Mas'ud, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited Surah al-Najm and prostrated in it (12), and there remained no one among the people but that he prostrated. [Recorded by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud] (13). Abu Hurayra only embraced Islam in Medina [in the year seven] (14), and his [hadith] is more worthy than the hadith of Ibn Abbas [due to its authenticity and its nature as an affirmation] (15), [whereas the statement of Ibn Abbas is a negation of something he did not witness, for he was a young boy during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and did not know what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was doing] (16). The hadith of Abu al-Darda' [its chain of narration is weak. Abu Dawud said] (17): Furthermore, there is no evidence in it, for it is permissible that the prostration of [other than the Mufassal was eleven] (19) [prostrations, and there is no dispute between us regarding this. Then, the abandonment of prostration in both hadiths indicates that it is not obligatory, while his prostration indicates that it is Sunnah, so there is no contradiction between them. As for the narration that the prostrations are fifteen, its basis is that the prostration in Surah Sad is among the obligatory (aza'im) prostrations] (20). It has been narrated from Umar, his son, and Uthman that they prostrated in it, and this is the view of al-Hasan, Malik, al-Thawri, Ishaq, and the People of Reason (Ashab al-Ra'y). It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prostrated in it.
(12) In (M): "in it". (13) In the original: "agreed upon". The hadith was recorded by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on the prostration of al-Najm, from the Book of Prostration, and in: Chapter on what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions encountered from the polytheists in Mecca, from the Book of the Merits of the Ansar. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/50, 51, 5/57. And Muslim, in: Chapter on the prostration of recitation, from the Book of Mosques. Sahih Muslim 1/405. And Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on whoever saw a prostration in it (Surah al-Najm), from the Book of Prostration. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/325. (14) Omitted from (M). (15) In (M): "because it is an affirmation". (16) In (M): "Furthermore, the abandonment of prostration indicates that it is not obligatory, and the prostration indicates that it is Sunnah, and there is no contradiction between them." And it appears in the original. (17) In (M): "Abu Dawud said: 'Its chain of narration is weak'." (18) In (M): "his prostration". (19) In (M) addition: "so it would be with the prostrations of the Mufassal fourteen". (20) In (M): "Section: According to the first narration it is not". (21) From here to his saying: "what was narrated from Abu Sa'id", it came in (M): "And this is the view of Alqama and al-Shafi'i, and this was narrated from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. And the second narration is that it is among the obligatory ones. And this is the view of al-Hasan, Malik, al-Awza'i, Ishaq, and the People of Reason, due to the hadith of Amr ibn al-'As. It was narrated from Umar, his son, and Uthman that they used to prostrate in it. And Abu Dawud narrated, with his chain of narration from Ibn =
