I am trying to understand the Prophet’s (pbuh) performing his prayers long. He can lengthen qira’ah after al-Fatiha but how can a prostration be lengthened? Saying "Subhana Rabbiyal ala" three times does not take very long; is it possible to say it more?
Dear Brother / Sister,
A person can read very long chapters in prayers as he wishes when he performs them individually. This will increase the virtue of the prayer. However, the imam should not lengthen the prayer in congregation.
According to Hanafis, who accept that it is necessary to remain in prostration long enough to say, "subhana rabbiyal a'la" at least three times as it is stated in a hadith, it is possible and mustahab to increase it to five, seven, nine times as long as it is an odd number. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following regarding the issue:
"The moment of a slave in prostration is the moment when he is closest to his Lord; therefore, increase dua (prayer/supplication) in prostration." (Abu Dawud, II, 33).
Prostration (and prayer) is not a static bodily movement with a narrow frame; it is a valuable moment when a Muslim saves himself from conditioned rules and prays to Allah sincerely as much and as long as he can with a heart that turns toward Allah in the way that Allah and His Messenger taught. A Muslim should be able to remain in prostration for a long time as the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did and shed tears when it is necessary. Prayer should be saved from dry bodily movements so that a function should be assigned to it in the depths of the spirit to make man approach Allah.
Questions on Islam
- Are the duas (supplications) said in ruku’ (bowing down) and sajdah (prostration) of prayer fard?
- What is the length of sajdah (prostration) in prayer? They say it is necessary to remain in prostration long enough to say, "Lailahaillallah"; I sometimes think I do not remain long enough.
- Is it permissible to recite the invocations of ruku and sajdah one time which we normally recite three times?
- Does sajda as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) become necessary if we change the places of the invocations that we recite in ruku and sajdah?
- What is the criterion for the length of the ruku and sajdah in prayers? How many times can invocations be recited at ruku (bowing down in prayer) and sajdah (prostration) at most?
- Does lifting the foot from the ground while in prostration invalidate prayer? Is it necessary to keep the big toe of the right foot on the ground during prostration only or throughout the prayer?
- How long should the chapters to be read in congregational prayers be? Is it permissible to read long chapters?
- Is it possible to say prayers (duas) in a different language during prostration (sajdah)?
- What is the criterion for dua (supplication) in prostration? Is it permissible to pray for something worldly in prostration or to say something other than "subhana rabbiyal a'la"? Is prayer invalidated if something else is said?
- What are the meanings of the deeds done in prayer, supplications (dua) and glorifications (tasbihat) in and outside prayer? Is it permissible to say / read them more or fewer times?
