Following the first sajdah, raise your head and sit up straight.
The Prophet ﷺ used to lengthen this posture, to the degree that al-Barā’ (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “The standing of (the Prophet ﷺ), his rukūʿ, when he raised his head from rukūʿ, his sujūd and the time between the two sajdahs were almost the same” (Muslim). To lengthen the period between the two sajdahs, memorise and supplicate with the following duʿās of the Prophet ﷺ:
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ ، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ
My Lord, forgive me. My Lord, forgive me (Abū Dawūd).
Imagine yourself kneeling, waiting for your name to be called out on the Day of Fear in order to be punished. Then you are given a chance to seek pardon; this is your chance. Before it is too late, you implore Allah: ‘My Lord, forgive me…My Lord, forgive me…My Lord, forgive me.’
The aforementioned duʿā’ need not be limited to two repetitions; rather, it should be repeated as many times as possible.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ ، وَارْحَمْنِيْ ، وَعَافِنِيْ ، وَاهْدِنِيْ ، وَارْزُقْنِيْ
O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me wellbeing, guide me and grant me sustenance (Abū Dāwūd).
All the benefits of this world and of the hereafter are combined in this duʿā’.
Reflect
I take a trip down memory lane… and I remember my past indiscretions. I feel guilty about my sins; the unlawful glance, the morsel of ḥarām, missing a ṣalāh, attacking the honour of my fellow believer, hurting my spouse, raising my voice to my mother. I recall these sins and I repeatedly plead to my Lord: ‘Forgive me.’
Second Sajdah
You will then go back into sajdah. It is as though one sajdah does not satiate, and you need a second sajdah to satisfy yourself. Sujūd is repeated because it is the most honourable and virtuous element of ṣalāh. It is the most expressive posture of your servitude to the Almighty (ʿazza wa jall) and the closest you are to Him on this earthly realm.
