Is it permissible to prostrate on a stone or seal?

- Is it not a necessity for the forehead to touch the ground/floor during prostration?
- I saw a Shiite performing a prayer; he put his forehead on a stone when he prostrated. Is it appropriate?
- Can there be several ways of performing prayers?
- When we watch the Kaaba on television, we see different ways of performing prayers. Did people make them up? Or, did the Prophet (pbuh) perform prayers like that? Is it not a necessity for the forehead to touch the ground/floor in prayer?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The rukns of prayer like qiyam, ruku’ and sajdah are the same in all madhhabs of Ahl as-Sunnah.

The practice of prostrating on a stone brought from Karbala exists in some Shiite groups. They do it to remember Hz. Husayn. There was not such practice during the time of the Prophet (pbuh).

According to Jafari madhhab, sajdah can be made on something like soil or stone; sajdah cannot be made on a carpet or rug. Due to this belief, they put a piece of stone on the place where they prostrate when they perform prayers in the mosque or at home. However, the differences in the definitions of “forehead”, which needs to touch the ground, bring about the question whether it is permissible to prostrate on a small piece of stone. According to a definition, forehead is the place between the hairline and two eyebrows. Accordingly, the stone on which prostration is made should be as big as the forehead. According to this definition, the prayer of those who prostrate on a stone is not valid. 

According to another definition, forehead is the part between the temples; accordingly, the prayer is valid even if the stone is small.

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