Volume 2 – 179 – Performing Prayer While Sitting
Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “If a person prays sitting down (in prayer), it is half the reward of standing.”
I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and found him praying while sitting. I placed my hand on my head. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: “O Abdullah, why are you pondering?” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, I heard you say (that if a person prays sitting down, it is half the reward of standing), yet you yourself are praying while sitting.”
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Yes, but I am not like one of you." [67]
**Note:** The explanatory notes provided in the original text have been omitted as requested.
Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) about performing prayers while sitting. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Standing is better than sitting, and what is performed while sitting is half as good as standing, and what is performed lying down is half as good as what is performed while sitting.” [68]
**Explanation:**
Just as a person who is able to stand for voluntary prayers diminishes their reward by performing them while sitting, so too does one who is able to sit diminish his reward by performing them lying down. A person who is capable of praying in a state of wakefulness from a seated position, if he prays with drowsiness and heedlessness, receives half the reward of what he would receive had he prayed while sitting.
A person who is not able to sit should, according to Imam al-Shafi'i, extend his feet towards the qibla and place something under his neck to raise his head slightly. According to Imam al-Shafi'i, he should lie on his side, facing his chest towards the qibla.
It can be understood from this honorable hadith that those who perform obligatory prayers while sitting due to necessity receive half the reward of standing, and those who pray lying down receive half the reward of those who sit. However, it has been objected that a person performing prayers while sitting due to necessity does not have less reward than one who stands.
Since praying nafl (voluntary) prayers while lying down without an excuse is established in the Sunnah, some scholars consider it permissible. This is one of the two views of Imam al-Shafi'i. It is also one of the three views within the Maliki school. Tirmidhi narrated from Hasan al-Basri that it is permissible. (Mealim al-Sunan, vol. 1, pp. 445-46, Manhal, vol. 6, p. 58, Avn al-Ma'bud, vol. 1, p. 358)
Imran ibn Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about a growth (nasir) that I had.”
He said, “Stand [and pray], and if you cannot, then pray sitting. And if you cannot, then pray lying down.” [69]
COMMENTARY
There is no hardship in the religion of Islam. Allah, may He be exalted, does not burden people with something they are unable to bear.
It is evident that the excuses of those who claim they cannot perform prayer due to high blood pressure, back pain, or growths (nasir) on their feet do not hold merit, given the ease shown in our religion.
In the narration of Bukhari, it is related with a plural form, “I had *bawasir* [hemorrhoids].”
*Nasir* means an ailment or bad wound. What we call a *nasir* is one type of such ailment.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) related:
I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) in his youth reciting [the night prayer] while sitting, but when he grew old, he would recite while sitting; and when he recited thirty or forty verses, he would stand up and recite the rest, then prostrate. [70]
**Note:** This hadith indicates that those who are unable to continuously stand may sit after the opening takbir, recite a portion of the Qur'an while seated, then rise and complete the recitation standing, before proceeding to rukūʿ and performing one prostration, and it is permissible for them to stand for a time.
The views of Abu Hanifa and Malik (may Allah be pleased with them) are also in accordance with this.
From Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite while sitting before standing to pray. When he reached thirty or forty verses in his recitation, he would stand up, recite them standing, then bow, then prostrate, and he would do likewise in the second rakʿah.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith was narrated by Alkama bin Waqqas from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who narrated it from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) related:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) used to pray standing for a long portion of the night, and sitting for another long portion. When he stood [praying], he would perform rukū’ while standing; and when he sat [praying], he would perform rukū’ while sitting. [72]
EXPLANATION
This hadith can be reconciled with the two preceding hadiths as follows:
If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) recited the entire passage sitting, he would perform rukū’ while sitting. If he recited it entirely standing, he would perform rukū’ while standing. If he wanted to perform rukū’ while standing when reciting some of it while sitting, he would stand up and recite a portion of it standing before descending into rukū’. Thus, he would have performed the part of the recitation close to rukū’ while standing.
Furthermore, there is no objection to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) sometimes doing so [one way], and at other times doing so [the other way].
Abdullah ibn Shāqīq, may Allah be pleased with him, relates:
I asked Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, “Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recite a full chapter in one rakʿah?” She said, "Yes; he would recite from the *Mufassal* chapters.”
I asked, “Did he pray sitting down?”
She said, “Yes; when people fatigued him (he would).”
**Note:** *Mufassal* refers to longer chapters of the Qur’an.