The Reality of 10-Minute Prostration in Islam

The Reality of 10-Minute Prostration in Islam: Separating Fact from Fiction

A video from the 92 News Channel representative, Junaid Iqbal, was sent to me for review, in which Junaid Sahab explains the health and spiritual benefits of a ten-minute long prostration. He begins by mentioning a Hadith narrated by Aisha (RA) in which it is said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would prostrate so long that fifty verses of the Qur’an could be recited during that time. Then, he goes on to explain various physical benefits, concluding with the suggestion to perform a separate ten-minute prostration after the prayer to gain these benefits. The benefits mentioned include:

• The transfer of blood to the brain, nervous system, eyes, and other parts of the head in a balanced and positive manner.
• It cures headaches, improves vision and hearing, reduces dark circles under the eyes, and diminishes facial wrinkles.
• It improves memory and prevents hair loss.
• It helps delay aging, strengthens the lungs, and improves kidney function.
• It also benefits in curing sneezing, colds, severe flu, phlegm, tremors, and rectifying the nasal glands.

One of the claims is that experts in medicine, both Muslim and non-Muslim, have said that the only way to overcome mental weakness is through a ten-minute long prostration.

Now, let’s look at the status of a ten-minute long prostration for obtaining physical benefits in the light of Islamic teachings. Before this, some basic points should be kept in mind.

1. Indeed, Allah has placed both worldly and spiritual benefits in the performance of acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat. For example, performing prayer removes sorrow and grief, fasting helps in gaining control over desires, giving Zakat increases wealth, and performing Hajj and Umrah removes poverty, etc.
   
2. Sincerity of intention in worship is required. When we perform prayer, our sole intention should be to please Allah. It is a separate matter that through prayer, we may receive worldly and physical benefits, but we do not perform prayer with the intention of gaining physical benefits or exercise. If we do so, then the prayer will no longer be for Allah but for exercise, and such an act of worship will not be accepted by Allah.
   
3. Allah has commanded seeking help through prayer and patience, and whenever the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) faced a distressing matter, he would pray. Therefore, in times of difficulty, we can indeed pray and seek Allah’s help. However, it is important to understand that asking for Allah’s help through prayer is one matter, while performing a prolonged prostration for a specific physical or worldly benefit is another matter. These two are significantly different.
   

Now, let us address the issue of the ten-minute long prostration. This long prostration, which consists of only one prostration (whether during prayer or separately), is incorrect in both cases. Performing a long prostration with the intention of seeking worldly benefits rather than worship is a violation of the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).

The absence of sincerity in this long prostration is indicated by the Hadith in Sahih Bukhari: “Actions are judged by intentions,” meaning that the intention behind this long prostration is not worship but a worldly gain. As for the method of worship of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it is clear from the collection of Hadiths that he maintained balance in his standing, bowing, and prostration, keeping the duration of each part equal.

For example, from the narration of Bara bin Azib (RA):

رَمَقْتُ الصَّلَاةَ مع مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، فَوَجَدْتُ قِيَامَهُ فَرَكْعَتَهُ، فَاعْتِدَالَهُ بَعْدَ رُكُوعِهِ، فَسَجْدَتَهُ، فَجَلْسَتَهُ بيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ، فَسَجْدَتَهُ، فَجَلْسَتَهُ ما بيْنَ التَّسْلِيمِ والانْصِرَافِ، قَرِيبًا مِنَ السَّوَاءِ۔ (صحيح مسلم:471)

Translation: “I observed the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and I found his standing, his bowing, his prostration, the sitting between the two prostrations, and the sitting between the Salam and turning away were all of equal duration.”

In another narration about the eclipse prayer, Asma bint Abu Bakr (RA) said:

فَأطالَ القيامَ ثمَّ رَكعَ فأطالَ الرُّكوعَ ثمَّ رفعَ فأطالَ القيامَ ثمَّ رَكعَ فأطالَ الرُّكوعَ ثمَّ رفعَ ثمَّ سجدَ فأطالَ السُّجودَ (صحيح النسائي:1497)

Translation: “So he made a long standing, then a long bowing, then a long standing again, then another long bowing, and then a long prostration.”

This shows that if the Prophet (PBUH) made long standing, he also made long bowing and prostration. To make only one part of the prayer, such as the prostration, unnecessarily long while keeping the others short, is clearly against the Sunnah. Furthermore, performing a ten-minute long prostration outside of prayer is entirely against the Shariah.

Thus, when we perform prayer, our intention should be solely for the pleasure of Allah. However, it is not wrong to also hope that through this act of worship, Allah removes our worldly or physical difficulties. But performing a long prostration with the specific intention of curing a disease or overcoming mental weakness is not permissible, either in or outside the prayer.

Prayer is the worship of Allah, which is the very purpose of human creation, and for physical illnesses, Allah has revealed specific remedies. Abdullah bin Masood (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

ما أنزلَ اللَّهُ داءً إلَّا أنزلَ لَهُ دَواءً (صحيح ابن ماجه:2790)

Translation: “Allah has not sent down any disease without sending down its cure.”

Therefore, if we fall ill, we should seek proper treatment. Along with this, it is permissible to pray and make supplications to Allah to remove our difficulties or physical ailments. However, we should not perform any acts of worship that have no basis in the authentic teachings of Islam, such as performing a ten-minute long prostration to cure mental or physical diseases.

The Reality of the Long Prostration Narrated by Aisha (RA):

In the books of Abu Dawood, Sunan Nasai, and Darqutni, Aisha (RA) describes the prayer of the Prophet (PBUH) during Tahajjud.

ويوترُ بواحِدَةٍ ويسجُدُ سجدةً قدرَ ما يقرأُ أحدُكُم خَمسينَ آيةً(صحيح أبي داود:1337 و صحيح النسائي:1327 و سنن الدارقطني:1545)

Translation: “And he performs Witr with one rak’ah and prostrates so long that someone could recite fifty verses before he raises his head from the prostration.”

Imam Nasai has compiled a chapter regarding this (بَابُ : السُّجُودِ بَعْدَ الْفَرَاغِ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ), meaning the prostration after completing the prayer.

Actually, the translation of the above Hadith is not entirely accurate, and Imam Nasai made a mistake in compiling the chapter. The correct translation of this part of the Hadith is:

“He would perform one rak’ah of Witr and prostrate for such a long time that anyone could recite fifty verses (before lifting their head from prostration).”

The long prostration mentioned here is not referring to a post-prayer prostration but to the prostration in Tahajjud. The length of this prostration is described, highlighting that the Prophet (PBUH) would prostrate so long in Tahajjud that someone could recite fifty verses before he raised his head. This very part of the Hadith is also found in Sahih Bukhari:

فَيَسْجُدُ السَّجْدَةَ مِن ذلكَ قَدْرَ ما يَقْرَأُ أحَدُكُمْ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً قَبْلَ أنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ(صحيح البخاري:994)

Translation: “The Prophet (PBUH) would prostrate in those rak’ahs so long that anyone of you could recite fifty verses before raising their head.”

Here, it is not referring to a single prostration, but to “sujood” (plural), which includes all of the prostrations in Tahajjud. This is further clarified with more explicit wording in Abu Dawood:

ويمكُثُ في سُجودِهِ قدرَ ما يقرأُ أحدُكم خَمسينَ آيةً قبلَ أن يرفعَ رأسَهُ (صحيح أبي داود:1336)

Translation: “He would remain in his prostration for as long as it takes for someone to recite fifty verses before raising their head.”

Here, the word “sujood” is in the plural, indicating that Aisha (RA) is describing the length of all the prostrations in the Prophet’s (PBUH) Tahajjud prayer. This is also made clear by the wording found in Ibn Majah:

ويوترُ بواحدةٍ ويسجدُ فيهنَّ سجدةً بقدرِ ما يقرأُ أحدُكم خمسينَ آيةً(صحيح ابن ماجه:1125)

Translation: “He would perform Witr with one rak’ah and prostrate in those rak’ahs for such a long time that anyone could recite fifty verses before raising their head.”

All these narrations are from Aisha (RA), and their conclusion is that the Prophet (PBUH) would pray Tahajjud longer than the regular prayers, and his standing, bowing, and prostration during Tahajjud were all of a longer duration.

Increasing the Length of the Last Prostration for Abundant Supplication:

There is another related aspect that is useful to clarify here. It is stated that a person is closest to Allah while in prostration, and thus it is encouraged to make more supplication during the prostration. Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

أقرب ما يكون العبد من ربه وهو ساجد فأكثروا الدعاء(صحیح مسلم:482)

Translation: “The servant is closest to his Lord while in prostration, so make abundant supplication.”

Because of this Hadith, some people lengthen the last prostration of their obligatory prayer and make more supplications. How correct is it to do so?

Lengthening the last prostration and making it specifically for increased supplication is contrary to the Sunnah. It is established in the Sunnah that there should be balance in all the acts of prayer, including standing, bowing, and prostration, as we have learned from the evidence above. However, a worshiper may extend the duration of their prostration somewhat because, in this position, one is closest to Allah. But there are two important points to keep in mind:

1. This lengthening should not be exclusive to the last prostration, but supplications should be made in all prostrations.
2. If one is an imam, they should not prolong the prostration to such an extent that it becomes difficult for the followers or excessively longer than the standing and bowing.