prostrated to Allah (1) in gratitude when a bearer of glad tidings came to him from his Lord with the message: “Whoever invokes blessings upon you, I shall bless him; and whoever sends greetings of peace upon you, I shall bestow peace upon him.”
Sunan Abī Dāwūd (2) reports, in a hadith narrated by Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqās, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hands and supplicated to Allah for a while, then fell in prostration three times. He then said: “I asked my Lord and interceded for my community, and He granted me one third of my community. So I fell in prostration in gratitude to my Lord. Then I raised my head and asked my Lord on behalf of my community, and He granted me one third of my community. So I fell in prostration in gratitude to my Lord. Then I raised my head and asked my Lord on behalf of my community (3), and He granted me the final third. So I fell in prostration to my Lord.”
Ka‘b ibn Mālik also prostrated when he received (4) the glad tidings that Allah had accepted his repentance. Al-Bukhārī (5) relates this.