Surah Al-Sajda

The Prostration

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Sajda, and it was named this because in verse 15 we are commanded by Allah to perform an obligatory sajdah.

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Sajda is the 32nd chapter of the Holy Quran.

Number of Verses

The chapter has 30 verses.

Place of Revelation

Some exegetes believe that this entire chapter was revealed in Mecca, while others believe that verses 16-20 were revealed in Medina. Another group of the commentators also believe that verses 18-20 were revealed in Medina.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-3

This chapter begins by declaring the Holy Quran’s greatness and affirming its Divine roots. It then goes on to defend it against the accusations of its enemies, answering each one of them.

Verses 4-10 and 26-27

“These verses display the signs of Allah’s unity and His strength which is present in the skies and on the earth. They speak about man’s stages of creation, like him starting off as a sperm cell and then developing into a human being. All of these signs clearly prove that the fate of all things is in Allah’s power.

Verses 11-21 and 28-30

These verses aim to remind people about death and resurrection. Furthermore, they outline the differences between the real believers, the transgressors and the oppressors. Next, they warn the oppressors about the punishment in this world, and command their Prophet to await the time of victory. Finally, Allah describes the unimaginable blessings and rewards that await the believers in the Hereafter through describing their states in this world.

Verses 23-26

This set of verses recount the narrative of the Children of Israel and Prophet Musa’s Divine mission to guide them. They also briefly discuss the perishing of many people as a retribution for their actions.

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم: من قرأ الم تنزیل و تبارک الذی بیده الملک، أعطی من الأجر کأنما أحیا لیلة القدر

It has been narrated from the Prophet of Allah that he said, “Whoever recites ‘Alif, Lam, Mim. The [gradual] sending down of the Book ’ and, ‘Blessed is He in whose hands is all sovereignty ,’ will be given rewards as if one was awake on the Night of Ordainment (Laylatul Qadr).”

و عن رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم: «من قرأ الم تنزیل فی بیته لم یدخل الشیطان بیته ثلاثة أیام»

It has been narrated from the Prophet of Allah that, “If someone recites ‘Alif, Lam, Mim. The [gradual] sending down… ’ in his house, then Satan will not enter his house for three days.”

Verse 16: “Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate to their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have provided them.”

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفٗا وَطَمَعٗا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ ١٦ قال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا روح و عفان قالا: حدثنا حماد بن سلمة، أخبرنا عطاء بن السائب عن مرة الهمذانی عن ابن مسعود عن النبی صلی اللّه علیه و سلم قال «عجب ربنا من رجلین: رجل ثار من وطائه و لحافه من بین حبه و أهله إلی صلاته فیقول: ربنا أیا ملائکتی انظروا إلی عبدی، ثار من فراشه و وطائه من بین حبه و أهله إلی صلاته رغبة فیما عندی و شفقة مما عندی و رجل غزا فی سبیل اللّه تعالی فانهزموا، فعلم ما علیه من الفرار و ما له فی الرجوع، فرجع حتی أهریق دمه رغبة فیما عندی و شفقة مما عندی، فیقول اللّه عز و جل للملائکة: انظروا إلی عبدی رجع رغبة فیما عندی و رهبة مما عندی حتی أهریق دمه»

Imam al-Ahmad said that Ruh and Affan said that Hammad ibn Salmat narrated from Ata ibn al-Saaib, from a Hamazhani man, from Ibn Masood, from the Messenger that he said, “Our Lord is amazed at two types of men, a man who revolts against the low-ground (his bed) and blankets from his love and family to go to his prayers. Then our Lord says, ‘O My angels look at My servant. He revolted against his bed and blankets from amongst his desires and family to go to his prayers in the state that he desired and had affection for what I possess.’ He is also amazed by a man who fights in the way of Allah and is being defeated, while he knows that there is safety for him if he runs away and death for him if he returns to battle; but he choose to return so that his blood can be spilled out of desire and affection for that which I possess. At that point Allah says to His angels, ‘Look at My servant who returned to battle out of desire and fear for what I possess so that his blood may be shed.’”

Verse 17: “No one knows what has been kept hidden for them of comfort as a reward for what they used to do.”

فَلَا تَعۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ مَّآ أُخۡفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعۡيُنٖ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٧ علی بن عبد اللّه، حدثنا سفیان عن أبی الزناد عن الأعرج عن أبی هریرة رضی اللّه عنه عن رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم قال: قال اللّه تعالی: أعددت لعبادی الصالحین ما لا عین رأت و لا أذن سمعت و لا خطر علی قلب بشر

Ali ibn Abdullah narrated from Sufyaan, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Araj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet of Allah who quotes Allah as having said, “I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never crossed the mind (or heart) of man.”

عن الحسن رضی اللّه عنه: أنه التهجد؛ و عن رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم «إذا جمع اللّه الأولین و الآخرین یوم القیامة جاء مناد ینادی بصوت یسمع الخلائق کلهم: سیعلم أهل الجمع الیوم من أولی بالکرم. ثم یرجع فینادی: لیقم الذین کانت تتجافی جنوبهم عن المضاجع، فیقومون و هم قلیل. ثم یرجع فینادی: لیقم الذین کانوا یحمدون اللّه فی البأساء و الضراء، فیقومون و هم قلیل، فیسرحون جمیعاً إلی الجنة. ثم یحاسب سائر الناس»

It has been narrated from al-Hasan, that he would stay awake for prayers, and it has been narrated from the Prophet of Allah that he said, “When the first of all creation and the last of all creation is gathered for Allah on the Day of Judgement, a herald will come heralding with a voice that all of creation will hear. He will say: ‘Soon the people of this gathering will know who is the most deserving of generosity.’ Then he will return and shout, ‘Those people should stand up whose sides would vacate their beds.’ Then they will stand up and there will be only a few in number. Then he will return and shout, ‘Those people should stand up who used to praise Allah during times of stress and distress.’ Then they will stand up, and they will be only a few in number. Then those groups will proceed freely towards Heaven and the rest of the people will be reckoned.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عَنِ الْحُسَینِ بْنِ أَبِی الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ السَّجْدَةِ فِی کلِ لَیلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ کتابَهُ بِیمِینِهِ وَ لَمْ یحَاسِبْهُ بِمَا کانَ مِنْهُ وَ کانَ مِنْ رُفَقَاءِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَیتِهِ

It has been narrated from Husayn ibn Abu al-Ala, from Abu Abdillah that he said, “Whoever recites Surah al-Sajdah every Friday night, Allah will give him his book (of deeds) in his right hand and will reckon him according to what he has done, and what the friends of Muhammad and the People of Muhammad’s house have done.”

Verse 11: “Say, ‘You will be taken away by the angel of death, who has been charged with you. Then you will be brought back to your Lord.’”

۞قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١ فِی الْفَقِیهِ سُئِلَ الصَّادِقُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ اللَّهُ یتَوَفَّی الْأَنْفُسَ حِینَ موت‌ها وَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قُلْ یتَوَفَّاکمْ مَلَک الْمَوْتِ الَّذِی وُکلَ بِکمْ وَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الَّذِینَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَ"لَائِکةُ طَیبِینَ وَ الَّذِینَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِکةُ ظَالِمِی أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَوْ تَری إِذْ یتَوَفَّی الَّذِینَ کفَرُوا الْمَلَائِکةُ وَ قَدْ یمُوتُ فِی الدُّنْیا فِی السَّاعَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ فِی جَمِیعِ الْآفَاقِ مَا لَا یحْصِیهِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَکیفَ هَذَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَک وَ تَعَالَی جَعَلَ لِمَلَک الْمَوْتِ أَعْوَاناً مِنَ الْمَلَائِکةِ یقْبِضُونَ الْأَرْوَاحَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ صَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ لَهُ أَعْوَانٌ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ یبْعَثُهُمْ فِی حَوَائِجِهِ فیتوفاهم الْمَلَائِکةُ وَ یتَوَفَّاهُمْ مَلَک الْمَوْتِ مِنَ الْمَلَائِکةِ مَعَ مَا یقْبِضُ هُوَ وَ یتَوَفَّاهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَی مِنْ مَلَک الْمَوْتِ

It has been narrated in (Man La Yahdhuruhu) al-Faqih that Imam al-Sadiq was asked about the words of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic: ‘Allah takes the souls at the time of their death;’ and about, ‘Say, ‘You will be taken away by the angel of death, who has been charged with you;’ and about, ‘Those whom the angels take away while they are pure;’ and about, ‘Those whom the angels take away while they are wronging themselves;’ and in regards to: ‘Our messengers take him away’ and about, ‘Were you to see when the angels take away the faithless.’ It was asked: “Surely the number of people who die in the world across all of the horizons is such that no one can know it except Allah, so how can it be that all of these souls will be taken at once?” The Imam replied, “Allah has made helpers from among the angels to take the souls (of people) for the angel of death who is their leader.”

رَوَی عِکرِمَةُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْأَمْرَاض وَ الْأَوْجَاع کلِّهَا بُرَید لِلْمَوْتِ وَ رُسُل لِلْمَوْتِ فَإِذَا حَانَ الْأَجَل أَتَی مَلَک الْمَوْتِ بِنَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ یا أَیهَا الْعَبْدُ کمْ خَبَرٌ بَعْدَ خَبَرٍ وَ کمْ رَسُولٌ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ وَ کمْ بُرَید بَعْدَ بُرَیدٍ أَنَا الْخَبَرُ الَّذِی لَیسَ بَعْدِی خَبَر وَ أَنَا الرَّسُولُ أَجِب رَبّک طَائِعًا اَوْ مُکرهًا فَإِذَا قَبضَ رُوحه وَ تصارخوا عَلَیهِ قَالَ عَلَی مَنْ تصرخون وَ عَلَی مَنْ تَبْکونَ فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا ظلمت لَهُ أَجَلًا وَ لاَ أکلت لَهُ رِزْقاً بَلْ دَعَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَلْیبْک الْبَاکی عَلَی نَفْسِهِ فَإِن لِی فِیکمْ عَوْدَاتٌ وَ عَوْدَاتٌ حَتَّی لَا أبْقِی مِنْکمْ أَحَداً

Akramah narrates from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet of Allah said, “Sickness and pain are all letters and messengers of death. Thus, when death approaches, the angel of death himself will come and say: ‘O servant, how much news after news, messenger after messenger, and letter after letter were there? I am the final news, there is no more news after me. I respond to your Lord whether it be compliantly or forcefully.’ Thus when he takes the person’s soul and the people wail for him, he (angel of death) will say, ‘Upon who do they wail and cry, by Allah, neither has his chosen time been oppressed, nor has his sustenance been eaten. Rather, his Lord called him. Thus the crier should cry upon one’s own self, for surely I will have many returns to you, and I will return until no one will remain from among you.’”

Verse 16: “Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have provided them with.”

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفٗا وَطَمَعٗا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ ١٦ رَوَی الْوَاحِدِی بِالْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ قَالَ بَینَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِی غَزْوَةِ تَبُوک وَ قَدْ أَصَابَنَا الْحَرُّ فَتَفَرَّقَ الْقَوْمُ فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَقْرَبُهُمْ مِنِّی فَدَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ فَقُلْتُ یا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنْبِئْنِی بِعَمَلٍ یدْخِلُنِی الْجَنَّةَ وَ یبَاعِدُنِی مِنْ النَّارِ قَالَ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ عَنْ عَظِیمٍ وَ إِنَّهُ لَیسِیرٌ عَلَی مَنْ یسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَیهِ تَعْبُد اللَّهَ وَ لَا تُشْرِک بِهِ شَیئاً وَ تقی‌ام الصَّلَاةَ الْمَکتُوبَةِ وَ تُؤَدِّی الزَّکاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةِ وَ تَصُومُ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْبَأْتُک بِأَبْوَابِ الْخَیرِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَجَلْ یا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ وَ الصَّدَقَةُ تُکفِّرُ الْخَطِیئَةَ وَ قِیامُ الرَّجُلِ فِی جَوْفِ اللَّیلِ یبْتَغِی وَجْهَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآیةَ تَتَجَافی جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ

Wahidi narrates according to a chain from Muadh ibn Jabal who said that, “While we were with the Prophet of Allah during the battle of Tabuk, it had become very hot and our people had spread out. When the Prophet began to approach them, I approached him and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, tell me about an action that will cause me to enter heaven and will keep me away from the fire.’ He replied, ‘Surely you have asked about a great thing, and indeed it is an easy thing for one whom Allah makes it easy for. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him. Pray the recorded prayer, give the obligatory alms, and fast in the month of Ramadhan. If you want, I can also tell you about the doors to goodness.’ I then said, ‘Yes O Prophet of Allah!’ He continued, ‘Fasting is a shield, alms is an atonement for one’s sins, and the prayer of a man in the middle of the night is for one who desires the presence of Allah…’ Then he recited the verse, ‘Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope…’”

فِی الدُّرِّ الْمَنْثُورِ أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ مَرْدَوَیهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِی ص قَالَ تَتَجَافی جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ قَالَ هُمُ الَّذِینَ لَا ینَامُونَ قَبْلَ الْعِشَاءِ فَأَثْنَی عَلَیهِمْ فَلَمَّا ذَکرَ ذَلِک جُعِلَ الرَّجُلُ یعْتَزِل فِرَاشه مَخَافَة أَنْ تَغْلِبَهُ عَینه فَوَقْتُهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ ینَامَ الصَّغِیرِ وَ یکسلُ الْکبِیرِ

In Al-Durr al-Manthur, Ibn Mardawayh has narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet said about the verse, ‘Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope…’ that: “These are those people who do not sleep before the prayers at sunset, Allah has praised them. After that, men became such that they would be scared of going to their beds so that sleep would prevail over them.”

Verse 21: “We shall surely make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may come back.”

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢١ فِی الدُّرِّ الْمَنْثُورِ أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ مَرْدَوَیهِ عَنْ أَبِی إِدْرِیسَ الْخَوْلَانِی قَالَ سَأَلْت عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ لَنُذِیقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنی دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَکبَرِ فَقَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص عَنْهَا فَقَالَ هِی الْمَصَائِبُ وَ الْأَسْقَام وَ الْأَنْصَابُ عَذَاب لِلْمُسْرِفِ فِی الدُّنْیا دُوْنَ عَذَابِ الْآخِرَةِ قُلْتُ یا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا هِی لَنَا قَالَ زَکاةٌ وَ طَهُورٌ

In Al-Durr al-Manthur, Ibn Mardawayh has narrated from Abu Idris al-Khoulani who said that, “I asked Ubadah ibn al-Saamit about the words of Allah: ‘We shall surely make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may come back,’ and he said: “I asked the Prophet of Allah about this verse. He said that the nearer punishments are unfortunate events, sicknesses and hardships that will go towards those who commit extravagance in this world, it is not the punishment of the Hereafter.” I then asked the Prophet, “O Prophet of Allah, I have not had any such sicknesses, etc. so what is my hardship?” He replied, “Giving alms and maintaining purity.””