sajdahs

Sajdahs (singular: sajdah) refer to the act of prostration in Islam. The term comes from the Arabic root s-j-d, meaning to bow down in worship. A sajdah is performed by placing the forehead, nose, palms, knees, and toes on the ground with the face directed toward the qibla, in a gesture of submission to God. It is one of the core postures of Islamic ritual prayer and is undertaken in a state of ritual cleanliness (wudu).

In the standard practice of salah (ritual prayer), each unit of prayer (rak’ah) includes two sajdahs. After the bowing position (ruku), the worshiper performs a prostration, rises, and then performs a second prostration before continuing the sequence. The sajdahs are performed with intention and reverence, and they are an integral part of the prayer’s physical and spiritual structure.

Beyond the obligatory prayer, sajdahs can occur in other contexts. Sajdah tilawa, the prostration of recitation, is performed when a Qur’anic verse that commands prostration is heard or recited; most commonly it is done outside of formal prayer, though some traditions permit performing it within prayers. Sajdah al-shukr, the prostration of gratitude, is a voluntary prostration made in response to a blessing or gratitude to God. Sajdah sahw, the prostration of forgetfulness, is performed to rectify certain minor errors in a salah.

The practice of sajdahs is recognized across Muslim traditions, with variations in juristic details, but the basic act—a conscious, reverent prostration before God—remains consistent.