Should Hands or Knees Be Placed First in Sujood?

Author: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (May Allah protect him)

Question:​

When going into prostration (sajdah), should one place their hands on the ground first or their knees? If there are authentic narrations for both, which opinion takes precedence?

Answer:​

The preferred and stronger opinion is to place the hands on the ground before the knees when going into prostration. This opinion is based on the following evidence and scholarly analysis:

Evidence for Hands First​

1. Hadith of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
   Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
   "When one of you prostrates, let him not kneel as a camel kneels, but let him place his hands before his knees."
   [Abu Dawood, Hadith no. 840; An-Nasai, Vol. 2, Pg. 207; Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 2, Pg. 381]
   
   • This hadith explicitly commands placing the hands on the ground before the knees and avoiding the camel-like motion.
   • Scholars such as Imam Nawawi, Imam Zaraqani, Imam Abdul Haq, and Shaykh Mubarakpuri have authenticated this narration.
   • Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated that this hadith is stronger than the contrary narration attributed to Wa’il bin Hujr (رضي الله عنه).
2. Support from Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنهما):
   Nafi‘ narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنهما) used to place his hands before his knees while prostrating and said:
   "This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do it."
   [Ibn Khuzaymah, Hadith no. 627; Ad-Daraqutni, Vol. 1, Pg. 344]
   
   • Imam Hakim authenticated this narration according to the criteria of Sahih Muslim, and Imam Dhahabi agreed with him.

Evidence for Knees First​

1. Hadith of Wa’il bin Hujr (رضي الله عنه):
   Wa’il bin Hujr narrated:
   "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) placing his knees before his hands when he prostrated and raising his hands before his knees when rising."
   [Abu Dawood, Hadith no. 838; At-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 268]
   
   Analysis:
   
   • This narration is weak due to the presence of a narrator, Sharik ibn Abdullah al-Qadhi, who is unreliable.
   • Shaykh Albani classified this narration as weak in Silsilat al-Ahadith ad-Da‘ifah (Vol. 2, Pg. 329).

Preference for Hands First​

1. Strength of Abu Hurairah’s Hadith:
   
   • The narration of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) is a command (qawli) from the Prophet (ﷺ), while the narration of Wa’il bin Hujr is a description of an action (fi‘li).
   • In cases of conflict, a command holds precedence over a description of an action, especially when the latter’s authenticity is disputed.
2. Support from Ibn Umar’s Practice:
   
   • The hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنهما), which confirms placing hands before knees, strengthens the position of Abu Hurairah’s narration.
3. Prohibition in Abu Hurairah’s Hadith:
   
   • The hadith of Abu Hurairah includes a prohibition against kneeling like a camel, further reinforcing the preference for placing hands first.

Scholarly Opinions​

1. Scholars Supporting Hands First:
   
   • Imam Malik
   • Imam Al-Oza‘i
   • Imam Ibn Hazm
   • A narration from Imam Ahmad
2. Conclusion of Hafiz Ibn Hajar:
   
   • Hafiz Ibn Hajar preferred the hadith of Abu Hurairah over the hadith of Wa’il bin Hujr due to its stronger chain and explicit prohibition.

Conclusion​

The stronger and more authentic position is that a person should place their hands on the ground before their knees when going into prostration. This opinion is supported by:

• The hadith of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) with a clear command.
• The practice of Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنهما), aligning with the Sunnah.

Even if the hadith of Wa’il bin Hujr were deemed authentic, the preference would still be given to the narration of Abu Hurairah due to its command and prohibition of camel-like kneeling.

Allah knows best!