The 24 Bones of Sajdah

Urs-e-Noori Mubarak

Whether in acts of worship or matters of daily conduct, Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam RadiAllahu Anhu consistently modeled his life upon the noble example of the Holy Prophet and adhered to it as closely as possible. Maulvi Abdul Latif Saahib states:

"When I arrived in Bareilly Shareef to pursue Islamic education, I was once performing Salaah in Masjid-e-Raza when my gaze fell upon Hazrat Mufti-e-Azam RadiAllahu Anhu. I noticed that he was attentively observing the manner in which I was offering my Salaah.

Once I completed the Salaah, he called me closer and asked, "Which parts of the body must touch the ground during Sajdah (prostration)?" I remained silent. He then gently explained. Twenty-four bones should touch the ground during Sajdah: the ten toes of both feet, the ten fingers of both hands, the two knees, the bone of the nose, and the forehead. Moreover, the fingers of both hands should remain joined together, straight, and aligned towards the Qiblah, they should not be bent or crooked."

Maulvi Saahib further stated. From that day onward, I began to pay particular attention to these bodily points during sajdah, ensuring that the pads of all ten toes remain firmly pressed against the ground."

It is worth noting that the jurists (fuqaha), in authoritative texts such as Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef and Bahaar-e-Shariat, have explicitly stated: placing the pad of at least one toe on the ground is Fard (obligatory); placing the pads of three toes of each foot is Waajib (compulsory); and placing all ten toes is Sunnah."