The Book of Prayer

Description of Prayer Continued..

بَابُ صِفَةِ الصَّلاَةِ

Description of Prayer Continued..

Then he should say Allâhu akbar, bow 246 and raise his hands 247 as he did the first time. --- Then he should place his hands on his knees,248 spreading his fingers,249 stretching his back 250 and making his head level 251 with it, and say: Subḥâna Rabbiyal-‘Adheem (Glorified is my Lord, the Great) three times. 252

- ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ وَيَرْكَعُ، وَيَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ كَرَفْعِهِ الأَوَّلِ، ثُمَّ يَضَعُ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَيُفَرِّجُ أَصَابِعَهُ، وَيَمُدُّ ظَهْرَهُ، وَيَجْعَلُ رَأْسَهُ حِيَالَهُ، ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُ: "سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيْمِ" ثَلاَثًا

Then he should raise his head, while saying, Sami‘ Allâhu liman ḥamidah (Allah hears those who praise him), 253 and raise his hands like the first time. ---When he stands up erect, he should say: Rabbanâ wa laka alḥamdu mil'a as-samawâti wa mil'a al-arḍi wa mil'a mâ shi'ta min shay'in ba‘d (Our Lord, all

ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ قَائِلاً: "سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ" وَيَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ كَرَفْعِهِ الأَوَّلِ، فَإِذَا اعْتَدَلَ قَائِمًا، قَالَ: " رَبَّنَا ولَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الْأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ." وَيَقْتَصِرُ


246 Insert image


247 Raising the hands here is reported by Bukhari, Muslim and others from several Companions. Al-Albâni said, “This raising of the hands [before bowing] is reported as mutawâtir [reported by so many narrators in every layer of the chain] from him (SA), as is the raising of the hands on straightening up after bowing. It is the madh-hab of the three Imams Mâlik, ash-Shâfi‘i and Aḥmad, and of the majority of scholars of Hadith and fiqh… Some of the Ḥanafis [may Allah bestow mercy on them] chose to do it, among them ‘Iṣâm ibn Yoosuf al-Balkhi (d. 210), a student of Imam Abu Yoosuf.”

248 (B – from Abi Ḥumayd as-Sâ‘idi)

249 (H – from Wâ’il ibn Ḥujr. al-Albâni:S) Wâ’il also said that he held his knees firmly with his hands.

250 (T. T:S) In it, it was also reported that he would keep his elbows away from his sides.

251 (M, D – from ‘Â’ishah)

252 (A, D, Ma. al-Albâni:S)

253 (Ag)

praise be to You, praise that fills the heavens and the earth and anything that You will beyond them). 254 The ma’moom should only say: Rabbanâ wa laka alḥamd (Our Lord, all praise be to You). 255

"الْمَأْمُوْمُ عَلَى قَوْلِ: "رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ

Then he should fall down in prostration 256 while saying the takbeer, and he should not raise his hands.257 The first part to touch the ground should be his knees, 258

ثُمَّ يَخِرُّ سَاجِدًا مُكَبِّرًا وَلاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ، وَيَكُوْنُ أَوَّلَ مَا يَقَعُ مِنْهُ عَلَى الأَرْضِ رُكْبَتَاهُ، ثَمَّ كَفَّاهُ، ثُمَّ


254 (Ag – from Anas) and (B – from Abu Hurayrah)


255 The ma'moom does not say the long supplication; nor does he say Sami‘ Allâhu liman ḥamidah. In Sharh az-Zarkashi, it is said that Abu al-Barakat al-Majd Ibn Taymiyah, the grandfather of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah bestow mercy on them), chose the view that the ma’moom says like the imam, since all are recommended to follow the example of the Prophet (SA). The vast majority indicated that the ma’moom does not say Sami‘ Allâhu liman ḥamidah, for he is told to say Rabbanâ laka alḥamd when he hears the imam say Sami‘ Allâhu liman ḥamidah.

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257 (A): After the opening takbeer, one raises the hands only before and after bowing. It was reported that the Prophet (SA) would raise his hands with every takbeer. (A – from Wâ’il ibn Ḥujr. A: sound chain) However, he usually did not do so when going down to prostrate. (B – from Ibn ‘Umar)

258 This is the authorized position in the madh-hab. (A) + (+H, +S, +t) (a) + (-M): The hands touch the ground first.

then his palms, then his forehead and nose. He should separate his arms from his sides 259 and his abdomen from his thighs,260 and should make his hands parallel to his shoulders. 261 He should be on the tips of his feet. 262

جَبْهَتُهُ وَأَنْفُهُ، وَيُجَافِيْ عَضُدَيْهِ عَنْ جَنْبَيْهِ، وَبَطْنَهُ عَنْ فَخِذَيْهِ، وَيَجْعَلُ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ، وَيَكُوْنُ عَلَى أَطْرَافِ قَدَمَيْهِ


There is much disagreement over this issue; the reports are somewhat ambiguous and conflicting. (t) said in Majmoo‘ al-Fatâwâ that the scholars agreed that either form is sufficient, so the whole disagreement is only about what is preferable. Some scholars posited that it would be acceptable to touch the ground with either the knees or hands first, as long as there is no exaggeration and one goes down to prostrate calmly and with grace, avoiding the manner in which a camel kneels, which is disliked by agreement.


259 (Ag – from ‘Abdullâh ibn Mâlik ibn Buḥaynah)


260 (D – from Abu Ḥumayd as-Sâ‘idi. Ibn Ḥajar:R) Abu Ḥumayd said that the Prophet (SA) did not have any of his abdomen touching his thighs. In the same report, it was also reported that he separated his thighs from each other.


261 (D,T. T:S) And align his fingers together (M), pointing to the qibla (Ba. Ba: sound chain)


262 Position of the Feet and Hands in Prostration

(Ba) and in (B – from Abu Ḥumayd), pointing the toes towards the qibla – in a different narration, the toes and fingers.

As for the toes, he separated them while in prostration. (D – from Abu Ḥumayd. D:S)

As for the fingers, he had them together. (Kh, Ḥib – from Wâ’il ibn Ḥujr. Haythami:R) As for the position of his feet in relation to each other, the reports are not clear. (A) + (+S): The feet should be apart from each other, like the thighs.