What Can and Cannot Be Used for Prostration

السُّجُودُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَرِيضَةٌ وَ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ سُنَّةٌ[1]

وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «اَلسُّجُودُ عَلَى طِينِ قَبْرِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يُنَوِّرُ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ اَلسَّابِعَةِ.

Hadith.829 - Imam (as) said: "Prostrating on the clay from the grave of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (as) illuminates to the seventh layer of the earth."

السُّجُودُ عَلَى مَا أَنْبَتَتِ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا أُكِلَ أَوْ لُبِسَ.

Hadith.830 - Hamad ibn Uthman narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) that He said: "Prostration is to be done on what the earth produces, except for that which is eaten or worn."

مَرَّ بِي أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ أَنَا أُصَلِّي عَلَى اَلطَّبَرِيِّ وَ قَدْ أَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ لِي «مَا لَكَ لاَ تَسْجُدُ عَلَيْهِ أَ لَيْسَ هُوَ مِنْ نَبَاتِ اَلْأَرْضِ.

Hadith.831 - It was narrated from the Yāsir al-Khadim that He said: "Abu al-Hasan (as) passed by me while I was praying on a piece of ṭabarī (a mat) upon which I had placed something. Imam (as) said to me: 'Why do you not prostrate on it? Is it not from what the earth produces?'"

لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ‌[5].

Hadith.832 - Al-Mu'alla ibn Khunays asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about praying on qufr (bare ground or desert soil) and qīr (a type of tar or pitch). Imam (as) said: "There is no issue with it”.

وَ سَأَلَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع- عَنِ الْجِصِّ يُوقَدُ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَذِرَةِ وَ عِظَامِ الْمَوْتَى ثُمَّ يُجَصَّصُ بِهِ الْمَسْجِدُ أَ يُسْجَدُ عَلَيْهِ فَكَتَبَ ع إِلَيْهِ بِخَطِّهِ أَنَّ النَّارَ وَ الْمَاءَ قَدْ طَهَّرَاهُ‌[1].

Hadith.833 - Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub asked Imam Abu al-Hasan (as) about gypsum (plaster) that was fired using dung and the bones of the dead, and whether it would be permissible to prostrate on it if a mosque was plastered with it. The Imam wrote back in his own handwriting: "Fire and water have purified it”.

وَ سَأَلَ دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي زَيْدٍ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثَ ع‌ عَنِ الْقَرَاطِيسِ وَ الْكَوَاغِذِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ عَلَيْهَا هَلْ يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهَا السُّجُودُ فَكَتَبَ يَجُوزُ[2].

Hadith.834 - Dawud ibn Abi Zayd asked Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith (as) about prostrating on papers and documents with writing on them. The Imam wrote back: "It is permissible."

«لاَ بَأْسَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي حَالِ اَلتَّقِيَّةِ.

Hadith.835 - Ali ibn Yaqtin asked Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Awwal (as) about a man prostrating on a misḥ (a type of mat or rug) and on a carpet. The Imam said: "There is no issue if it is in a situation of taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation to protect oneself)."

لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ‌[2].

Hadith.836 - Muawiya ibn Ammar asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about praying on qār (bitumen or tar). The Imam said: "There is no issue with it”.

قُلْتُ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَسْجُدُ وَ عَلَيْهِ قَلَنْسُوَةٌ أَوْ عِمَامَةٌ فَقَالَ إِذَا مَسَّ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنْ جَبْهَتِهِ الْأَرْضَ فِيمَا بَيْنَ حَاجِبَيْهِ وَ قُصَاصِ شَعْرِهِ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَ عَنْهُ.

Hadith.837 - Zurarah narrated from one of the Imams (as) that He said: "I asked him about a man prostrating while wearing a cap or a turban. Imam (as) said: 'If any part of his forehead touches the ground, between his eyebrows and his hairline, then it suffices.'"

وَ قَالَ يُونُسُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ‌ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يُسَوِّي الْحَصَى فِي مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ.

Hadith.838 - Yunus ibn Ya'qub said: "I saw Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) leveling the pebbles at the place of his prostration between the two prostrations."

رَأَيْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ع كُلَّمَا سَجَدَ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ أَخَذَ الْحَصَى مِنْ جَبْهَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ.

Hadith.839 - It was narrated from Ali ibn Bajil that He said: "I saw Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), every time he prostrated and then raised his head, he would take the pebbles from his forehead and place them back on the ground."

«مَا بَيْنَ قُصَاصِ اَلشَّعْرِ إِلَى طَرَفِ اَلْأَنْفِ مَسْجِدٌ فَمَا أَصَابَ اَلْأَرْضَ مِنْهُ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَكَ.

Hadith.840 - Ammar al-Sabati narrate from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) that He said: "The area between the hairline and the tip of the nose is considered a place of prostration (masjid), so whatever part of it touches the ground suffices."

«لاَ بَأْسَ.

Hadith.841 - A man asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) bout a place with dust where he wanted to blow it away before prostrating. The Imam said: "There is no issue”.

«إِنَّمَا يُكْرَهُ ذَلِكَ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يُؤْذَى مَنْ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ.

Hadith.842 - It was narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) that He said: "It is disliked (makruh) because it may cause harm to the person next to him."