Is prostration upon all seven major bodily parts obligatory?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
Prostration upon all seven major parts—forehead, hands, knees, and the ends of the feet—is obligatory, with the exception of the nose, concerning which there is a difference of opinion. This view is held by Tawus, one narration from Al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq. This obligation is based on the Hadith stating, 'I have been commanded to prostrate upon seven vertebrae: the hands, the knees, the feet, and the forehead,' which is agreed upon. If a person is incapable of prostrating on some of these parts due to illness, they prostrate on the remaining parts and bring the afflicted limb as close to the ground as possible without raising anything beneath it. If prostration on the forehead is missed due to an obstacle, the prostration on the other parts also becomes void, as the forehead is the primary element.
Supporting text
Malik, Abu Hanifa, and another view from Al-Shafi'i hold that prostration is only obligatory upon the forehead, arguing that the command 'prostrate your face' implies singularity of required contact, and that prostration is only termed as such when the face touches the ground. They also argue that if other parts were obligatory, their exposure would also be required, similar to the forehead.