Verses of Sajdah Tilawah
There are fifteen possible verses of sujood in the Quran. The scholars unanimously agree on ten of these places (Fath al-Bari, Hafiz b. Hajar al-Asqalani). According to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi there are fourteen verses which necessitate sujood in the Quran. They are:
- Surah Al-A’raf (7:20)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَلَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ
Indeed, those who are near your Lord are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, and they exalt Him, and to Him they prostrate.
- Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:15)
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ
And to Allah prostrates whoever is within the heavens and the earth, willingly or by compulsion, and their shadows [as well] in the mornings and the afternoons.
- Surah An-Nahl (16:50)
يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ
They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.
- Surah Al-Isra (17:09)
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا
And they fall upon their faces weeping, and the Qur’an increases them in humble submission.
- Surah Maryam (19:58)
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا ۚ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا
Those were the ones upon whom Allah bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping.
- Surah Al-Haj (22:18)
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ
Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allah humiliates – for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allah does what He wills.
*Surah Al-Haj (22:77)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good – that you may succeed.
The Hanafi’s do not consider it wajib to do a prostration after the recital of this verse, however Imam Shafi considers it necessary to do a prostration.
- Surah Al-Furqan (25:60)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ قَالُوا وَمَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورً
And when it is said to them, “Prostrate to the Most Merciful,” they say, “And what is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate to that which you order us?” And it increases them in aversion.
- Surah An-Naml (27:26)
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
Allah – there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne.”
- Surah As-Sajdah (32:15)
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [ Allah ] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.
- Surah Sad (38:24)
قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْخُلَطَاءِ لَيَبْغِي بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَّا هُمْ ۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ
[David] said, “He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates oppress one another, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds – and few are they.” And David became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allah ].
The Hanafis consider this to be a verse which necessitates sajdah. This is also the view of Imam Malik. The Shawafi say that this is a sajdah of shukr, which is mustahab to do outside of salah, and prohibited to do within salah.
- Surah Fussilat (41:38)
فَإِنِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فَالَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ يُسَبِّحُونَ لَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْأَمُونَ
But if they are arrogant – then those who are near your Lord exalt Him by night and by day, and they do not become weary.
- Surah Al-Najm (53:62)
فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا
So prostrate to Allah and worship [Him].
- Surah Al-Inshiqaq (84:21)
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ
And when the Qur’an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah ]?
- Surah Al-‘Alaq (96:19)
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب
No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah ].
Rulings relating to sajdah tilawah according to Hanafi fiqh
The majority of the rulings below have been taken from al-Lubaab fi Sharh al-Kitaab. Some additional points have also been included from al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah.
How to do sajdah tilawah
Whoever intends to do a sajdah tilawah should do takbeer (Allahu Akbar) without raising their hands, and go straight to sujood, then one should do takbeer again and raise their head. Tashahhud nor salam is necessary.
It is mustahab to sit before doing sajdah. There more correct opinion is that what is said for sujood in salah normally should also be recited for sajdah tilawah (سبحان ربي الاعلى).
Prerequisite of sajdah tilawah
The prerequisite of sajdah tilawah are the same as that of salah (al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah);
- One must not be in a state of hadath, or have najis on them.
- The awrah must be covered.
- One must face the qibla.
- One must not do tayammum for it, except if they do not find water or are sick.
When is it necessary to do sajdah tilawah
- If one recites an ayah of sujood then it is wajib upon them to do sajdah tilawah.
- If one writes an ayah of sujood or spells it out, then sajdah tilawah is not necessary (al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah).
- Sajdah tilawah is only wajib upon those whom salah is wajib i.e. they are baligh, aqil
- It is wajib to do sajdah tilawah for the person who listens to the ayah of sujood directly. This is the case regardless of whether the listener intended to listen to the Quran or not.
- It will be wajib for the person who listens to an ayah of sujood and is in the state of janabah to do sajdah tilawah. Likewise it will be also wajib for one who is lying down.
- The woman who is on her period or nifaas will not need to do sajdah tilawah (see p.581 v.2 Radd al-Mukhtar).
- If a person is busy with a matter, and is later informed that an ayah of sujood was recited in their presence, then in this case it is not wajib upon them to do sajdah tilawah according to the more correct opinion.
- If the ayah of sujood is recited by a bird, or heard from an echo then in this case, sajdah tilawah will not be wajib
#1 There is ikhtilaaf if one has to do sajdah tilawah if they do not listen to an ayah of sujood live e.g. on an audio device
Sajdah tilawah in Salah
- If the imam recites an ayah of sujood then he should do sajdah tilawah and those behind him should also do so.
- If the ma’moom (people following the imam) recites an ayah of sujood, it is not necessary for the imam to do sajdah tilawah. This is the case in salah and also after completing his salah i.e. sujood is not necessary upon him.
- Likewise if the ma’moom recited an ayah of sujood, he should not do a sajdah tilawah.
- If someone who is not in salah recites an ayah of sujood, then it is not necessary for the imam nor the ma’moom to do a sajdah tilawah in their salah. Rather they should do it after completing their salah.
- If the imam and ma’moom happen to do a sajdah tilawah, after having heard it from someone who is not praying, it will not be accepted from them, nor will it break their salah. In this case they will need to repeat the sajdah tilawah.
- Whoever recites an ayah of sujood outside of salah and does not do a sajdah tilawah, then starts salah and recites the ayah of sujood, and does a sajdah tilawah, then in this case the one sajdah tilawah will suffice for both instances of recitation. This is the ruling if the salah and recital of ayah of sujood is in one majlis i.e. one must start their salah immediately after recital.
- If one recites an ayah of sujood outside of salah and does a sajdah tilawah, then starts salah and recites a different ayah of sujood, then in this case the first sajdah tilawah will not suffice for the second.
- Whoever repeats an ayah of sujood many times in one sitting, then one sajdah tilawah is sufficient.
