How Many Sajdah in the Quran? (Complete List of Sajdah Tilawat)

How Many Sajdah in the Quran? The Quick Answer

How many sajdah in the quran? The Quran contains 14 sajdah tilawat verses agreed upon by every major school of Islamic jurisprudence, with a total of 15 possible locations once the difference between the Hanafi and Shafi’i schools is accounted for. These verses — known as Ayat al-Sajdah — instruct the reader or listener to pause and perform a single prostration as an act of humility before Allah.

The disagreement is not a contradiction; it comes down to a single verse. Thirteen locations are accepted by every school without dispute. The fourteenth spot is either Surah Sad (38:24), which Hanafi scholars count as a sajdah tilawat, or the second sajdah in Surah Al-Hajj (22:77), which Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali scholars include instead. Combine both positions and you get the full list of 15 verses marked with the ۩ symbol across different printed copies of the Quran.

Knowing how many sajdah in the quran there are is one thing — reciting these verses correctly, recognizing the ۩ symbol mid-recitation, and applying the right Tajweed rules around them is another. That is the kind of detail a live, native-speaking tutor catches that a self-study app usually misses. You can see how this is taught inside our Quran recitation and Tajweed courses.

What Is Sajdah Tilawat? Understanding the Prostration of Recitation

Sajdah Tilawat, or the Prostration of Recitation, is a single prostration performed when a Muslim recites or hears one of the specific Quranic verses that command or describe prostration. It is distinct from the two daily prostrations in Salah — Sajda-e-Tilawat can happen at any moment the verse is encountered, whether during prayer, personal recitation, or while listening to someone else read.

The practice is rooted directly in the Sunnah. Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet ﷺ explained that whenever a person recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Shaytan withdraws in despair, lamenting that he was commanded to prostrate to Adam and refused, while the believer who obeys earns Paradise (Sahih Muslim 81a). This is part of why the sajdah verses carry such weight for reverts and lifelong Muslims alike — each one is a small, physical act of submission woven directly into the text of the Quran itself.

How Many Sujood in Quran? Sujood vs. Sajdah Explained

“Sujood” is simply the Arabic plural of sajdah (prostration). When people ask how many sujood in quran, they usually mean the 14–15 tilawat verses covered in this guide — not the prostrations performed within Salah itself. Sujood in the Quran and Sunnah covers several categories: the two prostrations in every rak’ah of Salah, Sajda-e-Shukr (gratitude for good news), Sajda-e-Sahw (to correct a forgotten step in prayer), and Sajda-e-Tilawat. For how many sujood in quran in the tilawat sense specifically, the answer is the same 14–15 locations covered throughout this guide.

How Many Sajdahs in the Quran? The Complete List of 15 Verses

How many sajdahs in the quran across all schools combined? 15 possible locations. Here is the complete, para-wise list of every verse associated with sajdah tilawat, including the one location where scholars differ. Use this as a reference while reciting — many printed Mushafs mark these verses with a small ۩ symbol in the margin.

Two of these locations from the full list of how many sajdahs in the quran are especially popular for practicing recitation, since they close two of the shortest and most memorized surahs:

Getting comfortable spotting these verses mid-Surah — and pronouncing the surrounding words with correct Tajweed — develops fastest with a live tutor correcting you in real time. Read our related guide on 5 Common Tajweed Mistakes Non-Arabic Speakers Make for more on this.

How Many Sajdah Tilawat in Quran: 14 or 15 by Madhhab

The honest answer to how many sajdah tilawat in quran scholars universally agree on is 14 — the disagreement over the 15th is a matter of legal reasoning (fiqh), not a difference in the Quranic text itself. Every single Arabic word of the sajdah verses is identical across all schools; what differs is whether a given verse is classified as a command to prostrate immediately, or as a description of prostration that does not carry that ruling.

The Shafi’i position draws on a hadith in which Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) recited a sajdah verse during a Friday sermon and prostrated, then on a later Friday recited the same verse but chose not to, explaining that Allah had not made the prostration obligatory unless the reader wished (Sahih al-Bukhari 1077). When deciding how many sajdah tilawat in quran applies to your practice, the safest approach recommended by many scholars is simply to prostrate at all 15 possible locations. A qualified Tajweed tutor can walk you through which convention your household or region typically follows.

Why Do Muslims Prostrate When Reciting These Verses?

Sajdah tilawat is a direct, physical response to hearing the Quran describe prostration — a moment where the listener joins the angels, the earth, and creation itself in acknowledging Allah. For many reverts especially, that first sajdah tilawat — pausing mid-recitation to physically bow — is a memorable, grounding moment in their journey with the Quran.

Understanding how many sajdah in the quran there are and where they fall is part of building genuine confidence in live recitation — the kind of confidence that only comes from regularly encountering these verses with a qualified teacher who can guide your response in real time.

How to Perform Sajdah Tilawat: Step-by-Step

Performing sajdah tilawat outside of Salah takes less than a minute and follows a simple, well-documented sequence. Here is the standard method taught by the majority of scholars:

1. Face the Qibla

   Face the Qibla if you are able to, though it is not a strict requirement outside of Salah.

2. Say “Allahu Akbar”

   Begin with “Allahu Akbar” without raising the hands as you would in Salah.

3. Prostrate Once

   Place your forehead on the ground exactly as you would during Salah — one single, full prostration.

4. Recite the Dua of Sajdah Tilawat

   “Sajada wajhiya lilladhi khalaqahu wa shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu bihawlihi wa quwwatihi, fatabarakallahu ahsanul khaliqin” — “My face has prostrated to the One who created it and fashioned its hearing and sight by His power and might; blessed is Allah, the best of creators.”

5. Rise Without a Second Sajdah

   A single prostration is sufficient. No taslim (salam) is required outside of Salah.

If you are reciting the Quran and cannot stop immediately — for example while driving, or listening to a recitation on your phone — the majority view is that it remains recommended (or obligatory, for Hanafis) to perform the missed sajdah as soon as reasonably possible afterward.

What to Look For in a Quran Academy That Teaches Tajweed and Sajdah Rules

The best online Quran academy for learning recitation, Tajweed, and sajdah rules combines certified native Arabic tutors, genuinely private lessons, and transparent, affordable pricing. If you are comparing options for yourself or your child, these are the criteria worth checking before you commit.

You can browse the full breakdown of what is covered — from Noorani Qaida through Tajweed Rules Mastery and Ijazah — on our courses page, or read more about our teaching approach on the Why Choose Us page.

Learning the Sajdah Verses Online: Cost, Value, and What’s Included

Online Quran and Tajweed classes that include sajdah tilawat and recitation rules typically start from as little as $9/hr when taught 1-on-1 by a qualified native tutor. Cost is often the biggest hesitation for families comparing academies, so it is worth knowing exactly what you are paying for before choosing a plan.

Rather than committing upfront, it is worth trying a session first. Every new student can book a free trial class to experience a 1-on-1 lesson with a native tutor before choosing a plan — no obligation attached.

How Many Sajdah in Quran: Online vs. at a Local Mosque

Understanding how many sajdah in quran there are is the same whether you learn online or at a mosque — the real difference is how consistently and accurately that knowledge is transmitted. Local mosque classes are often free or low-cost and offer valuable in-person community, but they are frequently taught in groups on a fixed weekly schedule that is hard to reschedule around family or work commitments.

Online academies with native tutors solve the scheduling problem directly. For families across the UK, USA, and Europe, learning how many sajdah in quran there are and how to perform each one correctly is more effective in a private online session than in a crowded local class — especially when the tutor can pause, demonstrate, and correct pronunciation mid-recitation without interrupting an entire group.

For non-Arabic speakers specifically, this consistency matters even more. Our guide on How to Learn Quran for Non-Arabic Speakers covers this in more depth if you are just getting started.

Final Thoughts

Whether you count 14 or 15, every sajdah verse in the Quran carries the same message — that all of creation bows to Allah, and the reader is invited to join in that submission physically, not just in words. How many sajdah in the quran you encounter in your recitation depends on how much of the Quran you cover — and learning to recognize all of them, pause correctly, and recite with proper Tajweed is a skill that grows with consistent, guided practice. Explore more on our blog or book a free trial with Daan Quranic Academy today.

We ask Allah to make the Quran a source of light and guidance in your recitation, and to make every sajdah a means of nearness to Him. Ameen.