”جُعِلَتْ لِيَ الأَرْضُ مَسْجِداً وَ طَهُوْراً.“
“The (pure) earth has been made for me as a place of prostration and an agent of purification.”[1]
From the word “ja‘ala” [“made”] which is used here to have a legal and legislative sense, meaning (“ordained”), we understand that this issue is a decree ordained by the Divine for the followers of Islam to abide by. This proves the legitimacy of prostration on earth, stone, and some other parts of the ground.
2. A group of narrations verify the fact that the Holy Prophet (ṣ) used to order the Muslims to place their forehead on (pure) earth while prostrating. Umm Salamah, a spouse of the Prophet (ṣ), narrates that the Prophet (ṣ) said:
“.لله وجهك تَرّبْ”
“Place your face for the sake of Allah on earth.”[2]
And from the word “tarrib” in the statement of the Prophet (ṣ), two points can be inferred; one is that at the time of prostration one should place his forehead on “turāb”, i.e. dust; and the other is that this act is a binding order because the word “tarrib” which comes from “turāb” meaning “dust” has been expressed in the form of command.
3. The conduct of the Holy Prophet (ṣ) in this respect is another vivid proof and a good guide for the Muslims. Wā’il ibn Ḥajar says:
– وسلّم [وآله] عليه الله صلى – النّبىّ رأيت”
“.الأرض علىٰ أنفه و جبهته وضع سجد إذا
“I noticed that whenever the Prophet (ṣ) prostrated, he would place his forehead and nose on the earth.”[3]
Anas ibn Mālik, Ibn al-‘Abbās, some spouses of the Prophet (ṣ) such as ‘Ā’ishah and Umm Salamah and a large group of muḥaddithūn thus narrate:
“.الخمرة عَلىٰ يُصَلّى – وسلّم [وآله] اليه الله صلى – الله رسول كان”
“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) used to prostrate on khumrah (a mat made from palm fibers).”[4]
Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, a Companion of the Messenger of the Allah (ṣ), says:
“.حصير علىٰ يصلّي هو و – وسلّم [وآله] عليه الله صلى – الله رسول على دخلت”
“Once I came to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) and saw him praying on a straw mat.”[5]
This statement is another proof which supports the Shī‘ah view that prostration on whatever grows in the earth other than what is eaten or worn is permissible.
4. The sayings and actions of the Companions and the Followers [tābi‘ūn] of the Prophet (ṣ) also affirm this Sunnah:
Jābir ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Anṣārī says:
فآخذ – وسلّم [وآله] عليه الله صلىٰ – الله رسول مع الظُّهرْ اُصَلّي كُنتُ”
“.الحرّ لشدّة عليها أسجد لجبهتي أضعها كفّي في لتبرد الحصاء من قبضةً
I used to perform noon [ẓuhr] prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ṣ). Because it was very hot I used to take a handful of small gravel, keep it in my hand till it got cool, and place my forehead on it for prostration.[6]
[1] Sunan al-Bayhaqī, “Bāb at-Tayammum bi-ṣ-Ṣa‘īd aṭ-Ṭayyib,” vol. 1, p. 212; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh,” p. 91; Ibn Taymiyyah, Iqtiḍā’ aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm, p. 332.
[2] Kanz al-‘Ummāl (Ḥalab), vol. 7, p. 465, hadīth 19809, “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, as-Sujūd wa mā Yata‘allaq bih.”
[3] Jaṣṣāṣ al-Ḥanafī, Aḥkām al-Qur’ān (Beirut), vol. 3, “Bāb as-Sujūd ‘ala’l-Wajah,” p. 209.
[4] Sunan Bayhaqī, vol. 2, “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh,” “Bāb aṣ-Ṣalāh ‘ala’l-Khumrah,” p. 421.
[5] Sunan al-Bayhaqī, vol. 2, “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh,” “Bāb aṣ-Ṣalāh ‘ala’l-Ḥaṣīr,” p. 421.
[6] Sunan al-Bayhaqī, vol. 1, “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh,” “Bāb mā Ruwiya fī’t-Ta‘jīl bihā fī Shiddat al-Ḥarr,” p. 439.
