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PROPER WAYS OF SITTING IN SALAH
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THE THREE SITTING POSITIONS IN SALAH
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The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) taught us how to worship (Salah) our creator in the right manner through his Sunnah and also made it obligatory on Muslims to pray as he taught us to.
Many of us do not really know the right sitting posture when praying, (during the first and last tashshahud), or might know just one sitting posture and then use it for the whole prayer.
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The sitting positions in salah are as follows:
1️⃣ Iftiraash Sitting Posture
This is sitting muftarishan between the two sajdahs (prostrations).
This is done by laying the left foot along the ground, sitting relaxed on it, and then positioning the right foot upright and facing the toes towards the qibla.
This is the posture for the first tashshahud and can also be done between the two sajdahs (prostrations).
It was narrated from Al-Qasim who narrated from 'Abdullah Ibn Abdullah bin 'Umar that:
His father Ibn 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: "One of the sunnahs of the prayer is to hold the right foot upright and point its toes toward the Qiblah, and to sit on the left foot."
(Sunan an-Nasa'i 1158 Book 12, Hadith 130. Sahih Darussalam).
2️⃣ Iq'a (squatting) Posture
This is another posture done between the two sajdahs (prostrations), by sitting on both heels and facing all toes towards the qiblah;
Tawus (رحمه الله) said:
We asked Ibn Abbas about sitting on heels between the two prostrations. He said: 'It is the sunnah'. We said: 'We look upon it as a pressure on the foot'. He said: 'This is the sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ)'.
(Sunan Abi Dawud 845, Book 2, Hadith 455. Graded Sahih by Al-Albani)
3️⃣ Sitting Mutawarrikan at the Last Tashshahud
This is done during the last tashshahud only; there is a similarity between this posture and the one done at the first tashshahud (iftiraash), except that, here, instead of sitting on the left foot, the left foot is placed under the right thigh and shin, protruding both feet on the right side, at the same time also placing the right foot upright, using the left palm to cover the left knee and leaning heavily on it.
Muhammad ibn. Amr al-Amir (رضي الله عنه) said:
"I was sitting in the company (of the Companions). He then narrated this tradition saying: When he (the Prophet ﷺ) sat up after two rak'ahs, he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised his right foot. When he sat up after four rak'ahs, he placed his left hip on the ground and put out his both feet on one side.
(Sunan Abi Dawud 965, Book 2, Hadith 576. Graded Sahih by Al-Albani)
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Note: As for the two rak'ah prayers such as fajr, the Sunnah is to sit muftarishan. And also while sitting for the tashshahud, the right hand is placed on the right thigh forming a circle with the middle finger and thumb and pointing the index finger towards the qiblah while fixing the gaze directly on the index finger.
It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) that: "He saw a man moving pebbles with his hand while praying. When he finished, 'Abdullah said to him: "Do not move the pebbles while you are praying, for that is from Shaitan. Rather do what the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) used to do." He said: "What did he used to do?" He said: "He would put his right hand on his right thigh, and point with the finger that is next to the thumb toward the Qiblah, and he would look at it, or thereabouts." Then he said: "This is what I saw the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) doing."
(Sunan an-Nasa'i 1160, Book 12, Hadith 132. Sahih Darussalam)
May Allaah (ﷻ) make us amongst those to benefit from salah in this world and the hereafter,
آمين يارب العالمين.
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