Islamic Ruling on Jalsah al-Istirahah with Authentic Evidence

Ruling on Jalsah al-Istirāḥah (Sitting of Rest) in Prayer with Detailed Evidence


Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām

Definition of Jalsah al-Istirāḥah​

Jalsah al-Istirāḥah refers to sitting briefly after the second prostration (sajdah) before standing up for the next rak‘ah.

Scholarly Opinions​

① Mustaḥabb (Recommended) for everyone without condition


② Not mustaḥabb at all


③ Conditional – Only for those who find it difficult to stand directly after sajdah; others should stand up without sitting.

Balanced Opinion​

• The third opinion is considered most balanced and in harmony with all narrations, as mentioned in al-Mughnī (vol. 1, p. 529).
• Evidence:
  
  • Hadith of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) — In obligatory prayer, the Sunnah is not to place hands on the ground when standing up after two rakʿahs except for an elderly person who cannot stand without support. (al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī, vol. 2, p. 136)

Practice of the Prophet ﷺ​

• Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (رضي الله عنه) said:
  
  "When the Prophet ﷺ finished the second sajdah, he sat up straight and then stood, supporting himself on the ground."
  (Bukhari 824)
  
  
• This was during the later period of his life when standing without support had become harder for him.

Supporting Evidence from Other Narrations​

• ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها): When the Prophet ﷺ became older and heavier, he performed more of his prayer sitting. (Muslim 732)
• Hafṣah (رضي الله عنها): The Prophet ﷺ began praying nafl sitting only a year before his death. (Muslim 733)

Hadith of ʿAbdullāh ibn Buhaynah (رضي الله عنه)​

• In Ẓuhr prayer, the Prophet ﷺ stood after two rakʿahs without sitting. (Bukhari 829, Muslim 570)
• The negation of sitting here may refer to tashahhud sitting, not necessarily excluding Jalsah al-Istirāḥah.

View Supporting Its General Practice​

• In the hadith of the man who prayed incorrectly (Hadīth al-Musi’ al-Ṣalāh), the Prophet ﷺ taught a method that included sitting after sajdah before standing, without limiting it to old age.
• Therefore, excluding Jalsah al-Istirāḥah entirely is not correct; it is part of the Sunnah prayer format.

Conclusion:
Jalsah al-Istirāḥah is Sunnah in the method of prayer. It may be more needed for the elderly or those with physical difficulty, but it is permissible and correct for all worshippers to observe it.


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