What is the source of this Hadith?
حدثني معدان بن طلحة اليعمري، قال: لقيت ثوبان مولى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقلت له: دلني على عمل ينفعني الله به ويدخلني الله الجنة؟ فسكت عني مليا، ثم التفت إلي فقال: عليك بالسجود، فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ما من عبد يسجد لله سجدة إلا رفعه الله بها درجة وحط عنه بها خطيئة
Answer
Imams Tirmidhi and Nasai (rahimahumallah) have recorded this Hadith.
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 388, Sunan Nasai; Al Mujtaba, Hadith: 1139)
Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has recorded the Hadith with slight variation in the wording. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 488)
See here.
Translation
Ma’dan ibn Talhah Al Ya’muri (rahimahullah) says, “I met Thawban the freed slave of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, ‘Show me an action through which Allah will allow me to gain benefit and enter me into Jannah.’ He kept quiet for a while. He then turned around and said, ‘Hold fast on to prostration, for I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, ‘There is no person who prostrates for the sake of Allah, except that Allah raises his rank by a degree and erases a bad deed by virtue of the sajdah.’”
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar