The Manner of Prostration
➊ When bowing down for prostration, the hands should be placed on the ground first:
As narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When any one of you prostrates, he should not kneel like a camel. و ليضع يديه قبل ركبتيه “And he should place his hands on the ground before his knees.”
➋ It is narrated from Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) that Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would place his hands before his knees and would say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also used to do so.
The evidence for those scholars who hold that the knees should be placed on the ground first is the following hadith.
It is narrated from Wa’il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) that رأيت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا سجد وضع ركبتيه قبل يديه “I saw the Prophet ﷺ, when he prostrated, placing his knees on the ground before his hands.” And when he rose from prostration, he would lift his hands before his knees.”
(Majority, Hanafis) They hold that this weak hadith should be acted upon.
(Ibn al-Qayyim) He preferred this hadith (of Wa’il ibn Hujr, may Allah be pleased with him).
(Malik, Ibn Hazm) Since the first hadith is more authentic, it will be acted upon.
➌ In prostration, seven limbs, namely the forehead (and nose), both hands, both knees and both feet (their tips) should touch the ground. It is narrated from Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: إذا سجد العبد سجد معه آراب: وجهه و كفاه ركبتاه و قدماه “When a person prostrates, his seven limbs also prostrate: his face, his two hands, his two knees and his two feet.”
In a narration from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) it is stated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I have been commanded to prostrate upon seven bones: the forehead,” and while saying this, the Prophet ﷺ pointed to his nose.
(Albani) While explaining the reason for making both the forehead and the nose necessary for prostration, he said that the Prophet ﷺ said: لا صلاة لمن لا يمس أنفه الأرض ما يمس الحبين “There is no prayer for one whose nose does not touch the ground in the same way as his forehead touches it.” This hadith is authentic according to the condition of Bukhari.
➍ During prostration, the hands should be on the ground while the elbows should be raised off the ground:
It is narrated from Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا سجدت فضع كفيك وارفع مرفقيك “When you prostrate, place your palms (on the ground) and keep your elbows raised (off the ground).”
➎ In prostration, the heels of the feet should be joined together.
➏ In prostration, the tips of the toes should face the qibla and the feet should be upright.
➐ In prostration, both hands should be away from the sides. The chest, stomach and thighs should be raised off the ground. The stomach should be kept separate from the thighs, and the thighs from the calves.
➑ During prostration, the fingers of the hands should be joined together, as in the hadith that إذا سجد ضم اصابعه “When the Prophet ﷺ prostrated, he would keep his fingers together.”
➒ When necessary, one may also prostrate on a cloth:
It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that we used to pray with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in intense heat. When it became difficult for any of us to place his forehead on the ground, بسط ثوبه فسجد عليه “he would spread his garment and prostrate upon it.”
It should be noted that this same method of prostration is also for women, and no other specific method for women is established from any hadith.
