EPISODE 4 Servants of

Spending the Night

in Prostration The Most Merciful
and Prayer “And those who spend [part of] the night to their
Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer].” (25:64) ‫َواﻟ ِﱠﺬﻳ َﻦ ﻳَﺒِﻴﺘُﻮ َن ﻟِ َﺮﺑﱢ ِﻬ ْﻢ ُﺳ ﱠﺠﺪً ا َو ِﻗ َﻴﺎ ًﻣﺎ‬

1 Who is this verse referring to? What does sujood look like?
Those who spend their time in their homes
5 The ultimate act of humility is falling in tearful
with their Lord: prostration to Ar-Rahman.
• The ‘Ibad ar-Rahman see isolation as an
opportunity to enjoy seclusion with Allah. KHUDU’ ‫ﺧُﻀﻮ ع‬ KHUSHU’ ‫ﺧُﺸﻮ ع‬
• They energize themselves by spending their nights with Him. The physical act of The internal spiritual act of
humbling yourself to Allah humbling yourself to Allah
Prostrating with forehead Crying, expressing your innermost
2 Why does this verse emphasize sajdah? connected to the ground in humility feelings and love for Allah
“The servant is closest to his Lord during prostration, so increase
your supplications therein.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 482) In qiyam, having long moments of In qiyam, praising Allah in sajdah
Oh Allah please
sajdah in the depths of the night from the depths of your heart, in
remove this burden.
• It’s the closest you can get to your Lord. your own words

• In salah, the entire rak’ah is building up to the sajdah.

What does it look like
Alhamdolillah
for all these blessings.
• Sajdah is the act we should be driven to in hardship and
in gratitude, in pain and in pleasure. 6 to be a person of sajdah?
• The more you lower your body, the higher your soul ascends.
ٰ َ ْ‫ َوا ْﺟﺘَﺒَﻴْ َﻨﺎ ۚ إِذَا ﺗُﺘ‬...
‫ﲆ َﻋﻠَﻴْ ِﻬ ْﻢ آﻳَﺎتُ اﻟ ﱠﺮ ْﺣ َﻤٰﻦِ َﺧ ﱡﺮوا ُﺳ ﱠﺠ ًﺪا َوﺑُ ِﻜﻴٍّﺎ‬
“When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited
to them, they fell in prostration, weeping.” (19:58)
3 What are the practical effects of sajdah? The ‘Ibad ar-Rahman who pray qiyam and make frequent
sajdah...
‫اﻟﺴﺎﺟ ِِﺪﻳ َﻦ‬ ُ ‫َوﻟَ َﻘ ْﺪ ﻧَ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻢ أَﻧ َﱠﻚ ﻳَ ِﻀ‬
‫ﻴﻖ َﺻ ْﺪ ُر َك مبِ َﺎ ﻳَﻘُﻮﻟُﻮ َن ﻓ ََﺴ ﱢﺒ ْﺢ ِﺑ َﺤ ْﻤ ِﺪ َرﺑﱢ َﻚ َوﻛُﻦ ﱢﻣ َﻦ ﱠ‬ ... deal with rudeness by wishing peace ... recognize that human flaws are present
“And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say. So upon others and avoiding conflict. in every sort of work, even Islamic work,
exalt [ Allah ] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him].” but persevere.
(15:97-98)
... respond to people with sincere hilm ... tolerate difficult people instead of
• Sajdah has healing powers for those who are troubled by (forbearance), not self-righteousness. withdrawing from the community when
people. things go wrong.

• The ‘Ibad ar-Rahman draw strength for the day by spending ... don’t show off their time spent in ... have the “freshest faces” because when
worship by acting tired. they seclude themselves with Ar-Rahman,
their night productively in ‘ibadah. He dresses them with His light.
They fight their beds, but the love of Allah sustains them.
• By praying at night (qiyam), they find the strength and ability
to perform more acts of obedience to Allah during the day, How can we become
and vice versa. 7 people of sajdah?
“You do not make a single prostration except that Allah
How will sujood affect elevates you by a degree and removes one of your sins.”
4 us on Judgement Day? - Abu Dharr

The Prophet (pbuh) said to me, “Ask.” I said, “I ask for your companionship in
Paradise.” The Prophet said, “And anything else besides that?” I said, “That is THINK Community and REFLECT Sajdah can sustain
seclusion should go you through the times when
all.” The Prophet said, “Then help me do it for you by prostrating often.” hand-in-hand. Seclusion you’re struggling out in the
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2609] should recharge the work you world. How can you bring the
put into your community which, peace you gain in sajdah to mind
• It’s a mark of the greatest honor: the • On the Day of in turn, should urge you into when you encounter a problem?
intercession of the Prophet  on the Judgement, the people moments of nightly seclusion.
Day of Judgement will begin after he of sajdah will be known
does sajdah. by a mark on their REMEMBER The only ACT Cry to Allah often. Connect
way to embody qualities of with Him by complaining to
• The most humiliated on the Day of foreheads that will rahmah with people is to Him—but only to seek His
Judgement will be those who are physically not be consumed, even prostrate before Allah in comfort and consolation. Speak
incapable of making sajdah—because they if they’re being cleansed seclusion at night. to Him in lengthy prostrations in
of other sins in the Fire. qiyam in your own language.
never prostrated in this world.

Adapted from Episode 4 of the series:

Servants of the Most Merciful at yaqeeninstitute.org