THE IMPORTANCE OF RUKUU' (BOWING DOWN TO ALLAH S.W.T AND SUJOOD - PROSTRATION IN ISLAM are immense. more Info at http://www.quranreading.com/blog/meaning-format-and-benefits-of-sujood-prostration/
RUKU - BOWING DOWN TO ALLAH S.W.T
Bowing down {ruku‘} is also an essential pillar of prayer. Performing it in an excessive or inadequate manner, whether intentional or unintentional, renders the prayer invalid.
The word “rak‘ah” {circle} which is used in counting the cycles of prayer is derived from the word “ruku‘”.
The tribe of Thaqif requested that the Prophet (S) excuse them from performing ruku‘ and prostration {sujud} in prayer, saying: “Bending down for us is a shame.” This verse was revealed:
﴿ وَ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لا يَرْكَعُونَ ﴾
“When they are told, ‘Bow down,’ they do not bow down!”
Others bow and show reverence in front of human beings like themselves, but you have to bow down and show reverence solely to your Creator.
When the verse, “So celebrate the Name of your Lord, the All-supreme,” was revealed, the Prophet (S) ordered: “Show reverence to God while you are in ruku‘
Ruku‘ is the means of repentance {tawbah}, penitence and asking forgiveness in the presence of God:
﴿ فَاستَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَ خَرَّ رَاكِعاً وَ أَنَاب ﴾
“Whereat he (David) pleaded with his Lord for forgiveness, and fell down bowing and repented.”
SUJUUD - PROSTRATION
Sujud - Prostration in Islam, is the best position of man in the presence of God. Sujud is the highest degree of obedience and servitude because man places on the earth the loftiest part of his body, i.e. his forehead, and expresses humility and impotence in the presence of the Omnipotent Authority...
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ ٩٨
So glorify the praises of your Lord and be one of those who ˹always˺ pray,
وَٱعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ ٱلْيَقِينُ ٩٩
and worship your Lord until the inevitable1 comes your way.
HISTORY OF THE SUJUUD -PROSTRATION IN ISLAM
After creating Adam (Adam) (‘a), God ordered the angels to prostrate before him. All of them prostrated except Iblis. On account of this defiance, God expelled him from His Presence.
The Qur’an mentions this episode repeatedly and we know that repetitions in the Qur’an are not without wisdom. It is as if it wants to say: “O man before whom all the angels prostrated! Why do you not prostrate before God, the Creator? O man! Iblis was expelled for refusing to prostrate before you. Once you refuse to prostrate before God, what can you expect?
“Iblis did not prostrate before you. He was saying: ‘I am superior to man.’ Can you afford to say: ‘I am superior to God’? You—who were once non-existent and once you came into the world, weakness and impotence enveloped your entire being, and in the end you shall also humbly depart from this world—how could you dare to be proud in front of the Creator of the universe?
At any rate, the first commandment of God after the creation of man was the command of prostration.
The importance of sujud
• Sujud is the best position of man in the presence of God.
• Sujud is the best way to attain nearness to God: “But prostrate and draw near {to Allah}!”
• A sign of the loyal Companions of the Prophet (S) was that the effect of prostration could be seen on their foreheads: “Their mark is {visible} on their faces, from the effect of prostration.”
• Sujud makes man harmonious and concordant with all of creation. This is because all creatures in heaven and on earth—from the stars to the plants—prostrate and are humble before God: “To Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth,” and “And the herb and the tree prostrate {to Allah}.”
• Sujud means harmony with the angels of God. Khalif Ali R.A, The Commander of the Faithful says: “There is no layer of the heavens without having therein a group of angels in the state of sujud.”
• Sujud is the highest degree of obedience and servitude because man places on the earth the loftiest part of his body, i.e. his forehead, and expresses humility and impotence in the presence of the Omnipotent Authority.
• Sujud is the most sublime station for the noblest men and women of the world. God commanded His Prophet (S) to prostrate, and that was not only during daytime but also during the night: “And worship Him for a watch of the night and glorify Him the night long.” And in addressing Hadrat Maryam (Saint Mary)—that pure and devoted woman—He says: “O Mary, be obedient to your Lord, and prostrate.”
• Sujud comes after the ruku‘. It is a more perfect and higher stage than ruku‘, and brings the person praying to the peak of humility. As such, ruku‘ and sujud are usually mentioned together in the Qur’an. For example, “O you who have faith! Bow down and prostrate yourselves,” and “You see them bowing and prostrating {in worship}.”
• Sujud is the symbol of faith in the divine signs: “Only those believe in Our signs who, when they are reminded of them, fall down in prostration.”
• Nightly prostration is one of the signs of the righteous servants of God: “The servants of the All-beneficent are… those who spend the night with their Lord, prostrating and standing {in worship}.”
• Sujud is the adornment of prayer. So, perform it properly. Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) says: “Whenever you perform prayer, perform the ruku‘ and sujud well as God will give seventy times the reward or even more.”
• Sujud is the source of pride of God to the angels, and thus, it entails His favor such that in every sujud, one of man’s sins is forgiven and a great reward is recorded for him. Khalif Ali R.A, The Commander of the Faithful said: “If man only knew what mercy envelopes him at the time of sujud, he would never raise up his head from that state.”
• Sujud extinguishes the spirit of egoism and pride, and delivers man from vanity.
• The Prophet (S) used to say: “On the Day of Resurrection, I will identify my ummah by the mark of prostration that they have on their foreheads.” That portion of the earth on which prostration was made will testify to the devotion of man on the Day of Resurrection and even in the world, a radiant point connect it to the heavens.
• As in the case of ruku‘, long prostrations result in the permanence of favors and longevity.
• Sujud is so important that God commands a great Prophet (S) such as Ibrahim (Abraham) (‘a), to cleanse Masjid al-Haram for those who perform the circumambulation {tawaf} of the Ka‘bah, ruku‘ and sujud.
The wisdom behind sujud
Khalif Ali R.A, The Commander of the Faithful was asked concerning the wisdom behind sujud. The Imam (‘a) said: “The first sujud means that I was dust in the beginning, and as I raise my head from sujud, it means that I came to the world from the dust. The second sujud means that I will again return to the soil, and as I raise my head from sujud, it means that on the Day of Resurrection I will rise up from the grave and be summoned.”
We read in the hadith that the reason behind the prostration for forgetfulness {sujud sahwi} for unintentional excess and deficiencies (in the number of any essential pillar of the prayer) or misplaced utterance, standing and sitting is that Iblis distracted your attention and created disorder in your prayer.
Therefore, after prayer you perform two prostrations so as to rub his nose in the ground and to inform him that every time he creates disorder, you will again perform prostration before God.
