Question # 176: Salamu Alikum- i wanna know in Islam do we have salaat al shukur? Or its only sojood al shukur? Looking forward for the answer

Bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: The majority of the scholars say that it is preferred to make prostrations of thankfulness (Sujood ash-Shukr) when one attains some benefit or wards off some harm. However, there is nothing in the sahih ahaadith to indicate that Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) ever offered prayer of thankfulness (Salat ash-Shukr).

Long Answer: The majority of the scholars say that it is preferred to make prostrations of thankfulness (Sujood ash-Shukr) when one receives a bounty or is rescued from some trial. Abu Bakr reports that, when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) received something which pleased him or some glad tidings, he would make the sajdah (prostration) in thanks to Allah. (This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi who says it is hasan)

And al-Baihaqi records, with a chain that meets al-Bukhari’s conditions, that when ‘Ali wrote to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم), informing him that Hamazhan had embraced Islam, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) prostrated, and when he raised his head, he said: “Peace be upon Hamazhan, peace be upon Hamazhan.”

‘Abdurrahman ibn ‘Auf relates that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that ‘Abdurrahman feared that Allah had taken his soul. ‘Abdurrahman came to look at him and he raised his head and said: “What is wrong, Abdurrahman’?” Abdurrahman mentioned what had happened, and he said: “Jibreel (عليه السلام) came to me and said: ‘Shall I not give you glad tidings’? Allah says to you, whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.’ Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks.” (This is related by Ahmad and by Al-Hakim who says: “It is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari and Muslim. And I do not know anything more authentic than that.”)

Al-Bukhari records that Ka’b ibn Malik made a sajdah when he received the news that Allah had accepted his repentance. Ahmad records that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) performed the sajdah when he heard the news that Dhul-Thudayyah of the Khawarij was killed. Also, as mentioned before, Sa’id ibn Mansur recorded that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) made sajdah in thankfulness when Musailimah was killed.

(The above is an excerpt from the book ‘Fiqh Us-Sunnah’ by As-Sayyid Sabiq)

However, there is nothing in the sahih ahaadith to indicate that Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) ever offered prayer of thankfulness (Salat ash-Shukr). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Whoever introduces something new in this affair of ours will have it rejected.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam