✦ Allah’s Command Regarding Qiyām
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَقُوْمُوا لِلّٰہِ قَانِتِیْنَ﴾
“And stand before Allah with devotion.”
(Surah al-Baqarah: 238)
This verse emphasizes the necessity of standing with humility and discipline in Salah, highlighting the reverence due in this sacred act of worship.
✦ Obligation of Qiyām in Fardh Salah
Sayyiduna ʿImrān ibn Ḥusayn رضي الله عنه narrates:
“I was suffering from hemorrhoids. The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Pray standing; if you are unable, then pray sitting; and if you are unable even for that, then pray lying down.’”
(Bukhari: Taqṣīr al-Ṣalāh, Chapter: If One Cannot Pray Sitting Then Pray Lying Down, 1117)
From this Hadith, it becomes clear that:
◈ If a person is physically capable of standing, it is not permissible to omit Qiyām in obligatory prayers.
◈ Only in the case of genuine excuse or weakness, one may pray while sitting or lying down.
✦ Ruling of Qiyām in Voluntary (Nafl) Salah
In Nafl Salah, one is allowed to pray while sitting even if capable of standing, but the reward is reduced.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever prays standing, that is more virtuous; and whoever prays sitting, he gets half the reward of the one who stands; and whoever prays lying down, gets half the reward of the one who sits.”
(Bukhari: Taqṣīr al-Ṣalāh, Chapter: Salah of the Sitting Person by Gestures, 1116)
✦ The Prophet ﷺ’s Clarification
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrates:
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw people praying while sitting, and he said:
‘The one who prays sitting receives half the reward of the one who prays standing.’”
(Ibn Mājah: Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Chapter: Salah of the Sitting One Earns Half the Reward, 1230)
✦ Manner of Qiyām in Case of Illness
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew older, he had a pillar erected near his prayer place to lean upon.
(Abu Dāwūd: Al-Ṣalāh, Chapter: A Man Leaning on a Staff During Prayer, 948 – Graded Ṣaḥīḥ by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī)
From this, we learn:
◈ If someone is unable to stand unassisted but can do so with support, then it is better to stand using support.
◈ This applies to both obligatory and voluntary prayers.
◈ The Prophet ﷺ preferred standing with support over praying in a sitting position.
✦ The Prophet ﷺ’s Practice in Nawāfil
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would spend a large portion of the night in Qiyām during Nafl prayers, although sometimes he would pray sitting.
◈ If he began the recitation standing, he would proceed to Rukūʿ from that position.
◈ If he began recitation sitting, he would also perform Rukūʿ and Sujūd in sitting.
(Muslim: Ṣalāh al-Musāfirīn, Chapter: Permissibility of Offering Nafl While Standing or Sitting, 730)
✦ Narration from Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
She narrates:
“I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying sitting until he grew old. Then he used to recite while sitting. When about thirty to forty verses remained, he would stand and recite them, and then perform Rukūʿ. He would do the same in the second rakʿah.”
(Bukhari: Taqṣīr al-Ṣalāh, Chapter: If He Prays Sitting and Then..., 1191; Muslim: 731)
Conclusion:
All these narrations and explanations indicate that:
◈ Qiyām is a fundamental pillar of Salah and should not be omitted without valid excuse, especially in obligatory prayers.
◈ In voluntary prayers, although there is concession, standing is more virtuous and carries greater reward.
