I met Thawban, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and said, “Inform me of a deed I may do by which Allah will admit me into Paradise”—or he said: I said, “of the deeds most beloved to Allah”—but he remained silent. Then I asked him, and he remained silent.

Then I asked him a third time, and he said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that, and he said: "You must make abundant prostrations to Allah, for you do not prostrate to Allah a single prostration except that Allah raises you by it one degree and removes from you by it one sin."”

Madan said: Then I met Abu al-Darda and asked him, and he said to me the same as Thawban had said to me.

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ: أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ أَعْمَلُهُ يُدْخِلُنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ –أَوْ قَالَ قُلْتُ: بِأَحَبِّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ– فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَسَكَتَ.

ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «عَلَيْكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ لِلَّهِ، فَإِنَّكَ لاَ تَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَكَ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً، وَحَطَّ عَنْكَ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً».

قَالَ مَعْدَانُ: ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ لِي ثَوْبَانُ.

"I met Abu Ad-Darda, and I asked him what I had asked Thawban, so he said: 'Perform prostrations, for I heard Messenger of Allah saying: 'No worshipper performs a prostration to Allah except that by it Allah will raise him a level, and erase a sin from him for it.'"

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً قَالَ مَعْدَانُ بْنُ طَلْحَةَ الْيَعْمَرِيُّ وَيُقَالُ ابْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَبِي أُمَامَةَ وَأَبِي فَاطِمَةَ

"I met Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Tell me of an action that will benefit me or gain me admittance to Paradise.' He remained silent for a while, then he turned to me and said: 'You should prostrate, because I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There is no one who prostrated once to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, except that Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, and erase one sin thereby." Ma'dan said: "Then I met Abu Ad-Darda' and asked him the same question I had asked Thawban." He said to me: "You should prostrate, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There is no one who prostrates once to Allah (SWT), but Allah (SWT) will raise him one degree thereby and erase one sin thereby."

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَنْفَعُنِي أَوْ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ فَسَكَتَ عَنِّي مَلِيًّا ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً قَالَ مَعْدَانُ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَمَّا سَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ ثَوْبَانَ فَقَالَ لِي عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدِ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

“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

[AI] We narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who said, "You all lie against me." And he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'There is no Muslim who prostrates to Allah in a prostration except that Allah raises him in rank and removes a sin from him with it.'

حَدِّثْنَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ تَكْذِبُونَ عَلَيَّوَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

I met Thauban, the freed slave. of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and asked him to tell me about an act for which, if I do it, Allah will admit me to Paradise, or I asked about the act which was loved most by Allah. He gave no reply. I again asked and he gave no reply. I asked him for the third time, and he said: I asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that and he said: Make frequent prostrations before Allah, for you will not make one prostration without raising you a degree because of it, and removing a sin from you, because of it. Ma'dan said that then lie met Abu al-Darda' and when he asked him, he received a reply similar to that given by Thauban. (Using translation from Muslim 488)

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ أَعْمَلُهُ يُدْخِلُنِي اللهُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ أَوْ قَالَ قُلْتُ بِأَحَبِّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللهِ فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ؛ فَإِنَّكَ لَاتَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَكَ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْكَ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً قَالَ مَعْدَانُ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ لِي ثَوْبَانُ

[AI] I said to Thawban, the servant of the Prophet ﷺ , "Tell us a hadith that benefits us in the sight of Allah." He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'No servant prostrates to Allah in a prostration except that Allah raises him by a rank and removes from him a sin with it.'"

قُلْتُ لِثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِّثْنَا حَدِيثًا يَنْفَعُنَا اللهُ بِهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

[AI] We have narrated about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said: "You lie upon me. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'There is no Muslim who prostrates to Allah in a single prostration except that Allah raises him in rank by it and removes from him a sin by it.'

حَدِّثْنَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ تَكْذِبُونَ عَلَيَّ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

A believer does not receive (the trouble) of running a thorn or more than that but Allah elevates him in rank or effaces his sins because of that. (Using translation from Muslim 2572b)

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُشَاكُ شَوْكَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

A believer does not receive (the trouble) of running a thorn or more than that but Allah elevates him in rank or effaces his sins because of that. (Using translation from Muslim 2572b)

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُشَاكُ شَوْكَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ ﷻ بِهَا دَرَجَةً أَوْ حَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

A believer does not receive (the trouble) of running a thorn or more than that but Allah elevates him in rank or effaces his sins because of that. (Using translation from Muslim 2572b)

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُشَاكُ شَوْكَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً

"I met Thawban the freed slave of Messenger of Allah (S) and said to him, 'Guide me to a deed by which Allah benefit me, and for which Allah will admit me into Paradise.' He was silent for quite a while, then he turned to me and said: 'Perform prostrations, for I heard Messenger of Allah (S) saying: 'No worshipper performs a prostration to Allah except that by it, Allah will raise him a level, and erase a sin from him for it.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 388)

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ حَدِّثْنِي بِحَدِيثٍ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَنْفَعَنِي بِهِ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً»

[AI] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "There is no Muslim who is pricked by a thorn or anything higher than it, but Allah will raise him in status and forgive him his sins because of it."

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُشَاكُ شَوْكَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلَّا رُفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ بِهَا عَنْهُ خَطِيئَةً»

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ لَا نَعْلَمُهُ يُرْوَى عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ

"I met Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Tell me of an action that will benefit me or gain me admittance to Paradise.' He remained silent for a while, then he turned to me and said: 'You should prostrate, because I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There is no one who prostrated once to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, except that Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, and erase one sin thereby." Ma'dan said: "Then I met Abu Ad-Darda' and asked him the same question I had asked Thawban." He said to me: "You should prostrate, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There is no one who prostrates once to Allah (SWT), but Allah (SWT) will raise him one degree thereby and erase one sin thereby." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1139)

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَنْفَعُنِي أَوْ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ فَأُسْكِتَ عَنِّي ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً» قَالَ مَعْدَانُ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَمَّا سَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ ثَوْبَانَ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً»

[AI] I said to Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ : "Show me a deed that Allah would benefit me with." He remained silent. I said again: "Show me a deed that Allah would benefit me with." He remained silent. I said again: "Show me a deed that Allah would benefit me with." He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: 'Whenever a servant prostrates to Allah, Allah raises him a degree and forgives him a sin with it.'" Ma'dan, and in another narration, Suwayd bin Abi Talhah, also narrated a similar Hadith from Abu Ad-Darda'.

قُلْتُ لِثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللهُ بِهِ فَسَكَتَ عَنِّي قُلْتُ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللهُ بِهِ فَسَكَتَ عَنِّي قُلْتُ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللهُ بِهِ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً قَالَ مَعْدَانُ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَحَدَّثَنِي مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ السُّوسِيِّ وَحْدَهُ مَعْدَانُ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ

"أكثر بعدى من السجود؛ فَإنَّهُ ما أحد يسجدُ لله سجدةً إلا رفعه الله بها درجة في الجنة وحَطَّ عنه بها خَطِيئةَ ".

"مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ للهِ سجْدَةً إِلا رَفَعَهُ الله بِها درجةً، وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بهَا خَطِيئَةً".

"مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْجُدُ للهِ سَجْدةً، إِلا رَفَعَهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرجةً، وَحطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئةً، وَكَتَب لهُ بِهَا حسَنَةً".

"مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يسْجُدُ للهِ سَجْدَةً، أَوْ يَرْكعُ إِليهِ رَكْعَةً إلَّا حَطَّ اللهُ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً، وَرَفعَ لَهُ بِها دَرَجَةً".

"مَنْ سَجَدَ لله سَجْدَةً كَتَبَ الله لَهُ بِها حَسَنَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً، وَرَفَعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً".

"مَنْ سَجَدَ لله سَجْدَةً رَفَعَهُ الله بِهَا دَرَجَةً وحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطيَئةً".