Sitting or kneeling ( ar, جِلسة and , also and ) is an integral part of
salah, or Islamic prayer, along with bowing (
ruku'
Rukūʿ ( ar, رُكوع, ) can refer to either of two things in Islam:
* The act of belt-low bowing in standardized prayers, where the backbone should be in rest, before straightening up to go for sujud (full earth-low bowing).
* A paragr ...
and
sujud).
Manners of sitting or kneeling
Three styles of sitting/kneeling have been reported in the
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
s (accounts of the prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
's traditions):
* Kneeling and resting the buttocks on the heels (similar to
seiza
): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo
'' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan.
Form
To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on the ...
or
kiza
): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo
'' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan.
Form
To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on the ...
style posture)
[Shaikh Muhammad Ilyas Faisal]
"Sifatus Salat: The Method of Salat in Light of the Authentic Ahadith."
Madinat al-Munawwara. 08, October, 2014.
* Resting the buttocks on the left heel while kneeling, with the right heel propped up (the ball of the foot touching the floor and toes flexed forward)
* Sitting with both legs off to the right and the left side of the hips on the floor, the right heel may remain lowered on the floor or propped up (similar to
yokozuwari style sitting). This is implemented in the climax of the prayer.
Overview
There can be two occasions of sitting in a regular raka'ah. One is after the first prostration and the other is after the second prostration, sometimes referred to as the
tashahhud
The ''Tashahhud'' ( ar, تَشَهُّد, meaning "testimony faith]"), also known as at-Tahiyyat ( ar, ٱلتَّحِيَّات, lit=greetings, link=no), is the portion of the Salah, Muslim prayer where the person Sitting in salah, kneels or sits ...
.
The first two styles of kneeling are used alternatively by Muslims after the first prostration and during the first ''tashahhud''. The third style of sitting is used during the final ''tashahhud'' while the index finger is pointed towards the
qibla
The qibla ( ar, قِبْلَة, links=no, lit=direction, translit=qiblah) is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the ...
, which is the direction of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
.
In the last raka’ah, the prayer is concluded in sitting position by saying the
taslim
''Taslim'' () is the concluding portion of the Muslim prayer (''salat''), where one recites ''As-salāmu ʿalaikum wa-raḥmatu-llah'' ("Peace and blessings of God be unto you") once while facing the right, and once while facing the left.
See ...
or peace greeting first towards the right and then towards the left.
Sayings
The ''Tashahhud'', a prayer containing the Islamic
testimony of absolute monotheism and Muhammad's divine apostlehood/messengerhood, is recited. Among
Sunnis, the prayer is also known as "at-Tahiyyat" by the incipit and includes affirmation of God as the sole object of all worship and supplications for the Prophet and all "righteous servants of God".
In the
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
version, according to Ayatullah Sistani, is "Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasuluh, Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa aleh Muhammad". And it will be sufficient if one recited the tashahhud this way: Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu was ash hadu anna Muhammadan Sallal lahu Alayhi Wa Aalihi Abduhu Wa rasuluh.
Salawat
The tashahhud is accompanied with a recommended
salawat (known as ''Durūd-e Ibrāhīm'' among most non-Arab Muslims) in the final sitting:
::اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيم، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
::''allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammadi(n)-w̃-w̃a-ʿalā āli muḥammadin kamā ṣallayta ʿalā ibrāhīma wa-ʿalā āli ibrāhīma innaka ḥamīdu(n)-m-majīd(un), allāhumma bārika ʿalā muḥammadi(n)-w̃-w̃a-ʿalā āli muḥammadin kamā bārakta ʿalā ibrāhīma wa-ʿalā āli ibrāhīma innaka ḥamīdu(n)-m-majīd(un)''
::"O God, salute unto
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
and unto the family of Muhammad as thou saluted unto
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
and unto the family of Abraham. Verily thou art the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Exalted; O God, bless unto Muhammad and unto the family of Muhammad as thou blest unto Abraham and unto the family of Abraham. Verily thou art the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Exalted."
The greetings in the Shia version, according to Ayatullah Sistani,
[http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=2&bid=59&pid=2959] is "Assalamu 'alayka ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Assalamu Alaykum." Alternatively, "Assalamu Alayna Wa Ala Ibadi llahis Salihin. Assalamu Alaykum."
See also
*
Seiza
): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo
'' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan.
Form
To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on the ...
*
Qiyam
Qiyām ( ar, قيام, "orthostasis/standing") is an integral part of the Islamic salah. The prayer begins in the standing position and some prayers only require the ''qiyām'', such as Salat al-Janazah.
In the Quran
To "stand before God" is ...
*
Ruku'
Rukūʿ ( ar, رُكوع, ) can refer to either of two things in Islam:
* The act of belt-low bowing in standardized prayers, where the backbone should be in rest, before straightening up to go for sujud (full earth-low bowing).
* A paragr ...
*
Sujud
References
{{Authority control
Salah
Kneeling
Sitting