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Text and translation
English translation
576. Zaid bin Thābit narrated: "I recited Sūrat An-Najm to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and he did not prostrate for it." (Sahih)
Abū 'Eisā said: The Hadīth of Zaid bin Thābit is a Hasan Sahih Hadīth.
Some of the people of knowledge gave this Hadīth some interpretation, saying that the Prophet ﷺ did not prostrate, only because Zaid bin Thābit (who recited it) did not prostrate when he was reciting it.
And they say that the prostration is obligatory on anyone who hears it, and they were not given any exception (by the Prophet ﷺ) not to prostrate.
And they say that if a man hears it and he does not have Wudū', then he prostrates when he has Wudū'. This is the view of Sufyān (Ath-Thawrī) and the people of Al-Kūfah, and it was the saying of Ishāq.
Some of the people of knowledge say that the prostration is only for the one who wants to prostrate for it and to obtain its reward, and they are permitted to not to do so if they do not want to. They argue using the Marfū' Hadīth of Zaid bin Thābit who said: "I recited (Sūrat) An-Najm
to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and he did not prostrate for it.” They said: If the prostration was obligatory then the Prophet ﷺ would not have left Zaid alone until he prostrated, and the Prophet ﷺ would have prostrated, too.
They also cited as proof the Hadīth of ‘Umar, that he recited an (Āyah of) prostration while on the Minbar, so he descended to prostrate. Then he recited it on the second Friday, so the people got up to prostrate and he said: “It has not been made obligatory for us, unless we want to do it” so he did not prostrate nor did they. Some of the people of knowledge followed this, and it is the view of Ash-Shāfi‘ī and Ahmad.
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Commentary
It is proven from the Hadīth of Zaid bin Thābit that the recital prostration is not compulsory for the reciter. Were it compulsory for the reciter then the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would have commanded Zaid to prostrate (Sujūd). When the prostration is not compulsory for the reciter, how can it then be necessary for the listener! However it is desirable both for the reciter and the listener to prostrate when they come to any Āyah of prostration.
