Sajdah (Prostration)
Prostration with the forehead on the ground — the most humble position in prayer.
Sajdah (Arabic: سجدة), also called sujud, is the act of bowing down with the forehead, nose, both hands, knees and toes on the ground. It is the most humble position in the Islamic prayer and the moment when the worshipper is closest to Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in sajdah, so make much du'a (supplication) therein." During sajdah, one says "Subhana Rabbi al-A'la" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times.
Sajdah is performed twice in each rak'ah with a short sitting pause in between. It is also possible to perform sajdah outside of the prayer as an expression of gratitude (sujud ash-shukr) or upon recitation of certain Quran verses (sujud at-tilawah).
Related terms
Niyyah (Intention)
The conscious intention in the heart to perform a specific prayer.
Kaaba (Allah's Sacred House)
The holiest building in Islam, in Mecca, toward which all Muslims face in prayer.
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Tashahhud (Testimony of Faith in Prayer)
The testimony of faith recited in the sitting position during prayer.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its classification of narrations by strength.