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Is Reciting The Shahadah During Prostration Permissible?
During the Salah, it is okay to recite the Shahadah in Sajdah. I’m asking because Prophet Muhammad’s (SWS) name is being mentioned in prostration if I do so, so I am unsure if this is shirk.
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Is Reciting The Shahadah During Prostration Permissible?
updated 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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There is no restriction in reciting shahada in prostration per Quran. However, your point is valid. Purpose of Salat is to connect with God (literal meaning of Salat: contact, connection), and therefore, Salat’s content should consist of commemorating God alone. Preferably, prayers and salawat for Prophets can be recited after the Salat.
The correct shahada (testimony of faith) is “ash-hado al-la ilaha illa Allah”, which is given in verse 3:18 of Quran, and we are told that God, the angels, and people with knowledge recite this shahada:
3:18 God bears witness that there is no god except He, as do the angels, and those with knowledge, He is standing with justice.
At the time of Prophet, the munafiqeen used to recite the second part of now prevalent shahada, which was disliked by God:
63:1 When the hypocrites come to you they say: “We bear witness that you are the messenger of God.” And God knows that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.
The above verse explains that it is an obvious fact that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a bonafide Messenger of God, and therefore, there is no particular need to state this fact repeatedly.
Though the two statements of the now prevalent shahada are present in the Quran (for instance, 37:35 and 48:29), they are not found there side by side as in the ritualistic shahada formula. Please also note that from historical standpoint, versions of both phrases began to appear together in coins and monumental architecture in the late seventh century, which suggests that it had not been officially established as a ritual statement of faith until then.
In his book (2005) “Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World (Daily Life Through History)”, James E. Lindsay notes:
“According to Fred M. Donner, what was of greatest concern, at least in the early years of Muhammad’s career in Medina, was belief in the one God and the Last Day.’ Nevertheless, versions of both phrases begin to appear on coins in the late seventh century. Since we do not find the shahada formula per se on earlier coins, it appears that the shahada had not been officially established as a ritual statement of faith until the end of the first Islamic century.”
Please also see verse 19:65 of Quran:
19:65 the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them! Worship, then, Him alone, and remain steadfast in His worship! Dost thou know any whose name is worthy to be mentioned side by side with His?” [Muhammad Asad]
Therefore, the correct and complete shahada is :
اشہد ان لا الہ الا اللہ
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You can recite shahdah if you want, this is not shirk.
However, following are some guidelines for Sajdah given by Prophet Muhammad (sws) in this regard:
“The Prophet (sws) has also forbidden Muslims to recite the Quran during prostrations – just as he has done so during kneeling, and has said that since during a prostration a person comes closest to his Lord, he should say as much supplications as he can. Consequently, words سُبحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلى (glorious is my Lord, the greatest) have been reported to be recited by him during prostration, and some other words also have been reported in place of these.
Of these, the ones which are mentioned in various narratives are the following:
سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبُّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالرُّوحِ
Above is He from all blemishes and shortcomings, the Lord of Gabriel and the angels.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي
O God! O Lord! Glory be to You our Lord and You possess all worthy attributes. O God! Forgive me.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُوَ عَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ
O God! Forgive all my sins – small and big, of the past and of the future, done openly or secretly.
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
O God! I prostrated for You only and professed faith in You alone and gave up myself to You only. My face is in prostration for He who created it and designed it and then made in it ears and eyes. Very great and very benevolent is God, the best of Creators.
In the tahajjud prayer, the following supplications are also reported:
سُبْحَانَكَ وَبِحَمْدِكَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Glory be to You, and You possess all worthy attributes. There is no God but you.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ
O God! Forgive all my sins done secretly or openly.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ
O Lord! I seek safe refuge with your pleasure from Your displeasure and with Your safety from Your torment! And [O Lord] I seek Your refuge from You. It is not possible for me to praise You of which You are worthy. You are exactly as You have praised Yourself.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا وَعَنْ شِمَالِي نُورًا وَأَمَامِي نُورًا وَخَلْفِي نُورًا وَفَوْقِي نُورًا وَ تَحْتِي نُورًا وَ اجْعَلْنِي نُورًا
O Lord! Create light in my heart, and create light in my ears and my eyes, and create light on my right and on my left, and create light in front of me and behind me, and create light over me and below me, and [O Lord!] make me an embodiment of light.“
(Excerpt from Meezan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)
(English Rendering by Dr. Shahzad Saleem)
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