Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Dato’ Seri. I watched many football players performed sujud al-syukr when they scored a goal or win a football match. This includes in both national and international matches like Mohamad Solah, a famous Liverpool player. Aren’t there supposed to be requisites for sujud al-syukr such as wudhu’ (ablution) and how should it be performed?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Syukr (gratitude) is an acknowledgement of Allah’s blessings by praising Him. One manifests his gratitude of the blessings of his tongue, heart and whole body, where he uses his tongue for praises, his heart for acknowledgement and his whole body for obedience of all His commandments. (Refer Madarij al-Salikin, 2/244)
Syukr is a term used to describe a slave who utilizes all Allah’s blessings upon him towards the path of obedience. (Refer Hasyiah al-Syabramalisi, 1/22).
While the definition of sujud al-syukr (prostration of gratitude) is a prostration performed by a person when he receives a blessing or averted from calamity. (Refer Syarh al-Minhaj and Hasyiah al-Qalyubi, 1/208).
The scholars disagree on sujud al-syukr:
- It is not sanctioned. This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Malik in a famous opinion and al-Nakha’ie as stated by Ibn al-Munzir.
- It is sanctioned and it is Sunnah. This is the opinion of Imam al-Syafi’e, Ahmad, Ishaq, Abu Thaur, Ibn al-Munzir, Abu Yusuf, Muhammad Ibn Habib from Maliki madhab and Ibn Qassar relates it to Imam Malik. It is also acknowledged by al-Banani.
Among the arguments are:
- It was narrated from Abu Bakrah
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ إِذَا أَتَاهُ أَمْرٌ يَسُرُّهُ أَوْ يُسَرُّ بِهِ خَرَّ سَاجِدًا شُكْرًا لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى
“That when the Prophet (ﷺ) heard news that made him happy, or for which one should be happy, he would fall down prostrate in gratitude to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (1394)
- In another narration also from Abu Bakrah RA, he said:
اَنَّ النَّبِىَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ اِذَا جَاءَهُ خَبَرٌ يَسُرُّهُ خَرَّ سَاجِدًا
that when the Prophet (ﷺ) heard news that made him happy, he would fall down prostrate in gratitude to Allah.
Sunan Abi Dawud (2774)
Looking back to the Islamic history, we can see that many scholars performed sujud al-syukr. Among them are:
- Saiyidina Abu Bakr al-Siddiq RA performed sujud al-syukr when he successfully opened the city of Yamamah and upon hearing the news that Musailamah al-Kazzab was killed.
- Saiyidina Ali RA had performed sujud al-syukr when hearing the news of the killing of Za Thadiyah who is a Khawarij.
The Conditions of Sujud al-Syukr
The conditions of sujud al-syukr according to madhab al-Syafi’e are the same as prayer and sujud al-tilawah (al-tilawah prostration), which are:
- Pure from both minor and major hadas (impure state)
- Clothes and place of sujud are pure
- Awrah are covered, face the qibla and set the intention of performing sujud al-syukr
- During the specified time for the prostration which is as soon as a person receives a blessing or averted from any calamity.
According to the above conditions, if a person is not in a pure state, then it is not commanded for him to prostrate as stated by al-Syarqawi. However, some Maliki scholars said that it is permissible to perform sujud al-syukr without wudhu’.
Al-Khattab said, the hidden secrets and meanings of sujud al-syukr will vanish if one postpones his sujud al-syukr until he purifies himself. (Refer al-Mausu’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 24/248)
The same is stated by Imam Syaukani:
“Pertaining sujud al-syukr, there is no single hadith explaining on that it has to be done on the conditions of wudhu’ (ablution) as well as having clothes and place that are pure.”
The Methods of Sujud al-Syukr
Sujud al-syukr is the same as sujud in prayers or sujud al-tilawah with a slight difference. Here is the methods of sujud al-syukr according to madhab al-Syafi’e:
- Face the qibla
- Set the intention of prostration of gratitude (in one’s heart): “I intend to perform a Sunnah sujud al-syukr for to Allah (نويت سجود الشكر سنة لله تعالى)
- Takbir and raise both hands to perform sujud like when one intends to do takbiratul ihram.
- Prostrate without raising one’s hands when going down for prostration
- Prostrate only once and it is Sunnah to recite “سبحان ربي الأعلى” three times followed by the following du’a: سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ ، وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ ، بِحَوْلِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ
- Raise one’s head from prostration by reciting takbir
- Sit without reciting tahiyat (tasyahud) and
- Ends with salam (Refer al-Majmu’ by Imam al-Nawawi, 4/68)
As a reminder, Shafi’ite and Hanbali scholars are of the opinion that it is impermissible to perform sujud al-syukr during prayer for the reasons are not from prayer. If he does so, his prayer is invalidated. Their opinion: Unless when one is ignorant or forgets, then his prayer is not invalidated. (Refer al-Majmu’, 4/68; Raudhah al-Talibin, 1/325 and Nihayah al-Muhtaj, 2/97)
Answering the above question, surely, in madhab al-Syafi’e, conditions and methods of sujud al-syukr are as stated. However, in the specific case presented, we see that it is way the Muslim football player is showcasing his gratitude and at the same time, it may give a positive impact as a form of dakwah in showing our gratitude and remembrance to Allah SWT. On this basis, taqlid to Maliki madhab in one qaul and the opinion of Imam Syaukani is acceptable.
May Allah bless us with understanding in this religion for us to practice it the best we could. Ameen.