on mud or loose soil where the forehead cannot remain still (Issue 1130).

F- The Obligatory Sajdah of the Qurān

In four chapters of the Qurān, there are verses of Sajdah. One must perform a Sajdah immediately after reciting or listening to one of those verses:

1. Chapter 32, the Sūrah of as-Sajda, verse 15;
2. Chapter 41, the Sūrah of Fussilat, verse 37;
3. Chapter 53, the Sūrah of an-Najm, verse 62;
4. Chapter 96, the Sūrah of al-Alaq, verse 19 (Issues 1138 & 1142).

Eighth: Testifying (Tashahhud)

A Tashahhud is a testimony to Allāh and the Prophet Muhammad (SA).

1. After the second Sajdah in the second Rakʿats of all obligatory and recommended prayers, in the third rakʿah of Maghrib prayers, and the fourth Rakʿats of Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, and ʿIshāʾ prayers, one must sit (in a kneeling type of position); and while his body is still, must recite Tashahhud in correct Arabic, i.e.:

«اَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِیکَ لَهُ، وَاَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلی مُحَمَّد وَآلِ مُحَمَّد» . (Issue 1145)

(Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu wAhdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhū wa rasūluh, Allāhumma ṣalli alā Muhammadin wa āli Muhammad)

2. Someone who forgets the Tashahhud, if he stands up and remembers that he did not recite the Tashahhud, must sit down, recite it, and then stand up again. For standing without due reason, he must perform two sajdat-sahw after completing the prayer (Issue 1147).

Ninth: Salutation (Salām)

In the last Rak’at of all prayers, while one is seated and his body is still, after reciting Tashahhud, one must recite  . And it is three formulas:

«اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیک اَیهَا النَّبِی وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَکاتُه* اَلسَّلامُ عَلَینا وَعَلی عِبادِ اللهِ الصّالِحِین* اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیکمْ وَرَحَمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَکاتُهُ»(Issue1150)

(as Salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhan nabiyyu wa raḥmatul lāhi wa barakātuh* as Salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādil lāhiṣ ṣāliḥīn*as Salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatul lāhi wa barakātuh).

The tenth: Sequence (Tartīb)

1. The obligatory acts of prayer must be performed in the same sequence, one after another.
2. When a person changes the sequence of prayer intentionally, such as by saying another Sūrah before Sūrah al-Ḥamd or performing Sajdah before Rukūʿ, his prayer is invalid (Issue 1153).

Eleventh: Consecutiveness (Muwālāt)

All obligatory acts of prayer must be performed consecutively. When a person delays between actions of prayer unusually, the prayer is invalid (Issue 1159).

Twelfth: Stillness of the Body (Tūmāninah)

When praying, the body of the person praying must

remain motionless during Takbīrat -ul- Iḥrām, Qirāʾah, Dhikr, Rukūʿ’, Suj’d, Tasbihāt–e-Arba̒h, Tashahhud, and Salām (Issue 1162).

 Qunūt

Qunat is a recommended act to be recited before the Rukūʿ of the second Rakʿat in all obligatory and recommended prayers (Issue 1163).

Question:

What is the duty if prostration is impossible on the plane and train?

Answer:

The Sajdah should be performed on a chair; otherwise, point with your head.

Exercises:

1. What are the obligatory acts of Sajdah?
2. What are the things on which prostration is valid?
3. 3. What is the sequence of prayer?

4. What is the muwālāt