This had?th states clearly the seven bones that should be put completely on the ground when doing Suj?d.
Ash-Shawk?n? said: ‘‘Ulamah differed regarding the obligation of prostrating oneself on the seven bones: Al-’Itratu and Ash-Sh?fi‘? in one of his opinions held that it is an obligation that one prostrates oneself on the seven bones. Ab? Hanifah and Ash-Sh?fi‘? later on and other Faqah?’ held that the obligation is to prostrate oneself on one’s forehead only. The former opinion is, however, the sounder (1) for the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘Unless one’s nose touches the ground [in Suj?d] as one’s forehead does, one’s Sal?t is not perfect’. (2)
Accordingly, it is a mistake that one prostrates on one’s forehead ignoring one’s nose, or lifting one foot from the ground or putting it on the other and hence decreasing the number of the bones that touch the ground to six or five.
The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said to the Sah?b? who misperformed his Sal?t: ‘when you do Suj?d, do it perfectly’. (3)
[2/ 21] Failing to achieve Tuma’n?nah in Suj?d:
While discussing the mistakes done in Ruk?‘, it was mentioned that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) considered the Sal?t of the one who does not straighten his back when rising from Ruk?‘ and Suj?d as invalid and described him as being of the worst of thieves.
When doing Suj?d, one should do it perfectly till all his joints settle in their positions. The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said to the Sah?b? who misperformed his Sal?t: ‘When you perform Suj?d, do it
(1) See: “Naylul ’Awt?r” (vol. 2 / p. 288) with slight editing.
(2) Narrated by Al-H?kim in his “Al-Mustadrak” (vol. 1 / p. 270). This had?th is considered authentic, applying the Bukh?r?’s conditions of the authentic had?th, as Al-H?kim and Ath-Thahab? stated and so did Al-Alb?n? in “Tam?mul Minnah”.
(3) Narrated by Ab? D?w?d and Ahmad through an authentic chain of narrators as mentioned in “Sifat Salatiun Naby” (p. 149). Similar narrations were narrated by “At-Tirmith? in “Al-J?mi‘” (vol. 1 / p. 57), Ahmad in “Al-Musnad” (vol. 1 / p. 287) from Ibn ‘Abb?s. Both Al-Bukh?r? and At- Tirmith considered this had?th as Hasan [sound]. See: “At-Talkh?s Al-Hab?r” (vol. 1 / p. 105) and Al-Fathur Rabb?n?” (vol. 3 / p. 254).