Sajdah Tilawah | Hadith perspective

 

The first hadith mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari under the chapter of prostration during recital of Quran, is as follows:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الأَسْوَدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَرَأَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم النَّجْمَ بِمَكَّةَ فَسَجَدَ فِيهَا، وَسَجَدَ مَنْ مَعَهُ، غَيْرَ شَيْخٍ أَخَذَ كَفًّا مِنْ حَصًى أَوْ تُرَابٍ فَرَفَعَهُ إِلَى جَبْهَتِهِ وَقَالَ يَكْفِينِي هَذَا‏.‏ فَرَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قُتِلَ كَافِرًا‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) recited Surat an-Najm at Mecca and prostrated while reciting it and those who were with him did the same except an old man who took a handful of small stones or earth and lifted it to his forehead and said, “This is sufficient for me.” Later on, I saw him killed as a non-believer. Sahih al-Bukhari 1067

Story of the hadith

When the Prophet () presented Islam to the people of Makkah, many of them became muslims. Many of them would recite the ayah of sujood and prostrate, however some were not able to prostrate due to it being crowded. In the Musannif of Abu Shaybah there is a narration on the authority of Abu Huraira that everyone prostrated upon the recital of Surah al-Najm except for two men who sought fame. Some of the leaders of the Quraish scolded them, saying you have left the religion of your forefathers. It has been said that Waleed bin Mugheerah and Abu Jahl were amongst those that had returned from Taif (the narrator of this, Abdullah bin Lahi’ah, has weak memory).

Ikhtilaaf regarding the old man

There is a difference of opinion as to who the old man referred to in this hadith is. The different opinions include:

  • In the hadith of Bukari 4862, it is mentioned in the narration of Abdullah that the person who did not prostrate is Umayya bin Khalaf.
  • In the seerah of Ibn Ishaaq it mentions that the old man is Waleed bin Mugheerah. However Ibn Hajar says that this is unlikely as he was not killed as has been mentioned in the hadith.
  • It is mentioned in the Tafseer of Sunaid that the old man is Waleed bin Mugheerah or Utbah bin Rabee’ah, with doubt.
  • Tabari mentions that the old man is Saeed bin al-Aas bin Umayyah Abu Uhayhah.
  • Abu Hayyan mentions that the person is Abu Lahab, but does not mention where he got this from.
  • There is a narration in Nasaa’i where Mutallib bin Abi Wada’ah mentions that the Prophet () recited surah al-Najm and prostrated as did those with him. However he refrained from doing so, and Mutallib was not a muslim.

It is possible that there may have been more than one person who did this, and Abdullah bin Masud (who narrates the hadith) did not see him. Further, it is also possible that he only mentioned the person who raised dust to their forehead  and did not prostrate, so it is possible that Mutallib also did not prostrate, but he is not the man being referred to in the hadith.

The number of sajdah tilawah

There is consensus that there are ten places of sujood in the Quran.

According to the Ahnaf there are fourteen ayat of sujood in the Quran. They do not count the second ayah of sujood in surah al-Hajj, and include the ayah of sujood in surah Saad.

The Shawafi say there are fourteen sajdah, of which two are in Surah al-Hajj. The ayah of sajdah in Surah Saad is not included in these fourteen. They say that this is a sajdah of shukr, which is done by the one not doing salah. It will negate the salah of one who does sajdah tilawah purposefully (Umdah al-Saalik).

The Malikiyya say that there are eleven ayah which necessitate sajdah tilawah. They do not include the second verse of sujood in surah al-Hajj, nor those in surah al-Najm, al-Inshiqaaq or al-Alaq (#1). (Mukhtasar al-Khaleel)

#1 Surah al-Alaq is sometimes also referred to as al-Qalam

According to the Hanabila there are fourteen ayah of sajdah in the Quran, of which they include two verses from surah al-Hajj.

Ruling of Sajdah Tilawah

According to the Hanafi school of thought, sajdah tilawah is wajib upon the reciter and listener.

They point to the verses of Quran which use the word سجد (to prostrate) in command form, such as:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ ۚ لَا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship. 41:37

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب

No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah ]. 96:19

As the words come in the form of a command, the Ahnaf take this to show that it is wajib to fulfil the command.

According to Imam Shafi, and Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal sajdah tilawah is a sunnah muakkadah. As for Imam Malik, there are two famous opinions; that it is virtuous to do so and that it is a sunnah. There is an opinion of Imam Ahmad that it is wajib for the person in salah, and not for the one outside of it.

Is wudhu necessary

The four madhab agree that wudhu is a condition for sajdah tilawah. There is ikhtilaaf as to what is the opinion of Imam Bukhari with regards to this matter.

Those who say that wudhu is not necessary for Sajdah Tilawah.

They point to that which is mentioned in the fifth chapter of Sajdah Tilawah in Bukhari:

باب سُجُودِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَعَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكُ نَجَسٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ وُضُوءٌ. وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا يَسْجُدُ عَلَى  غَيرِ وُضُوءٍ

Chapter: Sujood of the muslims with the polytheists, and the polytheists are impure and do not do wudhu. And Ibn Umar would prostrate without wudhu.

This is what has been recorded in the different nusakh (prints) according to the majority. Hafiz Ibn Hajar concludes that this is what is written in the more correct nusakh.

Imam Bukhari mentions that the mushrikeen did sujood. This is mentioned in close proximity to his statement that, Ibn Umar did sujood without wudhu. Ibn Battal argues that if Imam Bukhari intended to use the mushrikeen as a hujjah (evidence) that wudhu is not necessary, then this is invalid. This is because the sujood of the mushrikeen is not considered an ibadah. If however Imam Bukhari wrote this to refute Ibn Umar, then this is more correct.

Those who say that wudhu is necessary for Sajdah Tilawah

However, there is also a different nuskha, that of Aseeli, which mentions that:

باب سُجُودِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَعَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكُ نَجَسٌ لَيْسَ لَهُ وُضُوءٌ. وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا يَسْجُدُ عَلَى وُضُوءٍ

You will notice that the word غير  has been ommitted meaning that Ibn Umar would do sujood whilst he had wudhu. This is what is agreed upon by all four schools of thought.

It is worth mentioning that Ibn Umar would often do things to show its permissibility, even though it was not necessarily the common practise of the sahaba, nor the more preferred thing to do. For example there is a narration from Abi Shaybah that Ibn Umar read an ayah of sajdah tilawah and whilst he was walking, facing away from the qibla, he indicated upon sujood with his head. (There are two narrations here, one which mentions without wudhu, and another which does not mention “without wudhu”). It is common knowledge that sunnah method of doing sajdah is to do so by prostrating whilst still, facing towards the qiblah. So in this case it is possible that Ibn Umar did this to show permissibility in the case when it is difficult to do so.  

How do we combine between the differing ahadith?

There is a narration from Bayhaqi, that Ibn Umar said: A man does not prostrate except that he is tahir (pure). So how do we combine this hadith with that which is mentioned in Bukhari?

Some have said that the meaning of this tahara, is that he is in a state of minor impurity i.e. he does not have wudhu. This is as oopposed to major impurity, where it is necessary for him to do ghusl. Therefore one can do sajdah tilawah without wudhu.

Others have mentioned that the meaning of this could be that one is required to do wudhu when he has an option of doing so. As for the case when he is not required to do wudhu, this is only when there is a daroora (necessity) and it is difficult to do so.

For further reading see Fath al-Bari, Vol 4, Page 221.

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