Abu Dawud

783. Commentary:
The argument derived from these hadiths is that the recitation would begin with the words of «الحمد الله رب العالمٰين», not with the words of «بسم الله». However, the Shafi'is and others who hold the view of reciting «بسم الله» aloud interpret these hadiths to mean that the recitation begins with Surah al-Fatihah, not with any other surah, and according to them, «بسم الله» is a part of every surah. But if all the evidences are considered together, they indicate that «بسم الله» should be recited silently, which is the stronger position. As narrated by Anas radi Allahu anhu in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Musnad Ahmad, these companions would not recite Bismillah aloud. [صحيح بخاري۔ حديث نمبر 743 وصحيح مسلم حديث 399۔ ومسند احمد 255/3۔ 298]

➋ After every two units (rak‘ah), this is in the case of a three or four rak‘ah prayer, but it is explicitly established for Witr that when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would pray three or five rak‘ahs of Witr with a single salam, he would not recite any «التحيات» tashahhud in between, but only in the last rak‘ah.

➌ “The squatting of the devil” means that a person places his buttocks on the ground, keeps his shins upright, and places his hands on the ground—this is impermissible. However, another form of «اقعاء» is that one sits on his buttocks over his heels while the feet are upright on the toes; this posture is permissible between the prostrations (sujud).

➍ “Sitting like a predatory animal” means that in prostration, one spreads his hands on the ground up to the elbows, as predatory animals sit—this is impermissible.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Lam yushkhis ra’sahu wa lam yusawwib:
“Ishkhas” means to raise and lift up, and “taswib” means to lower excessively. The purpose is that one should adopt moderation and balance between raising and lowering.
(2)
“Uqbah” and “aqib” mean: to place the buttocks on the ground like a dog or a predatory animal, with the shins upright and the hands placed on the ground.

Benefits and Issues:
(1)
The purpose of starting the prayer with “Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘alamin” is that the recitation begins with Surah al-Fatihah. This does not mean that “Bismillah” is not recited, and even before the recitation, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would recite the opening supplication (du‘a al-istiftah), because “Bismillah” must be recited. The difference is only whether it is recited aloud or silently.
(2)
In bowing (ruku‘), the back should be kept completely level and straight, and the head should neither be raised nor lowered, but kept in line with the back in moderation and balance. Likewise, after bowing (ruku‘) in standing (qawmah), and in the sitting (jalsah) between the two prostrations (sajdahs), each limb and joint should be given the opportunity to return to its place with calmness and tranquility. One should not act with haste or speed.
(3)
After every two units (rak‘ahs), one should sit for the tashahhud. According to Imam Ahmad and the hadith scholars (muhaddithin), both tashahhuds are necessary. According to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, both are obligatory (wajib), which in Hanafi terminology is a degree below fard (obligatory), not fard itself. According to the Malikis, it is sunnah, and according to Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, the first tashahhud is sunnah and the second is fard. In both tashahhuds, the right foot is to be kept upright and one sits on the left foot after spreading it. According to Imam Malik, in both places, “tawarruk” is practiced, meaning the right foot is kept upright, one sits on the buttocks, and the left foot is drawn out from underneath. According to Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, in the tashahhud with salam, “tawarruk” is practiced, and in the one without salam, “iftirash” (sitting on the left foot) is practiced. This is also the position of the hadith scholars (muhaddithin). According to the Hanbalis, where there are two tashahhuds, in the first “iftirash” is practiced and in the second “tawarruk”; and where there is only one tashahhud, such as in the morning (fajr) prayer, Friday (jumu‘ah), and the two ‘Eids, “iftirash” is practiced. In summary, in all sittings except the one with salam, “iftirash” is practiced.
(4)
According to the three Imams—Malik, Shafi‘i rahimahullah, Ahmad rahimahullah—and the majority of the early generations (salaf), the salam is fard (obligatory), and according to the Hanafis, it is wajib (obligatory but of a lesser degree). Some scholars have written that according to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, any act that invalidates the prayer in place of salam will suffice, but Allamah Karakhi and his followers hold that only salam should be given; they do not accept the obligation of an act that invalidates the prayer as a substitute for salam. The author of al-Hidayah and his followers consider the act of invalidation itself to be obligatory. According to some Hanafis, omitting a wajib entails sin, and according to others, it necessitates repeating (i‘adah) the prayer.

Lexical Explanation:
«يَسْتَفْتِحُ» means to begin, to start.
«وَالْقَرَاءَةَ» is in the accusative case. In this situation, the meaning would be that you would begin the recitation, i.e., «يَفْتَتِحُ» is the object of an omitted verb, or it is conjuncted to «اَلصَّلَاةَ» and is the object of «يَسْتَفْتِحُ».
«لَمْ يُشْخِصْ» is derived from «إِشْخَاص» (from the if‘aal form). It means not to raise (something) high.
«وَ لَمْ يُصَوِّبْهُ» is derived from taswīb, meaning not to lower (something) too much.
«بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ» means to keep it between both these states (high and low).
«فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ» means after both rak‘ahs.
«اَلتَّحِيَّةَ» is the object of yaqūl, meaning he would recite the tashahhud «اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ للهِ . . . إلخ».
«وَكَانَ يُفْرِشُ رِجْلُهُ الْيُسْرٰي» means he would spread his left foot on the ground, i.e., he would sit on it. This posture is adopted between the two prostrations and at the time of the first tashahhud, as clarified in the narration from Sayyiduna Abu Humayd As-Sa‘idi radi Allahu anhu. [سنن أبى داود، الصلاة، باب من ذكر التورك فى الرابعة، حديث : 963]
«عُقْبَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ» — the ‘ayn of ‘uqbah has a dammah and the qāf is sukun (the squatting of the shaytan). It is also called «إِقْعَاءُ الْكَلْب». Its form is that a person places his buttocks on the ground, raises his knees and shins upright, and places both hands on the ground. Note that there is another explanation of iq‘ā’: that one keeps both feet upright and sits on the heels. This (second form) is not prohibited; rather, according to the four ‘Abdullahs (Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, and Abdullah ibn Zubayr radi Allahu anhum), this posture is preferred except in the final tashahhud.
«اِفْتِرَاش السَّبُع» — the sīn of «سَبُع» has a fatḥah and the bā’ has a dammah. It is also permissible to pronounce the bā’ with a fatḥah or sukun. It refers to a beast that tears apart, i.e., a predatory animal. The posture of sitting like a predatory animal is that, in the state of prostration, one extends the arms along the ground up to the elbows, as predatory animals sit. This is impermissible.
«وَلهُ عِلَّةٌ» — the defect in this narration is that Abu’l-Jawza’ narrated it from Sayyidah ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha, and it is not established that Abu’l-Jawza’ heard from Sayyidah ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha. For this reason, this hadith has been considered defective. However, our esteemed researcher, hafizahullah, writes regarding this that this defect is rejected.