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
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Adhan (Call to Prayer)
The Islamic call to prayer, recited by a muezzin.
Shukr (Gratitude)
Gratitude toward Allah for His countless blessings.
Sunan Ibn Majah (Ibn Majah's Hadith Collection)
The sixth of the canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with unique narrations.
Taqlid (Following a School of Law)
The practice of following a qualified scholar's legal opinions without necessarily knowing the evidence.
Mafatih al-Jinan (Keys to Paradise)
The most widely used Shia prayer book, compiled by Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi.