Verse [ 19] كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب ۩ (No! never obey him, and bow down in sajdah { Prostration}, and come closer.) The Holy Prophet ﷺ is advised to ignore and disobey Abu Jahl when he stops him from praying. He is asked to be steadfast in prayer and prostration.
Acceptability of Supplication in the Posture of Prostration
It is recorded in Abu Dawud on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: اقرب ما یکون العبد من ربّہٖ وھو ساجد فاکثروا الدعاء . (The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration. Therefore, make abundant supplications [ while prostrating ]) Another authentic Tradition states: فانّہ قمن ان یستجاب لکم (...because it is fitting and proper that supplications be accepted in the state of prostration.)
Ruling
It is valid to supplicate in the supererogatory (nafi) salah while prostrating. In certain narrations, special words of the supplications are recorded from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is better to recite those transmitted prayers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . There is no proof or evidence of such supplications in the prostration of obligatory salah, because the obligatory salah needs to be short.
Ruling
A prostration is compulsory for one who recites this verse and listens to it. A narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to prostrate when he recited this verse. Allah knows best!
Al-hamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-` Alaq
Ends here