span of his life. Yet there are favors that come to a person afresh: a child is born to him, marriage becomes easy, a long-lost relative unexpectedly returns, he acquires wealth, he receives news of a Muslim victory—any blessing of this sort that is clearly new. On such occasions it is recommended for him to prostrate to Allah in gratitude.

For example, when someone is given the glad tidings, “Rejoice, you have a newborn son,” this is a newly granted favor. He should prostrate just as he does in prayer and say: Subḥāna Rabbīya l-Aʿlā (Transcendent is my Lord, the Most High), Subḥānaka Allāhumma Rabbānā wa-bi-ḥamdik, Allāhumma ighfir lī (Glory and praise be to You, our Lord; O Allah, forgive me). After that he thanks Allah for the specific blessing, saying, “I thank You, my Lord, for this favor,” and extols Allah accordingly.

The same applies when an affliction is averted. A person lives in constant safety yet is always exposed to calamities. At times the causes of disaster gather before his very eyes, but Allah removes them. Take, for instance, a traffic accident: someone is walking along the road, a car overturns, and he escapes unharmed—this is the repelling of an affliction. He should fall in prostration to Allah in gratitude for its removal. Or a man is walking when suddenly the ground collapses beneath him; he survives. Here too an affliction has been averted, and he should praise Allah for it.

Such deliverances are many. Whenever Allah wards off harm from you, prostrate to Him in gratitude and, while in sujūd, say three times: Subḥāna Rabbīya l-Aʿlā, then: Subḥānaka Allāhumma Rabbānā wa-bi-ḥamdik, Allāhumma ighfir lī, and add: Allāhumma innī ashkuruka ʿalā annaka najjaitanī min hādhihi l-muṣība (O Allah, I thank You for saving me from this calamity), naming it specifically. That is the prostration of gratitude.

The scholars have differed: is ritual purity a condition for this prostration, or not?