Ibn Majah

1؎: Imam Darqutni states that this hadith has not been narrated from Asim by anyone other than Sharik, and Sharik is not strong in cases of solitary narration. Allamah Albani states that a group of trustworthy narrators (thiqaat) have narrated the text of this hadith from Asim bin Kulayb, and they have described the method of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prayer in more detail than Sharik. Despite this, these trustworthy narrators have not mentioned the manner of going into and rising from prostration (sajdah). In summary, Sharik has erred in this hadith, and this hadith is extremely weak and absolutely not suitable as evidence. The authentic hadith in Abu Dawud, narrated from Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu), states that one should place both hands before both knees. Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim has said about this hadith of Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) «مقلوب» that the original hadith is as follows: «وليضع ركبتيه قبل يديه» meaning: the worshipper should place his knees on the ground before his hands. However, the hadith scholars Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri, Allamah Ahmad Shakir, and Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani have refuted this opinion of Ibn al-Qayyim, and Ibn Khuzaymah has said that it is not correct to declare the narration of placing the hands before the knees as abrogated, because the narration of Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (radi Allahu anhu): «كنا نضع اليدين قبل الركبتين فأمرنا بالركبتين قبل اليدين» meaning: “At first, we used to place our hands before our knees, then we were commanded to place our knees before our hands,” is extremely weak and absolutely not suitable as evidence. For further clarification of the issue, we present here the statements of the scholars: The position of the Ahl al-Hadith is that when going into prostration, both hands should be placed on the ground before the knees. This is correct because it is established from both the action and command of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). As for the action, it is in the hadith of Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) that when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would prostrate, he would place his hands on the ground before his knees. This hadith has been narrated by a group, among whom is al-Hakim. Al-Hakim says that this hadith is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim, and al-Dhahabi has agreed with him, and it is as both of them have said. Ibn Khuzaymah (627) has also authenticated it (see: Irwa’ al-Ghalil 2/77-78). As for the Prophetic command, it is established from the marfu’ hadith of Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu): «إذا سجد أحدكم فلا يبرك كما يبرك البعير و ليضع يديه قبل ركبتيه» meaning: “When one of you prostrates, he should not go down as a camel does, but should place his hands on the ground before his knees.” This hadith has been narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, and a group, and its chain is strong according to Nawawi and Zarqani, and this is also the statement of Hafiz Ibn Hajar. The only opposing narration to these two hadiths is the hadith of Wa’il bin Hujr, and this is weak due to the narrator Sharik bin Abdullah al-Qadi, because he is of weak memory (sayyi’ al-hifz). So, when he is not reliable in solitary narration, then what will be the case when he opposes trustworthy narrators? For this reason, Hafiz Ibn Hajar states in Bulugh al-Maram that the hadith of Abu Hurairah is stronger than the hadith of Wa’il, and this has been mentioned by Abdul Haqq al-Ishbili. Al-Tahawi, in Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar (1/150), states that the camel’s knees are in its forelegs, as is the case with other quadrupeds, but this is not the case with humans. Thus, the Prophetic instruction was that the worshipper should not sit on his knees, which are in his feet, as the camel sits on its knees (which are in its forelegs), but rather, he should begin sitting by first placing both hands on the ground, in which there are no knees, and then place his knees, so in this action he will be contrary to the way a camel sits. Albani says that the command mentioned in this Sunnah is apparently obligatory. Ibn Hazm has declared it obligatory in al-Muhalla (4/128), and the necessary consequence of declaring it obligatory is that its opposite is impermissible. This refutes the consensus that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah has mentioned in al-Fatawa, that both ways are permissible (Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah 1/88). Albani says that this neglected Sunnah should be highlighted so that people are diligent in acting upon it. This is also found in the hadith of Abu Humayd al-Sa’idi (radi Allahu anhu) with ten Companions of the Messenger, that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would go down towards the ground and his hands would be away from his sides, then he would prostrate, and all of them said to Abu Humayd: “You have spoken the truth, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to pray like this.” This narration has been reported by Ibn Khuzaymah (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 1/317-318) and others with an authentic chain. When you have come to know this, and you have reflected with me on the meaning of the word «هوى», which means to go down to the ground with both hands separated from the sides, then it will become clear to you, without any ambiguity, that this is only possible as a matter of habit when a person places both hands on the ground, not the knees. In this, there is another evidence for the weakness of the hadith of Wa’il (radi Allahu anhu). This is also the view of Malik, al-Awza’i, Ibn Hazm, and in one narration, Ahmad (see: al-Ikhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyyah li’l-Imam al-Albani, 90-91). Albani, under the heading “Placing both hands on the ground before the knees for prostration” in “Sifat Salat al-Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),” says: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), when going into prostration, would place his hands on the ground before his knees, and he commanded this, saying: “When one of you prostrates, he should not go down as a camel does, but should place his hands on the ground before his knees.” Regarding the first hadith, he says that it has been narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, Darqutni, and al-Hakim, and al-Hakim has declared it authentic and al-Dhahabi has agreed with him, and the hadith opposing it is not authentic. This is the view of Malik, and it is also narrated from Ahmad as in al-Tahqiq by Ibn al-Jawzi, and Marwazi has narrated with an authentic chain from Imam al-Awza’i that he said: “I found people placing their hands on the ground before their knees.” Regarding the second hadith, which commands placing both hands on the ground first, he writes: Abu Dawud, Tamam fi’l-Fawa’id, Sunan al-Nasa’i al-Sughra and al-Kubra with a sound chain, and Abdul Haqq has authenticated it in Ahkam al-Kubra and said in Kitab al-Tahajjud that its chain is better than that of the opposing hadith of Wa’il, rather, the hadith of Wa’il, in addition to opposing this authentic hadith and the previous one, is also weak in its chain, and the other hadiths with this meaning are also weak, as I have mentioned in Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Da’ifah (929) and Irwa’ al-Ghalil (357). After this, he says: Know that the way to oppose the camel is that when going into prostration, both hands should be placed on the ground before the knees, because the first thing a camel places on the ground when sitting are its knees, which are in its forelegs (i.e., its two front legs), as is mentioned in Lisan al-Arab and elsewhere. Imam al-Tahawi has mentioned this in “Mushkil al-Athar” and “Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar,” and likewise is the statement of Imam Qasim Sarqasti rahimahullah, who has narrated with an authentic chain in “Gharib al-Hadith” from Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) that no one should sit in prayer like a stubborn camel (Imam Sarqasti says this is in the case of going into prostration), meaning: he should not throw himself onto the ground as a stubborn camel sits without calmness, but rather, he should go down with calmness and place both hands on the ground, then after that his knees. In this regard, there is a marfu’ hadith in which this detail is present, then Qasim Sarqasti mentioned the above hadith. It is strange that Ibn al-Qayyim says that this is far from reason and unknown among the people of language. In the references we have indicated, and in many other references, there are refutations of this, to which one should refer. We have explained this issue in detail in our refutation of Shaykh Hamud Tuwayjiri (see: Sifat al-Salat, 140-141).