Jaabir Ibn Yazid al-Jo’fi (r.a.) narrates that His Eminence Abu Ja’far Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said:
إِنَّ أَبِي عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ مَا ذَكَرَ لِلهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ نِعْمَةً عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا سَجَدَ ولَا قَرَأَ آيَةً مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ فِيهَا سُجُودٌ إِلَّا سَجَدَ ولَا دَفَعَ اللهُ عَزَّ وجَلَّ عَنْهُ سُوءاً يَخْشَاهُ أَوْ كَيْدَ كَائِدٍ إِلَّا سَجَدَ ولَا فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ مَفْرُوضَةٍ إِلَّا سَجَدَ ولَا وُفِّقَ لِإِصْلَاحٍ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ إِلَّا سَجَدَ وكَانَ أَثَرُ السُّجُودِ فِي جَمِيعِ مَوَاضِعِ سُجُودِهِ فَسُمِّيَ السَّجَّادَ لِذَلِكَ
“Surely my father Ali Ibn al-Husain (a.s.) never remembered Allah, Mighty, and Majestic be He, for any bounty bestowed upon him except that he prostrated. He did not recite any verse from the Book of Allah, Mighty, and Majestic be He, in which there was prostration (whether obligatory or recommended), except that he used to prostrate. Allah, Mighty, and Majestic did not repel any endangering calamity from him or protect him from the evil of an evil doer except that he bowed down in prostration (of gratitude). He (a.s.) did not complete any obligatory prayer except that he performed prostration (of thankfulness). Whenever he (a.s.) got the opportunity to reconcile between two people, he offered a prostration (of gratitude) and the marks of prostration were evident upon all his parts of prostration and hence he was named “Sajjaad” (the oft-prostrating one).”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 46, p. 6, H. 10 narrating from Elal al-Sharaa’e, p. 88]
Notes:
- Although Allah’s bounties are innumerable, Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) used to make it a point to perform prostration whenever he remembered any divine bounty.
- Allah has guaranteed an increase in bounties whenever a person expresses gratitude towards Him [Surah Ibrahim (14): Verse 7]
- Hence, the teachings of Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) for us in the form of his supplications are a bounty from Allah.
- It is mandatory for everyone to perform prostration upon reciting Quranic verses where prostration is obligatory.
- However, Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) was particular in performing prostration even while reciting those verses where prostration was recommended (Mustahab), not mandatory (Waajib)
- No evil can befall a person without the permission of Allah.
- Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) was cognizant of this and hence whenever Allah kept away any evil from him, he always expressed his gratitude to Allah by prostrating.
- Reconciling between two people is not limited to just those two individuals but it has far-reaching effects on their families and even society at large.
- Prostration on such occasions by Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) was a way of thanking Allah for granting him the opportunity to establish peace and harmony in society.
- It is mentioned in a tradition that the marks of prostration were so evident on the body of Imam Sajjaad (a.s.) that the additional skin growth on his forehead, hands, and knees had to be cut twice in a year [Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 46, p. 6, H. 12]