Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah
[Al-Alaq, 96: 19]


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Not long ago, I suffered a bad spell of food poisoning and was bed-ridden for some time. The time for Dhur (midday prayer) had approached, and, feeling weak and fragile, I managed only to pray the essential fard (obligatory) portion, then hobbled back into bed.
My sister, who was praying next to me continued praying the sunnah and nawafil.


Inadvertently, my eyes fixed upon her prayer movements. A smooth and serene bow performed in ruku followed by straightening her back in the qiyam (standing). The, with noticeable tranquillity, she lowered her limbs into sujud (prostration). I think it struck a nerve in me!


How utterly self-effacing is the motion of sujud! Having never seriously considered this humble bodily movement till then, I began contemplating (for sickness certainly forces us to examine the inner dimensions of our Islamic duties which we may otherwise neglect in good health).

How natural such a disposition the sujud is, I thought, where, in one timely descending movement of our body, we are able to physically and spiritually unite our entire self make-up, mobilising our hearts and our minds, our limbs and our senses, to outwardly declare our inner convictions.

Without having the need to utter any words, such an action speaks volumes about our nature since no other behaviour may best declare our submission to our Creator save the sujud.


When we prostrate to Allah, we are personally affirming, not only our willingness and readiness, but also our craving and eagerness, to be in Allah’s service.
Our own meek demeanour also serves to remind us that the One to whom we bow and prostrate, is, in utter contrast to ourselves, our Maker – the Mighty and Majestic, and so our demeanour in sujud is the best expression of our complete need for, reliance and dependence upon Him.

Our prostration also stresses the natural status that we as humans hold throughout our existence that of a slave and devotee to our Great Master. Is it any wonder that Allah’s presence is nearest to His servant in sujud?


Some of us however, fail to taste the sweetness of such a submission because our sujud is not properly performed. We prostrate in haste and in quick succession, or are not mindful of pressing all the right limbs on the ground.

I have seen, for example, people praying without their noses touching the ground; therefore not fulfilling the rites of prostration, since ‘there is no prayer for the one who does not feel as much of the ground as the forehead’ said the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)
[Sahih – ad-Darqutni, at-Tabari and others]


We are also obliged to be at ease in sujud, so much that we feel all our limbs to be at rest. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘When you prostrate, put your face and hands down firmly, until all of your bones are at rest in their proper places.’
[Hasan, reported by ibn Khuzaima]


Furthermore, making many prostrations to Allah is a means of being in the company of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) in the Hereafter.
This is shown by the fact that when a Companion called Rabiia ibn ka’b (radiAllahu anhu) asked the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) for his companionship in Paradise, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) instructed him, “then assist me with regard to your goal by making much prostration,”
[Hasan – reported by Ahmad]


As we can see, the blessings of performing prostration are immense. These are best accrued when we try to understand what we are communicating to Allah, together with having humility of the heart and complete presence of mind with what we are reciting and physically performing during the prayer.
And the pinnacle of our delight will be apparent on Judgement Day – insha’Allah, where our distinct mark of Believers and particularly the honour of belonging to the ummah of Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), will be evident from our joyous faces: this will be the reflection and beauty of our light which Allah will bestow on us for performing sujud.

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “..my ummah on that Day will surely have white faces because of sujud and white arms and feet because of ablution.”
[Sahih – reported in Musnad Ahmad]


Being sick made me think about all this. Perhaps because I lamented a little, that my own prostrations were shortened somewhat through illness, but Allah’s will is all-good as such, I had the chance for some reflection.

Should we not race to prostrate without limit, to Allah, since our youth and good health will one day diminish and illness or old age will overcome even the fittest of us? And we ache at the thought of having to nurse a tired broken back – the greatest liability that may prevent our sujud!


Perhaps it is said, that in our age of fast technology and fleeting excitements, the unmindful among us still believe that out seat of dignity is raised when we climb the material ladder of our terrestrial life!

But the Believers know that through assuming the most lowly and humble of posture, that of prostration to Allah, it is His slaves who ascend to the summits of peace, drawing nearer to our Lord’s light of Truth and tasting but a morsel of the immortal delights that quietly beckon us beyond.

 

 

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