Going into Sujood: Hands First or Knees?
In Salah, when bowing down for sujood, one may place the knees first and also the hands; there is leeway in this, and both ways are permissible. No marfu’ narration is established on this matter, however, the statements of the Salaf are found.
❀ Khalid al-Hadhdha (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:
رَأَيْتُ أَبَا قِلَابَةَ، إِذَا سَجَدَ بدأَ فَوَضَعَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَإِذَا قَامَ اعْتَمَدَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ .
“I saw Abu Qilaba (may Allah have mercy on him): when he went into sujood, he would first place his knees, and when he rose from sujood (for the second rak’ah), he would lean on his hands.”
❀ Khalid al-Hadhdha (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:
رَأَيْتُ الْحَسَنَ يَخِرُّ فَيَبْدَأُ بيَدَيْهِ، وَيَعْتَمِدُ إِذَا قَامَ .
“I saw al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him): he would first place his hands in sujood, and when he rose (for the second rak’ah), he would lean on his hands.”
❀ Imam al-Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 255 AH) says:
كله طيب.
“Both practices are correct.”
❀ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 728 AH) says:
أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ بِكِلَيْهِمَا فَجَائِزَةٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، إِنْ شَاءَ الْمُصَلِّي يَضَعُ رُكْبَتَيْهِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَصَلَاتُهُ صَحِيحَةٌ فِي الْحَالَتَيْنِ، بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ.
“Praying in both ways is permissible, and there is consensus of the scholars on this. Whether the worshipper places his knees first or places his hands first, his Salah is valid in both states, by the consensus of the scholars.”
Placing the Hands First:
Placing the hands first when going into sujood is not established from the Prophet ﷺ, and the narrations regarding it are not free from criticism.
❀ Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِذَا سَجَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَا يَبْرُكَ كَمَا يَبْرُكُ الْبَعِيرُ، وَلْبَضَعُ يَدَيْهِ قَبْلَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ.
“When you perform sujood, do not kneel like a camel does, but place your hands first, then your knees.”
The chain is da’if.
The hearing (sama’) of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan from Abu al-Zinad is not known.
❀ Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لَا يُتابَعُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَا أَدْرِي سَمِعَ مِنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ أَمْ لَا .
In this narration, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan has no mutaba’ah (corroboration), and I do not know whether he heard from Abu al-Zinad or not.
❀ Imam Hamzah ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abbas al-Kinani (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 357 AH) says:
هُوَ مُنْكَر
“This narration is munkar.”
❀ Allamah Ibn al-Arabi declared this hadith “da’if”.
❀ Regarding Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
إِنَّهُ كَانَ يَضَعُ يَدَيْهِ قَبْلَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَقَالَ : كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ .
“He would place his hands before his knees, and he would say: The Prophet ﷺ also used to do this.”
The chain is da’if.
In the narration of Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad al-Darawardi from Ubaydullah ibn Umar al-Umari there is criticism, because al-Darawardi often suffered qalb (inversion) in narrations from Ubaydullah ibn Umar, and he would transmit the narrations of Abdullah ibn Umar al-Umari from Ubaydullah ibn Umar. Abdullah ibn Umar al-Umari is da’if.
Therefore, this narration is also da’if.
❀ Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
مَا حَدَّثَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ فَهُوَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ .
“The narrations that al-Darawardi related from Ubaydullah ibn Umar (most of them) are in fact from Abdullah ibn Umar al-Umari.”
❀ Imam Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
رَوَى عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ أَحَادِيثَ مَنَاكِيرَ .
“Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad al-Darawardi narrated munkar narrations from Ubaydullah ibn Umar.”
❀ Imam al-Nasa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
حَدِيثُهُ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْن عُمَرَ مُنْكَر .
“The hadith of al-Darawardi from Ubaydullah ibn Umar is munkar.”
Placing the Knees First:
Regarding placing the knees first when going into sujood, nothing is established from the Prophet ﷺ.
All the marfu’ or mawquf narrations presented on this matter are da’if and not established. The details of the narrations are as follows:
❀ Sayyidina Wa’il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ، وَإِذَا نَهَضَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ قَبْلَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ .
“I saw the Prophet ﷺ: when he went into sujood, he would place his knees before his hands, and when he lifted his head from sujood, he would lift his hands before his knees.”
The chain is da’if.
Qadi Shurayk ibn Abdullah is da’if and a mudallis.
❀ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لَمْ يَحْتَجَّ بِهِ أَكْثَرُ أَهْل العِلمِ بِالْحَدِيثِ .
“Most of the muhaddithun do not take proof from it.”
Hafiz al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
قَدْ ضَعْفَهُ كَثِيرُونَ أَوِ الْأَكْثَرُونَ.
“Many or most of the muhaddithun have declared it da’if.”
❀ Allamah al-Ayni al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
قَدْ ضَعَّفَهُ الْأَكْثَرُونَ .
“Most of the muhaddithun have declared it da’if.”
❀ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) declared its chain “da’if”.
❀ Sayyidina Wa’il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا وَصَلَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ رُكْبَتَاهُ.
“I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; he performed sujood, and the first part of his blessed body to reach the ground was his knees.”
The chain is da’if.
➊ Muhammad ibn Hujr al-Hadrami is da’if.
➋ He narrated munkar narrations from his paternal uncle Sa’id ibn Abd al-Jabbar. This narration too is from Sa’id ibn Abd al-Jabbar, therefore the narration is munkar.
❀ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يَرْوِي عَنْ عَمِهِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ بِنُسْخَةٍ مُنْكَرَةٍ … لَا يَجُوزُ الاحْتِجَاجُ بِه .
“Muhammad ibn Hujr al-Hadrami narrated from his paternal uncle Sa’id ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from his father Abd al-Jabbar, from Sayyidina Wa’il ibn Hujr a copy containing munkar narrations. It is not permissible to take proof from his hadith.”
➌ Sa’id ibn Abd al-Jabbar is da’if.
➍ The mother of Abd al-Jabbar ibn Wa’il is majhulah (unknown).
❀ Allamah Ibn al-Turkmani al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
أُمَّ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ هِيَ أَمْ يَحْىٰ لَمْ أَعْرِفْ حَالَهَا وَلَا اسْمَهَا .
“The mother of Abd al-Jabbar is Umm Yahya. I have not been able to learn her circumstances, nor have I learned her name.”
❀ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِذَا سَجَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَبْتَدِى بِرُكْبَتَيْهِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ، وَلَا يَبْرُكَ بُرُوكَ الفَحْل .
“When any one of you prostrates, he should place his knees before his hands, and should not kneel down like a camel.”
This is a fabricated narration.
➊Abdullah bin Sa’id al-Maqburi is weak and matruk (abandoned).
❀ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَى ضَعْفِهِ .
“There is consensus that it is weak.”
❀ He also says:
إِسْنَادَهُ ضَعِيفٌ .
“The chain of this narration is weak.”
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him):
رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ …. انْحَطَّ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ فَسَبَقَتْ رُكْبَتَاهُ يَدَيْهِ .
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (praying). He bowed down for prostration saying Allahu Akbar, and his knees touched (the ground) before his hands.”
The chain is severely weak.
➊Ala’ bin Isma’il al-Attar is majhul (unknown).
➋Hafs bin Ghiyath’s narration is ‘an’an (indirect).
❀ And Imam Abu Hatim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هذَا حَدِيثٌ مُنكَر .
“This is a munkar hadith.”
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him):
كُنَّا نَضَعُ الْيَدَيْنِ قَبْلَ الرُّكْبَتَيْنِ، فَأُمِرْنَا بِالرُّكْبَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْيَدَيْنِ .
“We used to place our hands before our knees (when going into prostration), so we were commanded to place the knees before the hands.”
This is a baseless narration.
➊Ibrahim bin Isma’il bin Yahya is weak.
➋Isma’il bin Yahya bin Salamah is matruk.
➌Yahya bin Salamah bin Kuhayl is matruk.
❀ Concerning Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
إِنَّهُ خَرَّ بَعْدَ رُكُوعِهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ كَمَا يَخِرُّ الْبَعِيرُ وَوَضَعَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ .
“After bowing, he (going into prostration) fell onto his knees the way a camel falls, and he placed his knees before his hands.”
The chain is weak.
Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha’i’s narration is ‘an’an (indirect).
❀ Concerning Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
إِنَّهُ كَانَ يَضَعُ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِذَا سَجَدَ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ، وَيَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ إِذَا رَفَعَ قَبْلَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ .
“When he prostrated, he placed his knees before his hands, and when he rose from prostration, he raised his hands before his knees.”
The chain is weak.
Muhammad bin Abdur Rahman bin Abi Layla is weak.
❀ There is also another chain for this.
The chain is weak.
Abdul Jabbar bin Wa’il did not hear (narrate directly) from his father Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him).
❀ Imam Ibn Sa’d (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ لَمْ يَلْقَهُ .
“The muhaddithun have spoken about Abdul Jabbar’s narration from his father Sayyiduna Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him). They say that he did not meet him.”
❀ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
إِنَّ أَئِمَّةَ الْحَدِيثِ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى أَنَّ عَبْدَ الْجَبَّارِ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ أَبِيهِ شَيْئًا .
“The imams of hadith agree that Abdul Jabbar did not hear anything from his father.”
❀ Hafiz Nawawi also called this hadith “da’if” (weak).
There is also a third chain for this.
The chain is weak.
➊Kulayb bin Shihab, a tabi’i, is directly narrating from the Prophet ﷺ, so this is mursal, and a mursal narration is a type of weak narration.
➋Shaqiq Abu Laith is majhul (unknown).
❀ Imam Tahawi Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
شقِيقٌ أَبُو لَيْثٍ هَذَا فَلَا يُعْرَفُ .
“Shaqiq Abu Laith is unknown.”
❀ Concerning Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
إِنَّ رَكْبَتَيْهِ، كَانَتَا تَقَعَانِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ .
“His knees touched the ground before his hands.”
The chain is weak.
➊Hajjaj bin Arta’ah is weak and mudallis.
➋Ibrahim al-Nakha’i’s narration is ‘an’an (indirect).
➌Ibrahim al-Nakha’i did not hear from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him).
❀ Abu Ishaq al-Sabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:
كَانَ أَصْحَابُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا انْحَطُوا لِلسُّجُودِ وَقَعَتْ رُكَبُهُمْ قَبْلَ أَيْدِيهِمْ .
“When the students of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) bowed for prostration, their knees touched the ground before their hands.”
The chain is weak.
➊Abu Mu’awiyah al-Darir’s narration is ‘an’an (indirect).
➋Hajjaj bin Arta’ah is weak and mudallis.
