to others, so too a prolonged prostration in which one devotes oneself to one’s Lord is superior to a brief one.

The tenth argument:

Muslim also narrated that Rabīʿah ibn Kaʿb said:

“I used to spend the night with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), bringing him water for his ablution and whatever he needed. He said to me, ‘Ask.’ I said, ‘I ask to be your companion in Paradise.’ He said, ‘Would you ask for anything else?’ I said, ‘That is what I want.’ He said, ‘Then help me to achieve that for you by prostrating frequently.’”

He had asked for a lofty rank, yet all the Prophet requested of him was frequent prostration. This provides stronger evidence that frequent prostration is superior. However, one may reply that someone who prostrates frequently may perform many lengthy prostrations or many brief ones, and the former is superior.

Moreover, there will necessarily be frequent prostration in either case. If someone prays eleven lengthy rakʿahs, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to do, while another worshipper prays twenty rakʿahs in the same amount of time, the latter has performed more prostrations. Yet the former’s prostrations are superior and more complete, whereas the latter’s are more numerous. No one is entitled to say that prostrations which are more numerous but brief are superior to those which are also numerous, yet more complete and prolonged, as in the prayer of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).