Can One Prolong a Single Sujood to Make Dua?
Question: As salamu Alaykum May Allah have mercy on you. I wanted to know: the Prophet ﷺ told us to make duʿāʾ in sujood, which is the best place to make duʿāʾ since a servant is closest to Allah in this position. So normally, I make duʿāʾ in sujood naturally, and because of the duʿāʾ, one of the sujoods usually becomes longer. Recently, I heard that some scholars say the Prophet ﷺ used to keep all the positions of the prayer the same in time, so we should not prolong one sujood, rukūʿ, or another position. So I am confused. Then how do we act upon the Prophet’s ﷺ saying to make duʿāʾ in sujood? BarakAllahu Feekum
Summary:
Yes, it is prescribed to make abundant dua while in prostration and to prolong the prostration for the purpose of making dua. There is no contradiction between this and the Sunnah of keeping the positions of the prayer similar in length. What is meant by similarity is that the prayer should be proportionate and balanced, not that its positions must be equal down to the exact minutes and seconds. However, a person should not always single out a particular prostration, such as the final prostration, for additional prolongation while not doing so with the other prostrations, because this has not been established from the Prophet ﷺ. If a person is praying alone, there is greater flexibility regarding prolongation. As for an imam, he should take those praying behind him into consideration and should not cause hardship for them. This is what is indicated by the fatawa of the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them.
Answer:
First: Prostration Is One of the Greatest Places for Making Dua
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih MuslimIt is narrated from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The closest a servant is to his Lord is while he is prostrating, so increase in supplication.”
In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ says, “The closest a servant is to his Lord is while he is prostrating,” meaning that the servant is closest to Allah, Glorified and Exalted, while in the state of prostration. “So increase in supplication,” meaning: make abundant dua while in the position of prostration, for it is more likely that Allah will answer the servant’s dua therein.
- Sahih MuslimIt is narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“As for prostration, strive in making supplication, for it is fitting that your supplication will be answered.”
“As for prostration, strive in making supplication,” meaning that prostration should be devoted to making dua to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and asking Him for one’s needs. “For it is fitting that your supplication will be answered,” meaning that it is appropriate, worthy, and likely that the supplication of the one who makes dua while prostrating will be answered. These two hadiths are explicit texts showing that the Sunnah is to make abundant dua and strive in supplication during prostration. Therefore, a person praying should not abandon dua while prostrating on the grounds that the positions of the prayer should be similar in length.
From the Scholars:
- Fatwa of the Permanent Committee Regarding Dua in Prostration:
The Permanent Committee stated that a person who is prostrating should say, “Subhana Rabbiyal Ala” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High), and that it is recommended for him to make whatever prescribed supplications Allah makes easy for him while in prostration. The Committee cited these two hadiths as evidence.
Second: What Does It Mean That the Positions of the Prayer Were Similar in Length?
From the Sunnah:
- In The Two SahihsIt is narrated from Al-Bara ibn Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
“The bowing of the Prophet ﷺ, his prostration, the period between the two prostrations, and when he raised his head from bowing, apart from the standing and sitting, were nearly equal in length.”
The meaning of this hadith is not that the bowing, prostration, and standing after bowing must be exactly equal in duration. Rather, what is intended is similarity, proportionality, and the absence of a significant disparity between them.
Third: Reconciling Similarity Between the Positions and Making Abundant Dua Reconciling the two is clear: A person may prolong his prostration sufficiently to allow for glorification and supplication while maintaining balance and proportionality in his prayer.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“The Sunnah is for the prayer to be proportionate. If he prolongs the standing, he should prolong the bowing, prostration, standing after bowing, and sitting between the two prostrations.”
- Elsewhere, he was asked, may Allah have mercy on him: Which is better: prolonging the prostration with dua or prolonging the standing with recitation?
He answered that the prayer should be balanced. If a person prolongs the recitation, he should prolong the bowing and prostration, and if he shortens the recitation, he should shorten the bowing and prostration, so that the positions are similar in length.
Fourth: Is It Permissible to Prolong the Prostration Specifically for the Purpose of Making Dua? Ruling on Prolonging Prostration in the Obligatory Prayer for the Purpose of Dua.
From the Scholars:
- Yes. Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about essentially this very issue:
“Is it permissible to prolong the prostration in the obligatory prayer and other prayers so that we have sufficient time to make dua?” He replied: “There is nothing wrong with that. However, if he is an imam, he should not cause hardship for the people... As for when he is praying alone, there is flexibility in the matter.”
This fatwa resolves the fundamental issue: prolonging the prostration for the purpose of making dua is permissible, especially for someone praying alone. The duration of the prostration does not have to correspond exactly to the duration of the bowing or the standing after bowing. Fifth: However, Do Not Always Single Out a Particular Prostration for Prolongation Here, a distinction should be made between two matters: Prolonging prostration for the purpose of making dua is prescribed, as mentioned previously. However, regularly singling out the final prostration in particular for prolongation in every prayer, such that it is noticeably longer than all the other prostrations, is not from the Sunnah.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about a person who prolongs the final prostration and singles it out for making dua. He said:
“We do not know of any evidence indicating that it is prescribed to make dua specifically in the final prostration. Rather, the Sunnah is for it to be like the other prostrations.”
- It has likewise been reported from Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said:
“Prolonging the final prostration is not from the Sunnah, because the Sunnah is for the actions of the prayer to be similar in length.”
Conclusion: The Sunnah is for a Muslim to make abundant dua while in prostration, and he may prolong his prostration for the purpose of making dua, particularly when praying alone, due to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “So increase in supplication.” This does not contradict the positions of the prayer being similar in length, because what is intended is similarity and proportionality, not exact equality in duration. However, a person should not always make one particular prostration, such as the final prostration, longer than all the other prostrations for the purpose of making dua, because singling it out in this manner has not been established. Rather, he should make dua throughout his prostrations while maintaining proportionality and balance in his prayer. If he is an imam, he must take those praying behind him into consideration and avoid prolonging the prayer in a manner that causes hardship for them.
And Allah knows best.
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