Prostration for recitation and guidance for conceiving female children
26-4-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
How important is prostration for recitation (Sajda Tilawat)? What is the prophet's (SAW) guidance for conceiving female children?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Sajdat-ul-Tilawa (prostration of recitation of the Qur'an) is a Sunnah which is confirmed that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to perform.
Abu Dawud, al-Hakim and al-Baihaqi reported from the Hadith of Ibn Umar that he said: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to recite to us the Qur'an, and when he recited an Ayah with Sajda, he used to say Allahu Akbar, and prostrated, and we prostrated.
Sajdat-ul-Tilawa has many excellences, among which what is reported by Imam Muslim, Ahmad, and Ibn Majah that Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: If the son of Adam reads an Ayah with Sajda, and then prostrates, Satan would isolate himself and cry saying: ‘Woe to him, he was ordered to prostrate, and he prostrated, therefore he has Paradise, and I was ordered to prostrate and I disobeyed, so I have Hellfire.
It is enough for a true Muslim to realize that the importance of worship is that it is an obedience to Allah. It is not necessary that Sajda Tilawa has an apparent importance for him, despite the fact that there is an obvious importance even if we do not see it.
With regard to your second question, we are not aware of anything which shows that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) had a guidance to help conceive female children. In truth this depends on the Will and Power of Allah, and no one can dispense it.
Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {To Allâh belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things.}[42:49-50].
Allah knows best.