(5) Sujud

1. The beloved Rasul of Allah said, “I have been commanded to perform Sajdah on seven bones:
(i)            The Face,
(ii & iii)    Both Hands,
(iv & v)   Both Knees And
(vi& vii)   Finger-set of both feet; I have (also) been commanded not to fold my clothes and hair.

(Shahih Muslim, V1, P193)

2. Two Sujud are Far in each Rak’at.

(Durr-e-Mukhtar, Rad-dul-Mu8tar, V2, P167)

3. It is necessary that the forehead properly rests on the ground. Resting of forehead means hardness of the ground should be felt. If someone performed Sajdah in such a way that his forehead did not properly rest on the ground, Sajdah would not be valid.

(‘Alamgiri, V1, P70)

4. In case of performing Sajdah on something soft such as grass, wool or a carpet, if the forehead firmly rests onto it, i.e. it is pressed so hard that it cannot be pressed any more, Sajdah will be valid, otherwise, not. 

(Tabyin-ul-Haqaaiq,V1, P117)

5. These days, the trend of using carpets in Masajid has developed (in some Masajid foam is also spread underneath the carpets). While performing Sajdah on a carpet, make it sure that the forehead firmly rests, otherwise Salah will not be valid. If the nasal bone did not rest on the ground properly, the Salah will be Makruh-e-Ta rimi and it would be Wajib to repeat such a Salah.

(MulakhkhaG az Bahar-e-Shari’at, Part 3, P71)

6. As the forehead does not properly rest on a spring mattress, Salah will not be valid on it. (ibid)

Disadvantages of Carpets

 
It is difficult to perform Sajdah properly on the carpet; carpets cannot easily be cleaned either. Therefore, dust and germs accumulate inside them. In Sajdah, dust and germs enter the body by means of breathing. Allah forbid, the fluff of carpet, in case of sticking to the lungs as result of inhaling, could give rise to the danger of cancer. Sometimes, children vomit or urinate on the carpet; similarly, cats, rats and lizards also excrete on them. In case of carpet’s being impure, it is not even bothered to purify it. Would that the trend of using carpets in Masajid die out!

How to Purify an Impure Carpet

Wash the impure area of the carpet and hang it; let it remain hanging till the drops of water stop dripping from it. Then, wash and hang it for the second time and let it remain hanging until it stops dripping. Then, wash and hang it for the third time in the same way, it will become pure when it stops dripping. Purify mats, shoes and such clay pots that absorb water according to the same method. Another way of purifying impure carpet, cloth etc. is to keep it dipped into flowing water (for example, a river, stream, or under a tap) for the amount of time till one gets the strong probability that the impurity has been carried away by the water. If a small child urinates on a carpet, just splashing a few drops of water onto it will not purify it. Remember, the urine of even one day’s old infant is impure. 

(For detailed information, go through Bahar-e-Shari’at part two)