“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of a deed that I can adhere to and act upon.’ He said: “You should prostrate, for you will not prostrate to Allah but He will raise you in status one degree thereby and erase from you one sin.”  

قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ أَسْتَقِيمُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَعْمَلُهُ قَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنَّكَ لاَ تَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَكَ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ بِهَا عَنْكَ خَطِيئَةً  

“I met Thawban and said to him: ‘Tell me a Hadith that Allah may benefit me thereby.’ But he remained silent. Then I said the same and he remained silent. That happened three times. Then he said to me: ‘You should prostrate to Allah; for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby and will erase one of his sins.” Ma’dan said: “Then I met Abu Darda’ and asked him the same question, and he gave a similar answer.”  

فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ فَقُلْتُ مِثْلَهَا فَسَكَتَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَقَالَ لِي عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ لِلَّهِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً قَالَ مَعْدَانُ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ  

“No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will record one Hasanah (good reward) for him, and will erase thereby one bad deed and raise him in status one degree. So prostrate a great deal.”  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا حَسَنَةً وَمَحَا عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً وَرَفَعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً فَاسْتَكْثِرُوا مِنَ السُّجُودِ