said:

“Only those believe in Our verses who, when reminded of them, fall down in prostration and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant.”

These words imply that none believes in His verses except one who, when reminded of them, falls down in prostration and glorifies his Lord with praise, without arrogance.

It is well known that His words “Our verses” do not mean only the verses of prostration, but the entire Quran. Thus, whenever a person is reminded of any of the Quran’s verses, he must fall down in prostration. This is the case with someone praying: he is reminded of Allah’s verses through the imam’s recitation, while the imam is reminded through his own recitation. They are therefore not believers unless they fall down in prostration. This is their prostration in prayer, performed in an established sequence: they move first into bowing, then into prostration. Prostration is performed twice, as the Messenger explained, so that it comprises two descents: a descent from standing, which is the first prostration, and a descent from sitting, which is the second.

This is among the evidence for the obligation to sit between the two prostrations and remain still while sitting, as established by the Sunnah. For falling down in prostration can only be from sitting or standing. If the separation between the two prostrations is as thin as a sword’s edge, or the posture is nearer to sitting, this does not constitute falling down in prostration. However, whoever permitted this supposed that prostration is achieved simply by placing the head on the ground, however that is done. That is not so. Rather, it is enjoined as He says:

“When reminded of them, they fall down in prostration.”

He did not say, “They prostrate.” Thus, falling down in prostration is enjoined