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STANDING (QIYĀM)
Ruling 944. Standing while saying takbīrat al‑iḥrām and standing before rukūʿ – which is called ‘the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ’ (al‑qiyām al‑muttaṣil bil‑rukūʿ) – is a rukn. However, standing while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, and standing after rukūʿ, are not rukns; and if one omits these forgetfully, his prayer is valid.
Ruling 945. It is obligatory to stand a short while before and after saying takbīrat al‑iḥrām to be certain that takbīr has been said while standing.
Ruling 946. If a person forgets to perform rukūʿ and sits down [for sajdah] after Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah and then remembers that he has not performed rukūʿ, he must stand up and then perform rukūʿ. If he does not stand up but instead performs rukūʿ while bending forward [as he gets up], it will not be sufficient as he will not have performed the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 947. When one stands for takbīrat al‑iḥrām or qirāʾah, he must not walk nor incline to one side. And based on obligatory precaution, he must not move his body or voluntarily lean on anything; however, there is no problem if he is compelled to.
Ruling 948. While standing, if one forgetfully walks a little, inclines to one side, or leans on something, there is no problem.
Ruling 949. The obligatory precaution is that both feet must be on the ground while standing. However, it is not necessary for the weight of one’s body to be on both feet; and if the weight is on one foot, there is no problem.
Ruling 950. If someone who can stand properly spreads his feet so wide that it cannot be called [normal] standing, his prayer is invalid. In fact, based on obligatory precaution, one must not spread his feet very wide, even if it can be called standing.
Ruling 951. While one is engaged in saying obligatory dhikr in prayers, his body must be still; and based on obligatory precaution, [the same applies] while he is engaged in saying recommended dhikr in prayers. If a person wants to move a little forwards or backwards or move his body a little to the right or left, he must not say any dhikr [at the moment of moving].
Ruling 952. If a person says recommended dhikr while moving – for example, he says takbīr while going into rukūʿ or sajdah – in the event that he says it with the intention of it being a dhikr that has been prescribed in prayers, that dhikr is not valid but his prayer is valid.
The [recommended] sentence:
بِحَوْلِ اللهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ أَقُوْمُ وَأَقْعُدُ
biḥawlil lāhi wa qūwwatihi aqūmu wa aqʿud
By Allah’s power and His strength I stand and sit.
...should be said while getting up [after the completion of a rakʿah].
Ruling 953. There is no problem in moving one’s hands and fingers while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd, although the recommended precaution is that one should not move them.
Ruling 954. If while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, or while saying the four glorifications (al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah), one’s body involuntarily moves a little such that the body is no longer still, the recommended precaution is that after his body becomes still again, he should repeat whatever he said while his body was moving.
Ruling 955. If a person is unable to stand while performing prayers, he must sit down; and if he is unable to sit down, he must lie down. However, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikrs until his body becomes still.
Ruling 956. As long as a person is able to perform prayers in a standing position, he must not sit down. For example, someone whose body shakes when he stands or is compelled to lean on something or incline his body a little, must perform prayers in a standing position in whatever way he can. However, if he cannot stand at all, he must sit straight and perform prayers in a sitting position.
Ruling 957. As long as one can sit, he must not perform prayers in a lying position, and if he cannot sit straight, he must sit in whatever way he can. If he cannot sit at all, he must – as mentioned in the rules relating to qibla – lie on his side in a way that the front part of his body faces qibla. Furthermore, as long as it is possible for him to lie on his right side, he must not – based on obligatory precaution – lie on his left side. If neither of these is possible, he must lie on his back with the soles of his feet facing qibla.
Ruling 958. With regard to someone who performs prayer in a sitting position, if after reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah he can stand and perform rukūʿ in a standing position, he must stand up and from a standing position go into rukūʿ; but if he cannot stand and perform rukūʿ in a standing position, he must perform rukūʿ sitting.
Ruling 959. With regard to one who performs prayers lying down, if he can sit during prayers, he must do so as much as he is able to. Similarly, if he can stand, he must do so as much as he is able to. However, as long as his body is not still, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikrs. If he knows that he can stand for only a short while, he must do so specifically for the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 960. If someone who performs prayers in a sitting position can stand during prayers, he must perform prayers in a standing position as much as he is able to. However, as long as his body is not still, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikr. If he knows that he can stand for only a short while, he must do so for the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 961. If someone who can stand fears that by standing he will become ill or that he will be harmed, he can perform prayers in a sitting position. If he also fears [illness or harm] from sitting, he can perform prayers in a lying position.
Ruling 962. If a person has not lost hope in being able to perform prayers in a standing position by the end of the prescribed time for the prayer, in the event that he performs prayers at the beginning of the prescribed time [sitting] and he is able to stand at the end of the prescribed time, he must perform the prayer again [standing]. However, if he has lost hope in being able to perform prayers in a standing position and performs prayers at the beginning of the prescribed time [sitting] and then he is able to stand, it is not necessary for him to repeat the prayer.
Ruling 963. It is recommended that while standing, one stands upright, lowers his shoulders, places his hands on his thighs, closes his fingers together, looks at the place of sajdah, places the weight of his body equally on both feet, stands humbly and submissively, and keeps both his feet in line. Furthermore, it is recommended for men to spread their feet between the measure of three open fingers and one hand span, and for women to keep their feet together.
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← TAKBĪRAT AL‑IḤRĀM
Ruling 945. It is obligatory to stand a short while before and after saying takbīrat al‑iḥrām to be certain that takbīr has been said while standing.
Ruling 946. If a person forgets to perform rukūʿ and sits down [for sajdah] after Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah and then remembers that he has not performed rukūʿ, he must stand up and then perform rukūʿ. If he does not stand up but instead performs rukūʿ while bending forward [as he gets up], it will not be sufficient as he will not have performed the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 947. When one stands for takbīrat al‑iḥrām or qirāʾah, he must not walk nor incline to one side. And based on obligatory precaution, he must not move his body or voluntarily lean on anything; however, there is no problem if he is compelled to.
Ruling 948. While standing, if one forgetfully walks a little, inclines to one side, or leans on something, there is no problem.
Ruling 949. The obligatory precaution is that both feet must be on the ground while standing. However, it is not necessary for the weight of one’s body to be on both feet; and if the weight is on one foot, there is no problem.
Ruling 950. If someone who can stand properly spreads his feet so wide that it cannot be called [normal] standing, his prayer is invalid. In fact, based on obligatory precaution, one must not spread his feet very wide, even if it can be called standing.
Ruling 951. While one is engaged in saying obligatory dhikr in prayers, his body must be still; and based on obligatory precaution, [the same applies] while he is engaged in saying recommended dhikr in prayers. If a person wants to move a little forwards or backwards or move his body a little to the right or left, he must not say any dhikr [at the moment of moving].
Ruling 952. If a person says recommended dhikr while moving – for example, he says takbīr while going into rukūʿ or sajdah – in the event that he says it with the intention of it being a dhikr that has been prescribed in prayers, that dhikr is not valid but his prayer is valid.
The [recommended] sentence:
بِحَوْلِ اللهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ أَقُوْمُ وَأَقْعُدُ
biḥawlil lāhi wa qūwwatihi aqūmu wa aqʿud
By Allah’s power and His strength I stand and sit.
...should be said while getting up [after the completion of a rakʿah].
Ruling 953. There is no problem in moving one’s hands and fingers while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd, although the recommended precaution is that one should not move them.
Ruling 954. If while reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, or while saying the four glorifications (al‑tasbīḥāt al‑arbaʿah), one’s body involuntarily moves a little such that the body is no longer still, the recommended precaution is that after his body becomes still again, he should repeat whatever he said while his body was moving.
Ruling 955. If a person is unable to stand while performing prayers, he must sit down; and if he is unable to sit down, he must lie down. However, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikrs until his body becomes still.
Ruling 956. As long as a person is able to perform prayers in a standing position, he must not sit down. For example, someone whose body shakes when he stands or is compelled to lean on something or incline his body a little, must perform prayers in a standing position in whatever way he can. However, if he cannot stand at all, he must sit straight and perform prayers in a sitting position.
Ruling 957. As long as one can sit, he must not perform prayers in a lying position, and if he cannot sit straight, he must sit in whatever way he can. If he cannot sit at all, he must – as mentioned in the rules relating to qibla – lie on his side in a way that the front part of his body faces qibla. Furthermore, as long as it is possible for him to lie on his right side, he must not – based on obligatory precaution – lie on his left side. If neither of these is possible, he must lie on his back with the soles of his feet facing qibla.
Ruling 958. With regard to someone who performs prayer in a sitting position, if after reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah he can stand and perform rukūʿ in a standing position, he must stand up and from a standing position go into rukūʿ; but if he cannot stand and perform rukūʿ in a standing position, he must perform rukūʿ sitting.
Ruling 959. With regard to one who performs prayers lying down, if he can sit during prayers, he must do so as much as he is able to. Similarly, if he can stand, he must do so as much as he is able to. However, as long as his body is not still, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikrs. If he knows that he can stand for only a short while, he must do so specifically for the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 960. If someone who performs prayers in a sitting position can stand during prayers, he must perform prayers in a standing position as much as he is able to. However, as long as his body is not still, he must not say any of the obligatory dhikr. If he knows that he can stand for only a short while, he must do so for the standing that is connected to the rukūʿ.
Ruling 961. If someone who can stand fears that by standing he will become ill or that he will be harmed, he can perform prayers in a sitting position. If he also fears [illness or harm] from sitting, he can perform prayers in a lying position.
Ruling 962. If a person has not lost hope in being able to perform prayers in a standing position by the end of the prescribed time for the prayer, in the event that he performs prayers at the beginning of the prescribed time [sitting] and he is able to stand at the end of the prescribed time, he must perform the prayer again [standing]. However, if he has lost hope in being able to perform prayers in a standing position and performs prayers at the beginning of the prescribed time [sitting] and then he is able to stand, it is not necessary for him to repeat the prayer.
Ruling 963. It is recommended that while standing, one stands upright, lowers his shoulders, places his hands on his thighs, closes his fingers together, looks at the place of sajdah, places the weight of his body equally on both feet, stands humbly and submissively, and keeps both his feet in line. Furthermore, it is recommended for men to spread their feet between the measure of three open fingers and one hand span, and for women to keep their feet together.