He was asked about reciting Surah al-Sajdah (The Prostration) on Friday: “Is the prostration what is intended, so that reciting part of the surah or prostrating during another surah would suffice, or is the surah itself what is intended?”

He answered:

All praise is due to Allah. Rather, what is intended is the recitation of the two surahs, “Alif Lām Mīm. The revelation” and “Has there come upon man,” because they mention the creation of Adam, the coming of the Hour, and related matters, for these events occur on Friday. The prostration itself is not what is intended. Thus, deliberately choosing another surah containing a prostration verse would be disliked.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite both surahs, so the Sunnah is to recite them in full. This should not be done invariably, lest someone without knowledge think it obligatory. Rather, other passages of the Quran should sometimes be recited instead.

Al-Shāfi‘ī and Ahmad recommend reciting these two surahs. Mālik and Abū Hanīfah, however, consider deliberately choosing them for recitation disliked.