Sajdah Its Importance Final

SAJDAH & ITS IMPORTANCE By: M A Sheriff

LEARNING POINTS FROM THIS PRESENTATION •What is Sajdah? •The two Sajdahs in Salaat. •Sajdah – closeness to Allah (SWT) •Important points about Sajdah •Sajdah to be performed on earth

WHAT IS SAJDAH? It is an action that exhibits highest degree of humility from a creature towards his Creator – Allah, the Almighty. During the process of Sajdah, man acknowledges that his creation, return and coming back to life is related to dust. Man therefore is nothing but an inferior creature infront of Allah,

THE TWO SAJDAHS Imam Ali (a.s.) was asked to explain the meaning of two Sajdahs in Salaat. He (a.s.) said, “When a person performs the first Sajdah, he is actually telling Allah (SWT): ‘You have created me from it (dust)’. Then he raises his head from Sajdah, he is telling: ‘You have removed me from it (dust)’. Then again he goes into second Sajdah implying: ‘You will return me into it’. Finally when he raises his head again, he is saying: ‘And You will remove me from it (dust) again for the second time’”. (Bihar)

SAJDAH-CLOSENESS TO ALLAH (SWT) Sajdah is a physical action, which gets the soul of a servant closer to Allah, the Almighty. “Perform the Sajdah and get closer to Me”. (96:19) Imam Al-Ridha (a.s.) has said, “The closest one can get to Allah is when he is in Sajdah. Allah Himself says: ‘Perform the Sajdah and get closer to Me’. (Bihar)

IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT SAJDAH Sajdahs must always be prolonged. A group of people came to the Holy Prophet (saww) and said, “Take guarantee from Allah that we shall enter Paradise”. He (saww) said, “With a condition that you will co-operate with me by prolonging your Sajdahs”.

Prolonged Sajdahs irritate the Satan Prolonging the Sajdahs reminds the Satan about his disobedience to Allah, the Almighty and the reason for his banishment from Paradise. Imam Ja’ffar al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Indeed when a servant prolongs his Sajdah in a manner that no one sees him, Satan says: ‘Woe unto me! They are obedient and I disobeyed; They prostrated and I refused”.

The mark of Sajdah The mark of Sajdah will always be on the foreheads of the believers. “You will see them bowing and prostrating, seeking His grace and pleasure. Their mark is on their faces (foreheads) from the effect of Sajdahs”. (48:29) Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) said: “Indeed I abhor a person whose forehead is clean and there is no mark

SAJDAH ON EARTH A Muslim must perform his Sajdahs during prayers on earth. According to the Shia’ School of Thought, it is compulsory to prostrate on earth. Ayatullah Sayyid Ali AlSeestani writes: ‘Sajdahs should be performed on earth and on those things, which are not edible or worn, and on those things, which grow from earth (e.g. wood and leaves of trees). It is not permissible to perform Sajdah on things which are used as food or dress (e.g. wheat, barley, cotton etc), or on things which are not considered to be parts of the earth (e.g. gold, silver etc)’.

Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari reports: The Messenger of Allah said, “I have been given five things which no prophet was given before me: Allah made me victorious by inspiring awe (fear in my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey. The earth has been made a place of prostration for me, and a place to perform Tayammum. Thus my followers can pray wherever (lawful place) they like when the prayer time commences. War booty has been made lawful for me. Every Prophet was sent only to his nation, but I have been sent to all mankind. I have been given the right of intercession (on

Abu Sa’eed used to relate that he had seen the Prophet (saww) prostrating on wet mud, so much so that he could see mud stains on his forehead. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Part 1, Page 104) Hazrat Maimuna said, “The Messenger of Allah used to pray on a KHUMRA (a palm leaf mat large enough to place one’s face, while in prostration)”. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1.378)

“O you who have faith! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do good, so that you may be felicitous”. (22:76)