How many obligatory prostrations (Azā’im as-Sujūd) are there in the Quran?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The obligatory prostrations of recitation in the Quran number fourteen. This is the view held by Abu Hanifa in one narration and Al-Shafi'i in one of his opinions. Those narrated to have held that there are three prostrations in Surah Al-Mufassal include Abu Bakr, Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ammar, Abu Hurairah, Ibn Umar, and Umar bin Abdul Aziz, along with a group of Tabi'in. This view is held by Al-Thawri, Al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa, and Ishaq. There is another narration from Ahmad that there are fifteen prostrations, including the prostration in Surah Sad (S). This is narrated from Uqbah ibn Amir and is the view of Ishaq, based on the narration of Ibn Majah and Abu Dawud from Amr ibn al-As that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited fifteen prostrations for him, three of which were in Al-Mufassal and two in Surah Al-Hajj.
Supporting text
Malik, in one narration, and Al-Shafi'i, in one opinion, hold that the obligatory prostrations are eleven, none of which are in Al-Mufassal. Ibn Abd al-Barr stated this is the opinion of Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, Ibn Jubayr, Al-Hasan, 'Ikrimah, Mujahid, 'Ata', Tawus, Malik, and a group of the people of Medina, based on the narration of Abu Al-Darda': "I prostrated with the Prophet (PBUH) eleven times, with nothing from Al-Mufassal among them." Furthermore, the argument that the Prophet (PBUH) omitted prostration indicates it is not obligatory (Wajib), while the performance of prostration indicates it is recommended (Sunnah), and there is no contradiction between these two statuses.