Author: Abu Saeed Salafi Hafizahullah
"And establish the prayer." [2:43 Al-Baqarah]
This is a general command. What are its specifics? How should the prayer be established? The details of this are found in the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
"Pray as you have seen me praying."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/88, Hadith: 631]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Thani, Alim Rabbani, Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (691-751 AH) states:
"Indeed, Allah is worshipped only in the manner that He has prescribed through the tongues of His messengers, as worship is His right over His servants, and the right that He has established is that which He has prescribed, is pleased with, and has clarified."
[I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in 'an Rabb al-'Alamin: 1/344]
↰ From this, it is clear that the acceptance of worship is contingent upon it being performed according to the Sunnah. Knowledge of the Sunnah is derived only from authentic Hadith. It is not permissible to determine the methods of worship through weak narrations, ignoring authentic Hadith out of ignorance or stubbornness.
↰ Since prayer is a form of worship and a pillar upon which the entire structure of Islam stands, adhering to the Sunnah in its performance is extremely important.
Evidence No. ➊
The renowned Tabi'i, Imam Ayub al-Sakhtiyani (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated:
Abu Qilabah said: "Malik ibn Huwayrith came to us and led us in prayer in this mosque of ours. He said: 'I am praying with you not because I want to pray but to show you how I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) praying.' Ayub said: 'I asked Abu Qilabah, how did Malik ibn Huwayrith pray?' He said: 'He prayed like our Sheikh Amr ibn Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him). Amr ibn Salamah would complete the Takbir, and when he raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit and lean on the ground before standing.'"
[Sahih Bukhari: 824]
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Idris, al-Shafi'i (150-204 AH) said:
"We issue a fatwa according to this Hadith, and we instruct anyone rising from prostration or sitting in prayer to lean on the ground with both hands, following the Sunnah. This act is closer to humility, more helpful to the worshiper in prayer, and more likely to prevent falling. Any other way of rising, I consider disliked."
[Kitab al-Umm: 1/101]
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari (194-256 AH), the leader of jurists and the Commander of the Faithful in Hadith, has established this chapter:
Chapter: How to Lean on the Ground When Rising from the Rak'ah.
◈ The commentator of Sahih Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH), clarifies Imam Bukhari's intent by writing:
"The purpose here is to mention leaning on the ground when rising from prostration or sitting."
[Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhari: 2/303]
Evidence No. ➋
Azraq bin Qais, a Tabi'i, narrates:
"I saw Ibn Umar rising in prayer, leaning on his hands."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/394, with an authentic chain]
Evidence No. ➌
Khalid bin Mihran al-Hadha narrates:
"I saw Abu Qilabah and Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on them) leaning on their hands in prayer when rising for the next Rak'ah."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/395, with an authentic chain if Ubadah bin Al-Awwam’s hearing from Khalid is proven]
Narration No. ➊
It is attributed to Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited a person from leaning on their hands when rising in prayer."
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 2/147, Sunan Abu Dawood: 992]
Comment:
This narration with these specific words is "Shaadh" (anomalous). Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Ghazzal made an error while narrating from Imam Abdul Razzaq and has contradicted several trustworthy narrators.
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this narration "weak" and "Shaadh."
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (384-458 AH) comments:
"This is a mistake as it contradicts other narrators. How can it be correct?"
[Ma’rifat al-Sunan wal-Athar: 3/43]
↰ There are several strong evidences suggesting that Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Ghazzal made an error in this narration; see the following:
➊ Imam Abdul Razzaq (may Allah have mercy on him) was narrated by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Shabuyah, Muhammad bin Rafi', Muhammad bin Sahl 'Askar, Hasan bin Mahdi, and Ahmad bin Yusuf al-Salami, all of whom reported it with the words:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited a person sitting in prayer from leaning on their left hand."
➋ Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated a Hadith as follows:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade a man who was sitting in prayer from leaning on his left hand and said: 'This is the prayer of the Jews.'"
[Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn of al-Hakim: 1/272, Al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi: 2/136, with an authentic chain]
↰ Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this Hadith authentic according to the criteria of Imam Bukhari and Muslim, and Hafiz al-Dhahabi agreed.
➌ The Tabi'i Nafi' narrates:
"Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man praying, kneeling on his knees and leaning on his left hand, and said: 'Do not pray like this. This is how those who are being punished sit.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi: 2/136, with a sound chain]
↰ These statements of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) further clarify that Muhammad bin Abdul Malik made an error when narrating the aforementioned Hadith. Therefore, the authentic Hadith narrated by trustworthy narrators should be followed, not the mistake of one narrator.
Narration No. ➋
It is narrated from Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him):
"I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he prostrated, he placed his knees before his hands, and when he rose, he raised his hands before his knees."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 838, Sunan al-Nasa'i: 1090, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 268, authenticated by al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah: 883, authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah: 629, and Ibn Hibban: 1909]
Comment:
Its chain is "weak" because it includes Sharik bin Abdullah al-Qadi, who is a "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis) and has not explicitly stated that he heard from his teacher.
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this Hadith "weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra: 2/100]
Narration No. ➌
It is also narrated from Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him):
"When the Prophet (peace be upon him) rose, he rose on his knees and leaned on his thighs."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 839, 736]
Comment:
This narration is "weak" due to a disconnection in the chain. Its narrator Abdul Jabbar bin Wa'il did not hear from his father.
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) (631-676 AH) writes about this Hadith:
"This Hadith is weak because all the preservers (Huffaz) agree that Abdul Jabbar bin Wa'il did not hear anything from his father, nor did he meet him (in a conscious state)."
[Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: 3/446]
It has a follow-up narration [Sunan Abu Dawood: 839, Marasil Abu Dawood: 42], but this narration is also "weak" for two reasons:
➊ The Tabi'i Kulayb bin Shihab narrates directly from the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is "Mursal" (a type of weak narration where a Tabi'i narrates directly from the Prophet).
➋ The narrator Shaqiq, also known as Abu Layth, is "unknown."
Imam al-Tahawi al-Hanafi [Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar: 1/255], Hafiz al-Dhahabi [Mizan al-I'tidal: 2/279], and Hafiz Ibn Hajar [Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 2819] have declared him "unknown."
Therefore, this follow-up narration cannot be considered reliable.
Narration No. ➍
It is attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
"It is from the Sunnah in obligatory prayer that when a person rises after the first two Rak'ahs, he should not lean on his hands on the ground, except if he is an old man who cannot rise without assistance."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/394, 395]
Comment:
Its chain is "weak" because:
The narrator, Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Kufi, is considered "weak" by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 198, Fath al-Bari: 13/523]
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) (631-676 AH) writes:
"There is consensus among Hadith scholars on his weakness."
[Sharh Sahih Muslim: 1/173]
This narrator is "Munkar al-Hadith" (one whose narrations are rejected), thus the narration is "weak."
Narration No. ➎
It is narrated about Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him):
"He disliked leaning on hands while rising, except for the elderly or sick."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/395]
Comment:
The chain of this saying is "weak" because Hashim bin Bashir al-Wasiti is a "Mudallis," and he did not explicitly state that he heard this narration. Furthermore, this saying contradicts the authentic and explicit sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the valuable practice of the Companion Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), so it is not to be given attention.
Why Only the Sunnah Way?
✿ Allah Almighty commands:"And establish the prayer." [2:43 Al-Baqarah]
This is a general command. What are its specifics? How should the prayer be established? The details of this are found in the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
"Pray as you have seen me praying."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/88, Hadith: 631]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Thani, Alim Rabbani, Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (691-751 AH) states:
"Indeed, Allah is worshipped only in the manner that He has prescribed through the tongues of His messengers, as worship is His right over His servants, and the right that He has established is that which He has prescribed, is pleased with, and has clarified."
[I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in 'an Rabb al-'Alamin: 1/344]
↰ From this, it is clear that the acceptance of worship is contingent upon it being performed according to the Sunnah. Knowledge of the Sunnah is derived only from authentic Hadith. It is not permissible to determine the methods of worship through weak narrations, ignoring authentic Hadith out of ignorance or stubbornness.
↰ Since prayer is a form of worship and a pillar upon which the entire structure of Islam stands, adhering to the Sunnah in its performance is extremely important.
How to Rise after the Sitting Position and After Tashahhud?
Sitting calmly for a brief moment after the two prostrations in the first and third Rak'ahs before rising for the next Rak'ah is called "Jalsah Istirahat" (the sitting of rest). After this sitting and after the middle Tashahhud, one must rise for the next Rak'ah. Understanding the Sunnah way of rising is the main objective of this article. Please refer to the following:Evidence No. ➊
The renowned Tabi'i, Imam Ayub al-Sakhtiyani (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated:
Abu Qilabah said: "Malik ibn Huwayrith came to us and led us in prayer in this mosque of ours. He said: 'I am praying with you not because I want to pray but to show you how I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) praying.' Ayub said: 'I asked Abu Qilabah, how did Malik ibn Huwayrith pray?' He said: 'He prayed like our Sheikh Amr ibn Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him). Amr ibn Salamah would complete the Takbir, and when he raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit and lean on the ground before standing.'"
[Sahih Bukhari: 824]
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Idris, al-Shafi'i (150-204 AH) said:
"We issue a fatwa according to this Hadith, and we instruct anyone rising from prostration or sitting in prayer to lean on the ground with both hands, following the Sunnah. This act is closer to humility, more helpful to the worshiper in prayer, and more likely to prevent falling. Any other way of rising, I consider disliked."
[Kitab al-Umm: 1/101]
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari (194-256 AH), the leader of jurists and the Commander of the Faithful in Hadith, has established this chapter:
Chapter: How to Lean on the Ground When Rising from the Rak'ah.
◈ The commentator of Sahih Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH), clarifies Imam Bukhari's intent by writing:
"The purpose here is to mention leaning on the ground when rising from prostration or sitting."
[Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhari: 2/303]
Evidence No. ➋
Azraq bin Qais, a Tabi'i, narrates:
"I saw Ibn Umar rising in prayer, leaning on his hands."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/394, with an authentic chain]
Evidence No. ➌
Khalid bin Mihran al-Hadha narrates:
"I saw Abu Qilabah and Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on them) leaning on their hands in prayer when rising for the next Rak'ah."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/395, with an authentic chain if Ubadah bin Al-Awwam’s hearing from Khalid is proven]
The Method of Rising on Knees
Some people argue that after the two prostrations and Tashahhud in prayer, one should rise for the next Rak'ah by standing on their knees. Let's briefly examine the scholarly and research-based evaluation of their evidence:Narration No. ➊
It is attributed to Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited a person from leaning on their hands when rising in prayer."
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 2/147, Sunan Abu Dawood: 992]
Comment:
This narration with these specific words is "Shaadh" (anomalous). Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Ghazzal made an error while narrating from Imam Abdul Razzaq and has contradicted several trustworthy narrators.
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this narration "weak" and "Shaadh."
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (384-458 AH) comments:
"This is a mistake as it contradicts other narrators. How can it be correct?"
[Ma’rifat al-Sunan wal-Athar: 3/43]
↰ There are several strong evidences suggesting that Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Ghazzal made an error in this narration; see the following:
➊ Imam Abdul Razzaq (may Allah have mercy on him) was narrated by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Shabuyah, Muhammad bin Rafi', Muhammad bin Sahl 'Askar, Hasan bin Mahdi, and Ahmad bin Yusuf al-Salami, all of whom reported it with the words:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited a person sitting in prayer from leaning on their left hand."
➋ Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated a Hadith as follows:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade a man who was sitting in prayer from leaning on his left hand and said: 'This is the prayer of the Jews.'"
[Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn of al-Hakim: 1/272, Al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi: 2/136, with an authentic chain]
↰ Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this Hadith authentic according to the criteria of Imam Bukhari and Muslim, and Hafiz al-Dhahabi agreed.
➌ The Tabi'i Nafi' narrates:
"Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man praying, kneeling on his knees and leaning on his left hand, and said: 'Do not pray like this. This is how those who are being punished sit.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi: 2/136, with a sound chain]
↰ These statements of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) further clarify that Muhammad bin Abdul Malik made an error when narrating the aforementioned Hadith. Therefore, the authentic Hadith narrated by trustworthy narrators should be followed, not the mistake of one narrator.
Narration No. ➋
It is narrated from Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him):
"I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he prostrated, he placed his knees before his hands, and when he rose, he raised his hands before his knees."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 838, Sunan al-Nasa'i: 1090, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 268, authenticated by al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah: 883, authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah: 629, and Ibn Hibban: 1909]
Comment:
Its chain is "weak" because it includes Sharik bin Abdullah al-Qadi, who is a "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis) and has not explicitly stated that he heard from his teacher.
◈ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this Hadith "weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra: 2/100]
Narration No. ➌
It is also narrated from Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him):
"When the Prophet (peace be upon him) rose, he rose on his knees and leaned on his thighs."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 839, 736]
Comment:
This narration is "weak" due to a disconnection in the chain. Its narrator Abdul Jabbar bin Wa'il did not hear from his father.
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) (631-676 AH) writes about this Hadith:
"This Hadith is weak because all the preservers (Huffaz) agree that Abdul Jabbar bin Wa'il did not hear anything from his father, nor did he meet him (in a conscious state)."
[Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: 3/446]
It has a follow-up narration [Sunan Abu Dawood: 839, Marasil Abu Dawood: 42], but this narration is also "weak" for two reasons:
➊ The Tabi'i Kulayb bin Shihab narrates directly from the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is "Mursal" (a type of weak narration where a Tabi'i narrates directly from the Prophet).
➋ The narrator Shaqiq, also known as Abu Layth, is "unknown."
Imam al-Tahawi al-Hanafi [Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar: 1/255], Hafiz al-Dhahabi [Mizan al-I'tidal: 2/279], and Hafiz Ibn Hajar [Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 2819] have declared him "unknown."
Therefore, this follow-up narration cannot be considered reliable.
Narration No. ➍
It is attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
"It is from the Sunnah in obligatory prayer that when a person rises after the first two Rak'ahs, he should not lean on his hands on the ground, except if he is an old man who cannot rise without assistance."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/394, 395]
Comment:
Its chain is "weak" because:
The narrator, Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Kufi, is considered "weak" by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 198, Fath al-Bari: 13/523]
◈ Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) (631-676 AH) writes:
"There is consensus among Hadith scholars on his weakness."
[Sharh Sahih Muslim: 1/173]
This narrator is "Munkar al-Hadith" (one whose narrations are rejected), thus the narration is "weak."
Narration No. ➎
It is narrated about Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him):
"He disliked leaning on hands while rising, except for the elderly or sick."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/395]
Comment:
The chain of this saying is "weak" because Hashim bin Bashir al-Wasiti is a "Mudallis," and he did not explicitly state that he heard this narration. Furthermore, this saying contradicts the authentic and explicit sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the valuable practice of the Companion Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), so it is not to be given attention.