Sajdah Tilawah in the Quran: Complete Guide to the 15 Prostration Verses, Rulings & Du’as

1. The Locations of the Sajdah Verses in the Holy Quran

Understanding the 14 vs 15 verses debate among Islamic jurists

There are 15 total verses in the Holy Quran where a prostration is mentioned. While 14 are universally agreed upon by the majority of scholars, schools have minor technical distinctions:

• The 14 Agreed Verses: Surah Al-A’raf (7:206), Ar-Ra’d (13:15), An-Nahl (16:50), Al-Isra (17:109), Maryam (19:58), Al-Hajj 1st (22:18), Al-Furqan (25:60), An-Naml (27:26), As-Sajdah (32:15), Saad (38:24), Fussilat (41:38), An-Najm (53:62), Al-Inshiqaq (84:21), and Al-‘Alaq (96:19).

• Surah Al-Hajj Second Sajdah (22:77): Recognized as a Sajdah by Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars based on the Hadith of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, while Hanafi scholars consider it a general prayer command.

• Surah Saad (38:24): Recognized as Sajdah Shukr (prostration of gratitude) by Shafi’i, while Hanafi scholars consider it a formal Sajdah Tilawah.

2. The Legal Ruling: Is Sajdah Tilawah Wajib or Sunnah?

Comparing the jurisprudence of the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools

Scholars differ on the legal obligation of performing Sajdah Tilawah upon reading or hearing a verse:

• The Hanafi School: Considers it WĀJIB (necessary/obligatory) upon both the reciter and the attentive listener. Delaying it without an excuse is disliked, and missing it entirely requires making it up (Qada).

• The Majority (Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali): Consider it SUNNAH MU’AKKADAH (highly emphasized Sunnah). It is meritorious, but a person is not sinful if they omit it.

The majority cite the practice of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA), who once recited a Sajdah verse from Surah An-Nahl on Friday from the Minbar, descended and prostrated. The following Friday, he recited the same verse and said: "O people, we pass by verses of prostration; whoever prostrates has done well, and whoever does not prostrate has committed no sin." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).

3. Step-by-Step Guide: How to Perform Sajdah Tilawah Outside Prayer

The simple, authentic protocol for performing prostration during private reading

Performing Sajdah Tilawah outside of Salah takes less than 30 seconds:

Step 1: Ensure you are in a state of Wudu (ritual purity), facing the Qiblah, and covering your Awrah.

Step 2: (Preferably from a standing position, though sitting is completely valid): Say "Allāhu Akbar" without raising your hands to your ears.

Step 3: Go directly down into a single Sajdah (prostration). Place your forehead, nose, palms, knees, and toes firmly on the ground.

Step 4: Recite the authentic Sunnah du’as three times.

Step 5: Rise back up saying "Allāhu Akbar". You do NOT sit for Tashahhud, and according to the preferred view, no Salam is required (though Shafi’is recommend one Salam to exit).

4. Authentic Sunnah Du’as for Sajdah Tilawah

What the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ supplicated when prostrating before the Quran

While reciting the standard "سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى" (Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la) three times is completely valid, it is highly recommended to recite the specific prophetic supplications:

Du’a 1: "سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ، وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ بِحَوْلِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ، فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ"

(Sajada wajhiya lilladhee khalaqahu, wa shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu bi-hawlihi wa quwwatihi, fatabaarak-Allaahu ahsanul-khaaliqeen - "My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and brought forth its hearing and sight by His might and power. Blessed is Allah, the best of creators." - Sunan at-Tirmidhi).

Du’a 2: "اللَّهُمَّ اكْتُبْ لِي بِهَا عِنْدَكَ أَجْرًا، وَضَعْ عَنِّي بِهَا وِزْرًا، وَاجْعَلْهَا لِي عِنْدَكَ ذُخْرًا، وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّي كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَهَا مِنْ عَبْدِكَ دَاوُدَ"

(O Allah, record for me a reward for this in Your presence, remove from me a burden, store it for me as a treasure, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your servant Dawud).

5. How to Perform Sajdah Tilawah Inside Salah (Prayer)

What to do when the Imam or solo worshipper recites a Sajdah verse in prayer

If you recite a Sajdah verse while praying Salah:

• Immediately say "Allāhu Akbar" and drop directly into Sajdah (skipping Ruku).

• Recite the supplication in Sajdah.

• Say "Allāhu Akbar", rise back up to the standing position (Qiyam), recite a few more verses, and then perform the standard Ruku.

• If you are following an Imam in congregational prayer: You MUST follow the Imam. If the Imam prostrates for Tilawah, you prostrate. If the Imam does not prostrate, you do not prostrate.

6. Modern Dilemmas: Digital Mushafs, YouTube & Recorded Recitations

Does hearing a reciter on an app or podcast obligate a prostration?

Contemporary jurists have evaluated digital audio scenarios:

• Live Broadcasts (Live Stream from Makkah or a live online class): Yes! Because the reciter is actively reciting in real time, listening attentively warrants a Sajdah.

• Pre-Recorded Audio (YouTube, Spotify, Quran Apps): Contemporary scholars (including the Permanent Committee of Scholars and Darul Uloom Deoband) state that listening to recorded audio does NOT obligate Sajdah Tilawah, because the sound is a recorded acoustic echo, not a live reciter. However, prostrating voluntarily out of reverence is rewarded.