“Stick to making much of prostrations. For every prostration that you perform before Allah will raise your position one degree and will remit one of your sins.” [Muslim]

COMMENTARY

The author (Imam Nawawi in his book, Riyadh us Soliheen) - may Allah shower blessings on him - said on the authority of Thawbaan, the freed slave of Allah’s Messenger (Allaah's peace and blessings be upon him), that he said:

“I heard Allah’s Messenger saying, “Stick to making much of prostrations.”

That is, “Stick to” meaning, “Keep making much prostration.”

“...for you’ll never make a prostration for Allah except that Allah raises you in rank and expiate a sin for you therewith.”

This is similar to the previous hadeeth of Rabee’ah bin Maalik Al-Aslamee who told the Prophet -alayhi as-salaam was-salaam - that, “I ask to be your companion in the Paradise.”

Thereupon, he (Allaah's peace and blessings be upon him), said, “Then help me in your request with much prostrations.”

Therefore, it contains evidence that it is necessary for the individual to make lots of prostrations.

We had previously mentioned that much prostration necessitates lots of bowing, standing and sitting because every unit of the Prayer has two prostrations and a bowing.

So it is not possible to make three or four prostrations in a single unit; hence more prostrations necessitate more bowing, standing and sitting.

Then the Prophet (Allaah's peace and blessings be upon him), explained the rewards the individual will gain when he prostrates; he will attain two lofty benefits:

The first benefit: Allah will raise him by a rank; that is to say, a level in His sight and in the hearts of the people.

Likewise your righteous deeds; Allah will raise you in rank through it.

The second benefit: He will expiate a sin for you with it; and the individual attains perfection with the removal of his trouble and achievement of his goals.

High rank is dear to the individual while sins are things he abhors; so when his rank is raised and his sin cancelled, he would have achieved his goals and been saved from his worries.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen's Explanation on Riyadh us Soliheen, Hadith 107.

Like a dog