The Prostration of Gratitude

567. Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “We went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, from Mecca, making for Medina. When we were near Azwaza, he dismounted and lifted his hands and made supplication to Allah for a time and then he went down into prostration and remained there for a long time. Then he stood and raised his hands for a long time and then went down into prostration again. He did that three times. He said, ‘I asked my Lord and interceded for my community, and He gave me a third of my community. So I went down into prostration to my Lord out of gratitude. Then I lifted my head and asked my Lord for my community and He gave me another third of my community. I went down into prostration to my Lord out of gratitude. Then I lifted my head and asked my Lord for my community and He gave me the last third of my community so I again went down into prostration to my Lord.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Jihad, 152).

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014