❖ Types of Iq‘āʾ (Sitting Posture) and Their Shar‘i Rulings ❖
✍ Response by: Shaykh Khidr Hayat ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Question:
What are the forms of Iq‘āʾ in Salah? Is it prohibited only during prayer?
❖ Definition and Types of Iq‘āʾ
Imām Nawawī رحمه الله, in his Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, identifies two primary forms of Iq‘āʾ:
➊ Sunnah Iq‘āʾ – Permissible and Recommended
✔ This form of sitting is established by Sunnah, and may be adopted between the two prostrations (sajdatayn).
How to Perform It:
- Raise both feet upright, as done during sujūd.
- Sit with the buttocks resting on the heels.
📚 Evidence from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:
“We asked him about sitting Iq‘āʾ-style (on the feet), and he said: It is Sunnah.
We said: It seems difficult. He replied: It is the Sunnah of your Prophet ﷺ.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 536
✔ This practice is encouraged to be performed occasionally, as part of emulating the Sunnah.
➋ Prohibited Iq‘āʾ – Ḥarām and Condemned
❌ This refers to a dog-like or devil-like posture, which is explicitly forbidden in authentic narrations.
Description:
- Sitting on the buttocks
- Legs spread forward or crouched awkwardly
- Hands placed on the ground, mimicking the posture of a dog
📚 Narration from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade sitting on the buttocks with raised knees like the devil, and spreading arms on the ground like a beast.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 498
📚 Narration from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
“The Prophet ﷺ prohibited me from sitting Iq‘āʾ like a dog.”
📚 Musnad Aḥmad: 8106
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb: 555
❖ Shar‘i Ruling
| Type of Iq‘āʾ | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Sunnah Iq‘āʾ | Permissible and Sunnah between two sajdahs |
| Prohibited (dog-like) | Ḥarām – strictly prohibited in and outside Salah |
❖ Outside of Salah
✔ The prohibited form of Iq‘āʾ remains impermissible even outside Salah, as it imitates the sitting posture of animals (dog or beast), which is discouraged in Islamic manners.
✅ Summary
◈ Sunnah Iq‘āʾ: Allowed and encouraged between the two prostrations.
◈ Prohibited Iq‘āʾ: Imitating dogs or devils in posture is forbidden in both Salah and general sitting.
◈ Muslims should distinguish between Sunnah practices and prohibited forms to maintain the proper etiquette of prayer and conduct.
