Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamuhu

Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamuhu (The Prostration of Recitation and Its Legal Rulings) is a specialized work of comparative jurisprudence by Salih al-Lahim that examines the legal rulings, conditions, locations, and manners of performing the prostration of recitation (sujud al-tilawa) both within and outside formal ritual prayer Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu….

Structure and Content

The book is organized into an introduction (tamhid), four chapters, and a conclusion Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…:

• Introduction: Covers the virtues of Quranic recitation, the manners and reverence incumbent upon the reciter and bearer of the Quran, and the definition of sujud al-tilawa Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu….
• Chapter 1: Addresses the legal status (hukm) of the prostration of recitation, dividing it into two sections: its ruling for the reciter (al-tali), and its ruling for the attentive listener (al-mustami') and the incidental hearer (al-sami') Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…+1.
• Chapter 2: Examines the total number of prostrations of recitation in the Quran, distinguishing between those agreed upon by scholars and those subject to juristic disagreement Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…+1.
• Chapter 3: Details the specific verses and places of prostration across Quranic surahs, categorizing them into agreed-upon locations and disputed locations Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…+1.
• Chapter 4: Discusses the detailed legal rulings of sujud al-tilawa in two broad sections:
  • Inside prayer: Six sub-topics examining the imam reciting prostration verses in aloud versus silent prayers, bowing (ruku') substituting for prostration, repeating the prostration when repeating the verse, the manner of performing the prostration in prayer, recitation between rising from prostration and bowing, and a follower prostrating for his own recitation Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…+1.
  • Outside prayer: Thirteen sub-topics addressing whether it falls under the legal definition of prayer, prostrating during times when prayer is prohibited, determining the time frame for prostration, substitution by bowing, repeating the prostration, reciting only the verse of prostration or omitting it, prostrating while mounted or walking, prostration by the Friday sermon preacher (khatib), reciting prostration verses silently, the manner of performance, and refraining from prostrating out of fear of ostentation (riya') Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…+1.

Scholarly Methodology

Al-Lahim structures each legal discussion by first presenting points of scholarly consensus or agreement, followed by the areas of disagreement, citing each opinion alongside its proponents, their textual proofs, and the scholarly critiques of those proofs Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…. When reconciling competing views and authentic evidence proves difficult, he indicates the preferred position (tarjih) Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu….

Quranic verses are cited with surah names and verse numbers Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…. Prophetic traditions are referenced to Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, or to other hadith collections and musnads alongside scholarly assessments of their authenticity Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu…. Biographical notices for mentioned scholars—excluding the Companions and the four eponymous imams of jurisprudence due to their renown—are compiled in a dedicated appendix, and the work concludes with indices for Quranic verses, hadiths, historical reports (athar), bibliography, and subject topics Sujud al-Tilawa wa Ahkamu….