I said to the Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him): Are there two prostrations in Surah al-Hajj? He replied: Yes; if anyone does not make two prostrations, he should not recite them.
The Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) recited Surah al-Najm and prostrated himself. No one remained there who did not prostrate (along with him). A man from the people took a handful of pebbles or dust and raised it to his face saying: This is enough for me. 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) said: I later saw him killed as an infidel.
We prostrated ourselves along with the Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) on account of: "When the sky is rent asunder" and "Recite in the name of Your Lord Who created"
I offered the night prayer behind Abu Hurairah. He recited Surah Inshiqaq ("When the sky is rent asunder") and prostrated himself. I asked him: What is this prostration ? He replied: I prostrated myself on account of this (surah) behind Abu al-Qasim (i.e. the Prophet). I shall continue prostrating on account of this till I meet him.
A prostration when reciting Sad is not one of those which are divinely commanded, but I have seen Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) prostrate himself.
The Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) recited surah Sad on the pulpit. When he reached the place of prostration (in the surah), he descended and prostrated himself and the people prostrated with him. When the next day came, he recited it. When he reached the place of prostration (in the surah), the people became ready for prostration. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) said: This is the repentance of a Prophet ; but I saw you being ready for prostration. So he descended and prostrated himself and the people prostrated along with him.
In the year of Conquest the Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) recited a verse at which a prostration should be made and all the people prostrated themselves. Some were mounted, and some were prostrating themselves on the ground, and those who were mounted prostrated themselves on their hands.
The Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) would recite to us a surah (according to the version of Ibn Numair) outside the prayer (the agreed version goes), then he would prostrate along with him, and none of us could find a place for his forehead.
The Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) used to recite the Qur'an to us. When he came upon the verse containing prostration, he would utter the takbir (Allah is most great) and we would prostrate ourselves along with him.
The narrator 'Abd al-Razzaq said: Al-Thawri liked this tradition very much.
Abu Dawud said: This was liked by him for this contains the uttering of takbir.
The Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him) prostrated himself at night when reciting the Qur'an. He said repeatedly: My face prostrates itself to Him Who created it and brought forth its hearing and seeing by His might and power.
When we came to Medina accompanying the caravan, I used to preach after the dawn prayer, and prostrate on account of the recitation of the Qur'an. Ibn Umar prohibited me three times, but I did not cease doing that. He then repeated (his prohibition) saying: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (Peach be upon him), AbuBakr, Umar and Uthman, they would not prostrate (on account of the recitation of the Qur'an) till the sun had risen.