The correct way to do sajdah according to the Sunnah

by Asma bint Shameem

🔺1. Sajdah is done on SEVEN bones. 

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead,” and he pointed to his nose, “and on the two hands, the two knees and the edges of the two feet (i.e., the toes).” (al-Bukhaari, 812; Muslim, 490)

So it is really important that we pay attention to this and make sure that we do sajdah on all seven parts. 

This is so important that, if someone doesn’t prostrate on all of these seven parts, although he’s able to, then some of the scholars even say that his sajdah is not valid. 

That’s because of the Hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas radhi Allaahu anhu:

"There is no prayer for someone whose nose does touch the floor as much as his forehead."

(Ad-Daaraqutni, al-Bayhaqi, and al-Haakim; authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaani)

And in another version:

"The prayer of the one who does not place his nose along with his forehead to the ground when he prostrates is invalid."

(at-Tabaraani; saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

“It is not permissible for a worshipper to lift up any of these seven parts of the body when prostrating, because the Prophet ﷺ said: 

“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead,” and he pointed to his nose, “and on the two hands, the two knees and the edges of the two feet (i.e., the toes).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 812; Muslim, 490. 

“If he lifts up one or both of his feet, or one or both of his hands, or his forehead or nose, or both of them, then his prostration is invalid and does not count, and if his prostration is invalid then his prayer is also invalid.”

(Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh 2/99)

🍃And Imaam Al-Nawawi said: 

“If he omits any of them, then his prayer is not valid.”

(Sharh Muslim)

However, others say that the Sajdah is valid but it is LACKING. 

So be sure to place all seven parts firmly on the ground when doing sajdah. 

🔺2. How did the Prophet ﷺ do his sajdah?

🍃Maymoonah bint al-Haarith 

radhi Allaahu anhaa said: 

“When the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ prostrated, he kept his arms so far apart that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen from behind.”

(Saheeh Muslim 497)

🍃And:

“When the Prophet ﷺ prostrated, if a lamb wanted to pass beneath his arms, it could.”

(Saheeh Muslim 496)

🍃Imaam Al-Nawawi said: 

“What this means is that he held his elbows and upper arms away from his sides.”

🍃Ibn Qudaamah said: 

“It is Sunnah to keep the upper arms away from the sides and the stomach away from the thighs when prostrating, because the Prophet ﷺ used to do that when he prostrated. 

Abu  ‘Abd-Allah said in his Risaalah: It is narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ prostrated, if a lamb wanted to pass beneath his arms, it could do so. 

That is because of the great extent he went to in lifting his elbows and upper arms.”

(Al-Mughni, 1/306)

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“This means that you should do sujood in a level way, not bunched up tight so that the stomach rests on the thighs and the thighs on the calves, and not stretched out as some people do when they prostrate, so that they are almost lying on their fronts. 

Undoubtedly this is a kind of bid’ah and is not Sunnah. 

It was not narrated from the Prophet ﷺ or from any of the Sahaabah, as far as we know, that a person should stretch out his back in sujood. 

He should stretch his back in rukoo’, but in sujood he should raise his stomach and not stretch it out.” (al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/168).

🔺3. The Prophet ﷺ forbade making sujood like the dog.

📌Proof:

🍃He said:

 “Be straight in prostration and let none of you put his forearms on the ground like a dog.”

(al-Bukhaari 788, Muslim 493) 

Shaikh Al-Albaani explains how to do sajdah according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

🍃He said:

“When he prostrates – which is an essential part of the prayer – he should put his weight on his palms and spread them out.

90-            He should keep the fingers together.

91-            And point the fingers towards the qiblah.

92-            He should put his palms level with his shoulders.

93-            Sometimes he should make them level with his ears.

94-            He should keep his forearms off the ground. This is obligatory. He should not spread them along the ground like a dog.

95-            He should place his nose and forehead firmly on the ground. This is an essential part of the prayer.

96-            He should also place his knees firmly on the ground.

97-            The same applies to his toes.

98-            He should hold his feet upright with his toes touching the ground. All of this is obligatory.

99-            He should make his toes point in the direction of the qiblah.

100-        He should put his heels together.”

(The Prophet’s Prayer Described #90-100)

🔺4. Sajdah is the SAME for men and women 

We’re supposed to pray like the Prophet ﷺ prayed. 

📌 Proof:

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Pray as you have seen me praying.” (al-Bukhaari)

He said this to BOTH men AND women. 

He did not say “this is for the men only” or “the women should pray differently” etc. 

If there was any difference in the prayers, surely the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam would have specifically said so. 

🍃And he ﷺ also said:

 "Women are the twin halves of men" (Ahmad - saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami)

So the women will have the same rulings for everything in our Deen as men except when there is evidence of a specific ruling which applies only to women.

So women make rukoo just like the men do. 

And they make sujood just like the men do. 

We’re all supposed to follow the way of the Prophet ﷺ.

The ahaadeeth that some people quote about women “compressing” themselves when doing rukoo and sujood are NOT authentic. 

🍃Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“Women should do the same things that men do in the prayer;

so they should raise their hands and spread their arms out when prostrating, and make their backs level when bowing and lift their stomachs up off their thighs, and their thighs up off their calves, when prostrating… 

they should sit on the left foot with the right foot held upright when sitting between the two prostrations and in the first tashahhud. 

In the last tashahhud of the prayer there is only one tashahhud, and they should sit mutawarrikan (with the left upper thigh on the ground and both feet protruding from one (the right) side) during the final tashahhud of three- and four-rak’ah prayers. 

There are no exceptions for women in any of these matters.”

(Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/304, 303)

🔺 5. As for the toes, they should point towards the qiblah when making sujood or when sitting for tashahhud. 

If your toes hurt, then try and train them slowly till you achieve the correct position. 

In the meantime, do your best. 

As long as the toes are touching the ground, the sajdah is valid. 

🍃The scholars said:

If a person prostrates on his feet and some of his toes touch the ground, his prayer is valid, but the Sunnah is to prostrate firmly on the parts of the body on which one rests during prostration as much as possible.” (Islamqa Fatwa # 146570)

🔺 How to do Sajdah if one cannot do it on the ground. 

If a person cannot perform rukoo and sujood the normal way and has to offer the prayer sitting, they should just bend themselves forward a little bit for the rukoo and a bend a little deeper for sujood. 

There’s NO need to put a table in front to put the head on it. 

Nor is there a need to put the arms forward in midair to make sujood in between the hands. 

Just put your hands on your knees and lean forward for the rukoo and lean some more for the sujood. 

📌 Proof:

🍃 Once the Prophet ﷺ visited a sick person and saw him praying (leaning) on a pillow, so he took it and cast it aside.

So the man took a stick to pray (leaning) on it, but he took it and cast it aside and said:

“Pray on the ground if you can, but otherwise make movements with your head, making your sujood lower than your rukoo.” 

(at-Tabaraanee, Bazzaar, and others. Saheeh by shaikh al-Albaani In Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth.)

And Allaah knows best.