Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadīyah, Vol. 1, p. 350
Some people keep their heels joined together during sujūd. What is the Sharʿī ruling on this practice?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
This practice is Sunnah and is established through an authentic ḥadīth.
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ يَقُولُ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ: فَقَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَكَانَ مَعِي عَلَى فِرَاشِي، فَوَجَدْتُهُ سَاجِدًا رَاصًّا عَقِبَيْهِ مُسْتَقْبِلًا بِأَطْرَافِ أَصَابِعِهِ الْقِبْلَةَ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: «أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِعَفْوِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَبِكَ مِنْكَ، أُثْنِيَ عَلَيْكَ لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ»
(Sunan al-Bayhaqī, Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī Ḍamm al-ʿAqibayn fī al-Sujūd, 1/116)
“ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr (رحمه الله) reports that ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was with me on my bed. I missed him and found him in sujūd, with his heels joined together, his toes pointing toward the qiblah, and I heard him saying the duʿāʾ: Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bi-riḍāka min sakhaṭik...”
This narration is also recorded by:
It was graded ṣaḥīḥ by:
(See: Ṣalāt al-Rasūl with taḥqīq and takhrīj by ʿAbd al-Ra’ūf ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥannān, p. 428)
From this authentic ḥadīth, it is clearly proven that joining the heels in sujūd is from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
✿ May Allah grant us the ability to act upon this Sunnah. Āmīn.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Question:
Some people keep their heels joined together during sujūd. What is the Sharʿī ruling on this practice?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
This practice is Sunnah and is established through an authentic ḥadīth.
Ḥadīth Evidence
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ يَقُولُ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ: فَقَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَكَانَ مَعِي عَلَى فِرَاشِي، فَوَجَدْتُهُ سَاجِدًا رَاصًّا عَقِبَيْهِ مُسْتَقْبِلًا بِأَطْرَافِ أَصَابِعِهِ الْقِبْلَةَ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: «أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِعَفْوِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَبِكَ مِنْكَ، أُثْنِيَ عَلَيْكَ لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ»
(Sunan al-Bayhaqī, Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī Ḍamm al-ʿAqibayn fī al-Sujūd, 1/116)
“ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr (رحمه الله) reports that ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was with me on my bed. I missed him and found him in sujūd, with his heels joined together, his toes pointing toward the qiblah, and I heard him saying the duʿāʾ: Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bi-riḍāka min sakhaṭik...”
Authenticity of the Ḥadīth
This narration is also recorded by:
- Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah (p. 654)
- Ibn al-Mundhir (3/172)
- Ibn Ḥibbān (5/460)
- al-Ḥākim (1/228)
It was graded ṣaḥīḥ by:
- Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (رحمه الله)
- Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (رحمه الله)
- Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī (رحمه الله)
(See: Ṣalāt al-Rasūl with taḥqīq and takhrīj by ʿAbd al-Ra’ūf ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥannān, p. 428)
Conclusion
From this authentic ḥadīth, it is clearly proven that joining the heels in sujūd is from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
✿ May Allah grant us the ability to act upon this Sunnah. Āmīn.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
