Question

Could you please inform me as to the origin of the marked places of prostration in the Qur'an?

Answer

The marks themselves have been put in the copies of the Qur’an by the scholars, to indicate to the reader that at this aayah the Prophet, , made a sajdah, (prostrated), or it is known that the sahaabah prostrated at this place.  There are fifteen places in the Qur’an where there is a sajdah mark; in other words, where it is sunnah to make sajdah when reciting these aayaat.  They are:

1. The end (last aayah) of surah Al-A'araaf   

2. Aayah 15 of surah Al Ra'ad

3. Aayah 50 of surah An-Nahl

4. Aayah 109 of surah Al- Israa'

5. Aayah 58 of surah Maryam

6. Aayah 18 of surah Al-Hajj

7. Aayah 77 of surah Al Hajj

8. Aayah 60 of surah Al-Furqan

9. Aayah 26 of surah An-Naml

10.  Aayah 15 of surah As-Sajda

11. Aayah 38 of surah Saad

12. Aayah 38 of surah Al-Fusilat    

13. Aayah 62 of surah An-Najm

14. Aayah 21 of surah Al-Inshiqaq    

15.  Aayah 19 of surah Al-A’laq

There is some difference of opinion regarding the second place in surah Al-Hajj, for which there is no consensus in the sunnah of the Prophet, but some of the sahaabah did make the prostration here, so that is considered (by scholars) evidence of it being part of the sunnah.

The symbol in most copies of the Qur’an for an 'aayah of prostration is: