Surah As-Sajdah (السَّجْدَة) — The Prostration
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As-Sajdah is the 32nd surah, 30 verses long. The name means "the prostration," and the surah is named after verse 15, which contains a prostration verse. When you reach that verse during recitation, you stop and prostrate (sajdah). It's one of fourteen verses in the Quran where this is recommended.
Most scholars including Ibn Abbas consider As-Sajdah Makki. The themes are central Makkan ones: the truth of the Quran as revelation, creation, resurrection, and the gap between believers and disbelievers.
What makes the surah special in practice is that the Prophet ﷺ (PBUH) used to recite it together with Surah Al-Insan during the Fajr prayer on Friday. This is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim. He did this consistently. The pairing isn't accidental. As-Sajdah opens with the doctrine of creation and the Day of Judgment. Al-Insan answers it with the response Allah wants from people, which is mercy toward the poor done quietly. A lot of imams still follow this Sunnah, so if you've ever been at a Friday Fajr that felt unusually long, this is probably why.
There's a hadith in Tirmidhi where the Prophet ﷺ said he wouldn't sleep until he had recited As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Mulk. So this is a surah that was part of his nightly routine, similar to Al-Mulk and Al-Waqiah for many Muslims today.
How many verses are in Surah As-Sajdah?
Thirty verses. It's the 32nd surah in the Quran.
Why is it called As-Sajdah (The Prostration)?
Verse 15 of the surah is a prostration verse. When you reach it during recitation, you stop and prostrate. The surah is named after this verse.
Why is As-Sajdah recited in Friday Fajr?
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Insan together during Fajr on Fridays. This is in Bukhari and Muslim, and a lot of imams still follow this Sunnah.