Prostration on Earth

Prostration on Earth

The act of sujūd (prostration) lies at the heart of Islamic worship, expressing humility, gratitude, and nearness to the Divine. Prostration on Earth examines the question of what surfaces are suitable for prostration and why this seemingly practical issue carries profound theological, legal, and spiritual meaning—especially in the Shīʿī tradition, which prefers prostrating directly on natural earth and non-edible, non-wearable growths.

About the Book

Prostration on Earth surveys Qurʾānic indications, hadith (prophetic tradition), and juristic reasoning to explain the foundations of prostrating upon natural earth. Presenting the Shīʿī view alongside well-known positions in Sunni jurisprudence, the book clarifies why Shīʿī practice emphasizes earth—often a small clay tablet known as turbah—as the most fitting surface for sujūd. Each chapter connects legal rulings to the inner aims of worship: purity, truthfulness before God, and a tangible reminder that the human being was created from earth and returns to it.

What You Will Discover

• Scriptural and hadith-based proofs for prostration on natural earth.
• The rationale for the Shīʿī preference for turbah and similar natural materials.
• A comparative outline of Sunni and Shīʿī rulings on acceptable prostration surfaces.
• Practical guidance on exceptions and necessities (e.g., heat, illness, or lack of suitable material).
• Spiritual reflections on humility, purity, and remembrance embodied in sujūd.

About the Author

The work is presented as a juristic and devotional study compiled from classical sources in Islamic law and tradition. While the specific compiler is not individually identified in common editions, the material is organized to make primary evidences, legal principles, and spiritual insights accessible to contemporary readers without diluting scholarly precision.

Who Is This Book For?

For students of Islamic law, worshippers seeking to align practice with principle, and all readers who wish to understand how a simple act—placing one’s forehead upon the earth—embodies the ethics, humility, and theology of Islamic devotion.