As-salaam alaikum brother, I would like to know that there is almost a tradition among pakistani cricketers performing sajdah ( prostrate) at the very moment on the ground after making century. Is this sort of thanksgiving are bid'aah or is it allowed by the prophet (S.A.W)? Please answer in the light of Qur'aan & Sunnah.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is confirmed in the Sunnah that when the Prophet heard about a pleasant matter, he would prostrate as a sign of thankfulness to Allaah. It is for this reason that most scholars stated that it is permissible to prostrate for thankfulness when one is blessed with bounties and protected from calamities. However, they link this prostration for thankfulness to the outward apparent bounties, and some restricted it to the general outward bounties and not prostrate for every bounty.

In our view in Islamweb, prostrating during a game because of scoring and the like is not permissible because there is no apparent bounty and the place is not suitable. In addition to this, the condition of prostrating for thankfulness may not be met, like being in a state of ablution, facing the direction of Qiblah and the like.

Moreover, prostrating during a game is not like the prostration for thankfulness which the Prophet performed. He prostrated for thankfulness when he heard the news that the people of Yemen became Muslims, and he prostrated for thankfulness when the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) gave him glad tidings. The companions prostrated for thankfulness when Musaylimah, The Liar, was killed. However, it was not reported from them – as far as we know – that they prostrated for winning in a race and the like.

Allaah Knows best.