Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

قال الصادق عليه السلام: " السجود على الأرض فريضة وعلى غير ذلك سنة.

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Prostration (Sujood) on the earth is obligatory (fardh), while prostrating on other than that is a recommended practice (sunnah)."

وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «اَلسُّجُودُ عَلَى طِينِ قَبْرِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يُنَوِّرُ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ اَلسَّابِعَةِ.

Imam (a.s) said: "Prostrating on the clay from the grave of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) illuminates to the seventh layer of the earth."

ومن كان معه سبحة من طين قبر الحسين عليه السلام كتب مسبحا وإن لم يسبح بها. والتسبيح بالأصابع أفضل منه بغيرها لأنها مسؤولات يوم القيامة.

Whoever possesses a prayer bead (subha) made from the clay of the grave of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (a.s), is considered as having performed tasbih (glorification) even if they do not actively recite. Additionally, performing tasbih with one's fingers is superior to using anything else because the fingers will be questioned (held accountable) on the Day of Judgment.

وَ رَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «اَلسُّجُودُ عَلَى مَا أَنْبَتَتِ اَلْأَرْضُ إِلاَّ مَا أُكِلَ أَوْ لُبِسَ.

Hamad ibn Uthman narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that He said: "Prostration is to be done on what the earth produces, except for that which is eaten or worn."

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ يَاسِرٍ اَلْخَادِمِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَرَّ بِي أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ أَنَا أُصَلِّي عَلَى اَلطَّبَرِيِّ وَ قَدْ أَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ لِي «مَا لَكَ لاَ تَسْجُدُ عَلَيْهِ أَ لَيْسَ هُوَ مِنْ نَبَاتِ اَلْأَرْضِ.

It was narrated from the Yāsir al-Khadim that He said: "Abu al-Hasan (a.s) passed by me while I was praying on a piece of ṭabarī (a mat) upon which I had placed something. Imam (a.s) said to me: 'Why do you not prostrate on it? Is it not from what the earth produces?'"

وقال أبي رحمه اللهفي رسالته إلي: اسجد على الأرض أو على ما أنبتت الأرض ولا تسجد على الحصر المدنية لان سيورها من جلد ولا تسجد على شعر ولا صوف ولا جلد ولا إبريسم ولا زجاج ولا حديد ولا صفر ولا شبه ولا رصاص ولا نحاس ولا ريش ولا رماد، وإن كانت الأرض حارة تخاف على جبهتك الاحتراق أو كانت ليلة مظلمة خفت عقربا أو شوكة تؤذيك فلا بأس أن تسجد على كمك إذا كان من قطن أو كتان، وإن كان بجبهتك دمل فاحفر حفرة فإذا سجدت جعلت الدمل فيها، وان كانت بجبهتك علة لا تقدر على السجود من اجلها فاسجد على قرنك الأيمن من جبهتك، فإن لم تقدر عليه فاسجد على قرنك الأيسر من جبهتك، فإن لم تقدر عليه فاسجد على ظهر كفك، فإن لم تقدر عليه فاسجد على ذقنك لقول الله عز وجل " إن الذين أوتوا العلم من قبله إذا يتلى عليهم يخرون للأذقان سجدا إلى قوله ويزيدهم خشوعا " ولا بأس بالقيام ووضع الكفين والركبتين والابهامين على غير الأرض، وترغم بأنفك، ويجزيك في وضع الجبهة من قصاص الشعر إلى الحاجبين مقدار درهم، ويكون سجودك كما يتخوى البعير الضامر عند بروكه، تكون شبه المعلق لا يكون شئ من جسدك على شئ منه.

My father further explained in his letter: "Prostrate on the earth or on what grows from the earth. Do not prostrate on the ḥuṣur (reed mats) of Medina because their bindings are made of leather. Do not prostrate on hair, wool, leather, silk, glass, iron, brass, bronze, lead, copper, feathers, or ashes. If the earth is hot and you fear burning your forehead, or if it is a dark night and you fear scorpions or thorns that might harm you, there is no issue with prostrating on your sleeve if it is made of cotton or linen. If there is a swelling on your forehead, dig a small hole so that when you prostrate, the swelling can fit inside. If you have an ailment on your forehead that prevents you from prostrating, prostrate on the right side of your forehead. If that is not possible, then prostrate on the left side of your forehead. If you cannot do that, prostrate on the back of your hand. If even that is not possible, then prostrate on your chin, for Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, says: 'Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down prostrating on their chins.. and it increases them in humility' (Surah Al-Isra, 17:107-109). There is no issue with standing and placing your palms, knees, and big toes on surfaces other than earth. You should bring your nose close to the ground, and for placing the forehead, the amount from the hairline to the eyebrows equivalent to a dirham suffices. Your prostration should be like a thin, gaunt camel lowering itself, such that no part of your body rests on another."

وَ سَأَلَ اَلْمُعَلَّى بْنُ خُنَيْسٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلصَّلاَةِ عَلَى اَلْقُفْرِ وَ اَلْقِيرِ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.

Al-Mu'alla ibn Khunays asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about praying on qufr (bare ground or desert soil) and qīr (a type of tar or pitch). Imam (a.s) said: "There is no issue with it”.

وَ سَأَلَ اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْجِصِّ يُوقَدُ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَذِرَةِ وَ عِظَامِ اَلْمَوْتَى ثُمَّ يُجَصَّصُ بِهِ اَلْمَسْجِدُ أَ يُسْجَدُ عَلَيْهِ فَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِلَيْهِ بِخَطِّهِ «أَنَّ اَلنَّارَ وَ اَلْمَاءَ قَدْ طَهَّرَاهُ.

Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub asked Imam Abu al-Hasan (a.s) about gypsum (plaster) that was fired using dung and the bones of the dead, and whether it would be permissible to prostrate on it if a mosque was plastered with it. The Imam wrote back in his own handwriting: "Fire and water have purified it”.

وَ سَأَلَ دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي زَيْدٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ اَلثَّالِثَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْقَرَاطِيسِ وَ اَلْكَوَاغِذِ اَلْمَكْتُوبَةِ عَلَيْهَا هَلْ يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهَا اَلسُّجُودُ فَكَتَبَ «يَجُوزُ.

Dawud ibn Abi Zayd asked Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith (a.s) about prostrating on papers and documents with writing on them. The Imam wrote back: "It is permissible."

وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ يَقْطِينٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْأَوَّلَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَسْجُدُ عَلَى اَلْمِسْحِ وَ اَلْبِسَاطِ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي حَالِ اَلتَّقِيَّةِ.

Ali ibn Yaqtin asked Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Awwal (a.s) about a man prostrating on a misḥ (a type of mat or rug) and on a carpet. The Imam said: "There is no issue if it is in a situation of taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation to protect oneself)."

ولا بأس بالسجود على الثياب في حال التقية.

It is no issue with prostrating on clothing in situations of taqiyya.

وَ سَأَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلصَّلاَةِ عَلَى اَلْقَارِ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.

Muawiya ibn Ammar asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about praying on qār (bitumen or tar). The Imam said: "There is no issue with it”.

وَ رَوَى زُرَارَةُ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَسْجُدُ وَ عَلَيْهِ قَلَنْسُوَةٌ أَوْ عِمَامَةٌ فَقَالَ «إِذَا مَسَّ شَيْءٌ مِنْ جَبْهَتِهِ اَلْأَرْضَ فِيمَا بَيْنَ حَاجِبَيْهِ وَ قُصَاصِ شَعْرِهِ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَ عَنْهُ.

Zurarah narrated from one of the Imams (a.s) that He said: "I asked him about a man prostrating while wearing a cap or a turban. Imam (a.s) said: 'If any part of his forehead touches the ground, between his eyebrows and his hairline, then it suffices.'"

وَقَالَ يُونُسُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يُسَوِّي اَلْحَصَى فِي مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ بَيْنَ اَلسَّجْدَتَيْنِ.

Yunus ibn Ya'qub said: "I saw Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) leveling the pebbles at the place of his prostration between the two prostrations."

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَجِيلٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كُلَّمَا سَجَدَ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ أَخَذَ اَلْحَصَى مِنْ جَبْهَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى اَلْأَرْضِ.

It was narrated from Ali ibn Bajil that He said: "I saw Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s), every time he prostrated and then raised his head, he would take the pebbles from his forehead and place them back on the ground."

وَ رَوَى عَمَّارٌ اَلسَّابَاطِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «مَا بَيْنَ قُصَاصِ اَلشَّعْرِ إِلَى طَرَفِ اَلْأَنْفِ مَسْجِدٌ فَمَا أَصَابَ اَلْأَرْضَ مِنْهُ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَكَ.

Ammar al-Sabati narrate from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that He said: "The area between the hairline and the tip of the nose is considered a place of prostration (masjid), so whatever part of it touches the ground suffices."

وروى زرارة عنه عليه السلام مثل ذلك.

And Zurarah also narrated a similar statement from Imam (a.s).

وَ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ اَلصَّادِقَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْمَكَانِ يَكُونُ فِيهِ اَلْغُبَارُ فَأَنْفُخُهُ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ اَلسُّجُودَ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ.

A man asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about a place with dust where he wanted to blow it away before prostrating. The Imam said: "There is no issue”.

وفي رسالة أبي رضي الله عنه إلي: ولا تنفخ في موضع سجودك فإذا أردت النفخ فليكن قبل دخولك في الصلاة.

The narrator's father further explained in his letter: "Do not blow on your place of prostration during the prayer. If you wish to blow, do so before entering the prayer."

وَ رُوِيَ عَنِ اَلصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «إِنَّمَا يُكْرَهُ ذَلِكَ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يُؤْذَى مَنْ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ.

It was narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that He said: "It is disliked (makruh) because it may cause harm to the person next to him."

ويكره أن يمسح الرجل التراب عن جبهته وهو في الصلاة، ويكره أن يتركه بعد ما صلى فإن مسح التراب من جبهته وهو في الصلاة فلا شئ عليه لورود الرخصة فيه.

It is disliked for a man to wipe the dust from his forehead while in prayer, and it is also disliked to leave it there after the prayer. However, if a person wipes the dust from his forehead while in prayer, there is no issue, as leniency has been reported regarding this matter.