'Aza'im: Difference between revisions

'Aza'im or 'Aza'im al-Sujud refers to the four suras of al-Sajda, Fussilat, al-Najm, and al-'Alaq, each of which contains a verse with obligatory prostration.<ref>Ṭurayḥī, ''Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn,'' vol. 6, p. 114.</ref> In some sources, [[Sura Luqman]] (Qur'an 31) is mentioned instead of Sura Fussilat.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Al-Khilāf'', vol. 1, p. 100.</ref><ref>It is possible that this interpretation, which is used in the words of most of the old jurists, refers to Surah Sajdah, which is placed after Surah Luqman. In the order of the Qur'an, Surah Luqman is the 31st Surah and Surah Sajdah is the 32nd Surah. (Ṭūsī, ''Al-Khilāf'', vol. 1, p. 100.)</ref> The word "'aza'im“ is the plural of "'azima" and literally means a serious will to do something.<ref>Fīrūz Ābādī, ''Al-Qāmūs al-muḥiṭ'', vol. 4, p. 112; Ṭurayḥī, ''Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn,'' vol. 6, p. 114.</ref> It also means the duties that God has made obligatory.<ref>Fīrūz Ābādī, ''Al-Qāmūs al-muḥiṭ'', vol. 4, p. 112; Ṭurayḥī, ''Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn,'' vol. 6, p. 114.</ref> Therefore, the mentioned suras, in which the verses with obligatory prostration are mentioned, are called "'aza'im".<ref>Ṭurayḥī, ''Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn,'' vol. 6, p. 114.</ref>

According to Shiite [[Mujtahid|jurists]], verses 15 of Sura al-Sajda, 37 of Sura Fussilat, 62 of Sura al-Najm and 19 of Sura al-'Alaq require prostration.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 577.</ref> Also, according to [[Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi]] (the author of [[Jawahir al-kalam (book)|Jawahir]]), 11 verses of the Qur'an in 10 suras have [[Mustahabb|recommended]] prostration.<ref>Najafī, ''Jawāhir al-kalām'', vol. 10, p. 217.</ref> These verses are verse 206 of [[Sura al-A'raf]], (Qur'an 7) verse 15 of [[sura al-Ra'd]], (Qur'an 13) verses 49-50 of [[sura al-Nahl]],  (Qur'an 16)verse 109 of [[sura al-Isra']], (Qur'an 17) verse 58 of [[Sura Maryam|sura al-Maryam]], (Qur'an 19) verses 18 and 77 of [[sura al-Hajj]], (Qur'an 22) verse 60 of [[sura al-Furqan]], (Qur'an 25) verse 26 of [[sura al-Naml]],  (Qur'an 27) verse 24 of [[sura Sad]], (Qur'an 38) and verse 21 of [[sura al-Inshiqaq]] (Qur'an 84).<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 577-578.</ref> According to what has been attributed to [[Al-Shaykh al-Saduq|Shaykh Saduq]], the existence of the word “sajda” in the verse entails recommended prostration.<ref>Najafī, ''Jawāhir al-kalām'', vol. 10, p. 217.</ref>

Shiite jurists, referring to narrations from [[Imam Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq (a)|Imam al-Sadiq (a)]], believe that prostration is obligatory only in the four mentioned suras.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Tahdhīb al-aḥkām'', vol. 2, p. 291, h. 26-27.</ref> [[Shafi'i]], Hanbali, and Hanafi Sunni jurists, without differentiating between recommended and obligatory prostrations in the [[Qur'an]], consider the number of verses requiring prostration to be 14, and Maliki jurists consider them to be eleven.<ref>Jazīrī, ''Al-Fiqh ʿalā al-madhāhib al-arbaʿa'', vol. 1, p. 425.</ref>

  |quote = " لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللهُ حَقًّا حَقًّا، لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللهُ ایماناً وَ تَصْدیقاً، لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللهُ عُبُودِیةً وَرِقّاً، سَجَدْتُ لَک یا رَبِّ تَعَبَّداً وَرِقّاً، لا مُسْتَنْکفاً وَ لا مُسْتَکبِراً، بَلْ اَنَا عَبْدٌ ذَلیلٌ ضَعیفٌ خائفٌ مُسْتَجیرٌ "<ref>Yazdī, Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, vol. 2, p. 584.</ref>

Suras of 'Aza'im and their related rulings have been discussed in the chapters of [[Tahara|purity]]<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 1, p. 510 and 603.</ref> and [[prayer]]<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 578.</ref> in the books of [[fiqh]]. According to [[Mujtahid|jurists]], these [[sura]]<nowiki/>s have special [[Religious rulings|rulings]], including:

* Reciting them is forbidden for women during their [[menstruation]]<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 1, p. 603.</ref> and for [[Janaba|junub]] persons<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 1, p. 510.</ref>. Jurists disagree on whether it is forbidden for such women to recite only the [[Verse|verses]] requiring prostration or it is forbidden for them to recite the entire suras.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 1, p. 510 and 603; Banī Hāshimī Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīḥ al-masāʾil-i marajiʿ'', vol. 1, p. 225-227 and 276.</ref> [[Al-'Allama al-Hilli|Allama Hilli]] has said that it is forbidden for these women to recite even one word of the mentioned suras.<ref>Ḥillī, ''Mukhtalaf al-Shīʿa'', vol. 1, p. 333.</ref> But, if they hear the verses requiring prostration, it is obligatory for them to prostrate.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 583.</ref>

* According to the [[fatwa]] of Shiite jurists, deliberately reciting suras with [[Al-Wajib (fiqh)|obligatory]] [[Sujud|prostration]] in [[Obligatory Prayers|obligatory prayers]] invalidates the prayer.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 580; Khomeiniī, ''Tawḍīḥ al-masāʾil (muḥashā)'', vol. 1, p. 545.</ref> If someone recites one of these suras inadvertently in prayer, if he realizes it before reaching the verse requiring prostration or half of the sura, he should leave the sura and recite another sura, and if he realizes it after the verse requiring prostration or half of the sura, there is a disagreement among [[Marja'|marja’s]] on how to perform prostration and the prayer.<ref>Khomeiniī, ''Tawḍīḥ al-masāʾil (muḥashā)'', vol. 1, p. 545-546.</ref> According to the fatwa of [[Sayyid Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini|Imam Khomeini]], in this case, the person should prostrate with a gesture and only recites the sura having prostration.<ref>Khomeiniī, ''Tawḍīḥ al-masāʾil (muḥashā)'', vol. 1, p. 545.</ref> Also, according to the fatwa of [[Al-Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani|Ayatollah Sistani]] and [[Sayyid Musa Shubayri Zanjani]], if the person does not perform the obligatory prostration, his prayer is valid even though he has committed a [[sin]].<ref>Khomeiniī, ''Tawḍīḥ al-masāʾil (muḥashā)'', vol. 1, p. 546.</ref>

* The obligatory prostration in the [[Qur'an]] is immediate obligation. Therefore, by reciting or hearing the verses requiring prostration from the suras of 'Aza'im, prostration becomes obligatory immediately.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 578.</ref>

* For obligatory prostrations in the Qur'an, [[Wudu'|wudu]], [[ghusl]], facing the [[Qibla]], and special [[Dhikr|dhikrs]] are not required, but the forehead should be placed on something on which prostration is correct.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 582-583.</ref> However, special dhikrs have been mentioned for obligatory prostration.<ref>Yazdī, ''Al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 584.</ref>