Shoutbox
Yes, Alhumdulilah, the 10 days of this blessed month went well by the Grace & Mercy of Allah. I wish the same for all.
As-Salam Alaikum everyone.
Sujood or prostration is the essence of the Monotheistic prayer or salah.
As someone rightly said: "Prostrate as much as you can in your youth as I have seen many unable to prostrate during prayers in their old age." Right on! Old age brings with itself various physical limitations. Thus, take advantage of your healthy physical state when young and perform as much sujood as you can. Furthermore, old age is not guaranteed to anyone. It's only the Will of Allah.
Sujood (prostration) is truly a humbling experience. We can beg for Allah's forgiveness and shed tears for our misdeeds as well as seek refuge in Allah from the ultimate punishment of Hellfire. During sujood we are in one of the most submissive physical positions. It offers one of the best opportunities to talk to Allah and ask for His forgiveness and guidance. This prerogative is not confined only for the month of Ramadan but for all times, as long as we approach Allah (only) with a sincere, humble and contrite heart. We simply require to get close to Allah through sujood as often as possible during whatever number of remaining days each one of us have in this fleeting earthly life.
From Quranic narrations it's clear that sujood is something which every Prophet performed.
"These are they unto whom Allah showed favor from among the prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping." (19:58).
"And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Rab, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented." (38:24).
"You (O Muhammad) see them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel" (48:29).
All above Verses of the Noble Quran are clear indications that all Prophets performed ruku (bowing) and sujood (prostrating) for the love, appreciation and forgiveness of Allah.
If your prayer (salah) isn't a mindless ritual, you will observe that there's hardly a time you feel closer to Allah than when you are in sujood. It's the sincerity and humility of the heart that combines with our sujood and brings us close to Allah as during no other time of our earthly lives.
"Successful indeed are the believers
Who are humble in their prayers," (23:1-2).
Humility is of utmost importance at all times and especially during prayers, and sujood is an inseparable part of the Monotheistic prayer.
Sujood is also a gesture of gratitude. Many believers fall prostrate before The Almighty as soon as they learn of some good news .. often referred to as Sajdat-al-Shukr.
Believers who have truly submitted to Allah often fall prostrate while reciting the Noble Quran. When you're reciting the Quran and the Beauty of this Message sinks within you as you read, there's a strong urge in the believer's heart to fall prostrate every now and then. This is referred to as sajdat-ul-tilawat.
"Only those believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Rab, and they are not scornful," (32:15).
The heart of a genuine believer brimming with the love of Allah is constantly in prostration. This is often explained as the prostration of the heart and it can be a stronger form of prostration than the prostration of the body, for those who experience it. This would include those believers who are physically impaired and thus unable to physically prostrate. They can sit on a chair and perform sujood without movement simply with a slight gesture of their eyes or faces. As long as their hearts are filled with sincere submission and love for Allah, their sujood during salah can be defined as 'prostration of the heart.'
The Noble Quran has clearly conveyed that it's not only humans who perform prostration to Allah but so do all other living beings.
"And unto Allah make prostration whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth of living creatures, and the angels (also) and they are not proud. They fear their Rab above them, and do what they are bidden." (16:49-50).
As the saying goes, the beauty of sujood is that you whisper down on earth and it is heard up in the Heaven.
Prostration before The Almighty is of the greatest of importance as contained in His Final Message. Prostration is a time when the heart is expected to be at its sincerest. Therefore, seek solace in sujood, and never let your mind wander while you are prostrating, rather utilize this opportunity to fill your heart with the thought of Allah The Almighty.
"And unto Allah fall prostrate whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening hours." (13:15).
"Say: Believe therein or believe not, lo! those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read unto them, fall down prostrate on their faces, adoring," (17:107).
"Nay, Do not obey him. But prostrate yourself, and draw near (unto Allah)." (96:19).
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