Should he prostrate to Allaah in gratitude for the blessing of hearing and sight?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

The prostration of
gratitude is only prescribed for new blessings, such as having a child, or
the return of an absent loved one, or victory over an enemy, not for an
ongoing blessing such as the blessings of hearing and sight, because that is
not narrated in sharee’ah. If it were prescribed, it would mean that a
person would spend his whole life prostrating out of gratitude.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (3/564): al-Shaafa’i and his
companions said: The prostration of gratitude is a Sunnah when a new,
obvious blessing comes and when an obvious adversity is warded off, whether
the blessing or adversity affects the individual or all the Muslims. Our
companions said: Similarly, if he sees a person who is afflicted with a
calamity, physical or otherwise, or with sin, it is mustahabb to prostrate
out of gratitude to Allaah. But it is not prescribed to prostrate for
ongoing blessings because they do not cease. End quote.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (1/363): It is mustahabb to do
the prostration of gratitude when a new blessing comes or adversity is
warded off. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i, Ishaaq, Abu Thawr and Ibn
al-Mundhir.

Ibn al-Mundhir narrated
with his isnaad from Abu Bakrah that if news reached the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that pleased him, he would fall down in
prostration. Narrated by Abu Dawood. The wording is: If news that pleased
him reached him, or he was given glad tidings, he would fall down in
prostration, giving thanks to Allaah. And al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan
ghareeb hadeeth. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq prostrated when al-Yamaamah was
conquered, and ‘Ali prostrated when he found Dhu’l-Thadiyyah among the slain
Khawaarij, and it was also narrated that a number of Sahaabah did this
(offered the prostration of gratitude). End quote.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (2/296): Blessings
are of two types: ongoing and new. The thanks for ongoing blessings is given
by doing acts of worship and obedience, and the prostration of gratitude is
prescribed for new blessings, out of gratitude to Allaah and to express
humility and submission before Him, in return for the joy and delight felt
because of the blessing. That is the best way to counter this feeling of
excessive rejoicing, because Allaah does not like those who rejoice
excessively, so the remedy for this disease is submission and humility
before the Lord of the Worlds. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ ‘ala Zaad
al-Mustaqni’ (4/105): The words “when a new blessing comes” refer to new
blessings as opposed to ongoing blessings. If we were to tell a man that it
is mustahabb to prostrate for ongoing blessings, he would always be
prostrating, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and if you count the
Blessings of Allaah, never will you be able to count them”

[Ibraaheem 14:34].

Ongoing blessings are ones an individual generally experiences constantly and are not newly or unexpectedly received. The ability to hear, see and speak properly, and physical good health, are all blessings.

Breathing is another of
these blessings, and so on. The Sunnah does not say that we should prostrate
for such blessings. But if we assume that a person was faced with difficulty
in breathing, then Allaah granted him relief from that, and he prostrated in
gratitude to Allaah, then he has done the right thing, because being able to
breathe properly after having difficulty with it is a new blessing.

Another example is if a
person passes an exam when he was scared that he would not pass. This is a
new blessing for which he should prostrate.

Another example is if a
person hears that the Muslims have attained a victory in any place. This is
a new blessing for which he should prostrate to Allaah in gratitude.

Another example is if a
person is blessed with a child. This is a new blessing for which he should
prostrate. And you can draw more analogies.

The words “and when
adversity is warded off” refer to adversities for which the causes exist but
one is spared.

An example of that is a man
who has a car accident when he is travelling, and the car turns over but he
walks away unharmed. In this case he should do the prostration of gratitude,
because the cause of this adversity was present, which is the car rolling
over, but he was spared.

Another example is a person
in whose house a fire begins, but Allaah makes it easy to extinguish it.
This is warding off of adversity so he should prostrate to Allaah in
gratitude.

Another example is a man
who falls in a well and emerges safe and sound. This is warding off of
adversity so he should prostrate to Allaah in gratitude.

What is meant by that is
the warding off of an adversity the cause of which was present but he was
spared it. As for those which are ongoing, they are innumerable, and if we
were to tell a man that it is mustahabb to prostrate for ongoing blessings,
he would always be prostrating. End quote.

To sum up: the prostration
of gratitude is to be done when a new blessing comes, not for ongoing
blessings.

And Allaah knows best.