Ruling 1079. In each of the four surahs ‘al-Sajdah’, ‘Fuṣṣilat’, ‘al-Najm’, and ‘al-ʿAlaq’, there is a verse of sajdah,(1) which means that if one recites this verse or listens to it, he must immediately perform sajdah after the verse has finished. If he forgets to do this, he must perform sajdah whenever he remembers. Performing sajdah is not obligatory if one hears such a verse involuntarily, although it is better that he does.

Ruling 1080. If when listening to a verse of sajdah one also recites along with it, he must perform two sajdahs.

Ruling 1081. If a person is performing a sajdah that is not part of prayers and he recites or listens to a verse of sajdah, he must raise his head from sajdah and perform sajdah again.

Ruling 1082. If a person hears or listens to a verse of sajdah being recited by a person who is asleep or insane, or from a child who cannot distinguish between the verses of the Qur’an, then sajdah becomes obligatory. However, if he hears it from a gramophone or a tape recorder [or some other sound-playing device], then sajdah is not obligatory. The same applies [i.e. sajdah is not obligatory] to hearing it from a radio if it is pre-recorded. However, if someone recites a verse of sajdah live on the radio and one listens to it live, then sajdah is obligatory.

Ruling 1083. Based on obligatory precaution, for an obligatory sajdah of the Qur’an, the place where one performs sajdah must not be usurped. And based on recommended precaution, the place of his forehead in relation to the place of his knees and the tips of his toes should not be higher or lower than the height of four closed fingers. However, it is not necessary for him to have wuḍūʾ or ghusl, face qibla, cover his private parts, or for his body and the place of his forehead to be pure. Furthermore, the conditions relating to the clothing of someone performing prayers do not apply.

Ruling 1084. The obligatory precaution is that for an obligatory sajdah of the Qur’an, one must place his forehead on a turbah or on something else on which it is permitted to perform sajdah. And based on recommended precaution, one should place the other parts of his body on the ground in accordance with the instructions that were mentioned with regard to performing sajdah in prayers.

Ruling 1085. Even if one does not say any dhikr when he places his forehead on the ground with the intention of performing an obligatory sajdah of the Qur’an, it is sufficient. However, saying a dhikr is recommended, and it is better to say the following:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ حَقّاً حَقّاً، لَا إِلٰهَ إلاَّ اللهُ إِیمَاناً وَّ تَصْدِیقاً، لَا إِلٰهَ إلاَّ اللهُ عُبُودِیَّةً وَّ رِقّاً، سَجَدْتُ لَكَ یَا رَبِّ تَـعَبُّدًا وَّ رِقّاً، لَا مُسْتَـنْکِفاً وَّ لَا مُسْتَکْبِراً، بَلْ أَنَا عَبْدٌ ذَلِیلٌ ضَعِیفٌ خـَائِفٌ مُّسْتَجِیرٌ

lā ilāha illal lāhu ḥaqqan ḥaqqa, lā ilāha illal lāhu iymānaw wa taṣdīqa, lā ilāha illal lāhu ʿubūdiyyataw wa riqqa, sajadtu laka yā rabbi taʿabbudaw wa riqqa, lā mustankifaw wa lā mustakbira, bal anā ʿabdun dhalīlun ḍaʿīfun khāʾifum mustajīr

There is no god but Allah, truly, truly. There is no god but Allah, I believe in this certainly and I affirm it certainly. There is no god but Allah, I testify this in servitude and as a slave. I prostrate to You, O my Lord, in servitude and as a slave; not disdainfully nor arrogantly. Rather, I am a servant lowly, weak, fearing, and seeking refuge.