Is it obligatory to follow exactly the manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer?
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The questioner:
This questioner also says: I read the book on the Manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer. Is it obligatory for me to follow this prayer exactly? Because there are things I cannot do, such as the sitting between the two prostrations, for example. Will my prayer be complete or not? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
The manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer includes what is a pillar of the prayer, without which it is not valid, such as the opening takbir, reciting al-Fatihah, bowing and prostrating, the final tashahhud and sitting for it, and sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in it, and tranquility in all the pillars, and standing with the ability to do so before bowing. All of these are pillars. Among the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the prayer, there are also what are obligatory, such as the takbirs, the takbirs of transition other than the opening takbir, and saying "Allahu has heard the one who praises Him" when rising from bowing. These are obligatory. Likewise, the sitting between the two prostrations and the sitting for the first tashahhud. As for the sitting between the two prostrations, this is a pillar. The sitting between the two prostrations and tranquility in it is a pillar. As for the sitting in the first tashahhud, this is obligatory. And there are the sunnahs of the prayer, which are among the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such as the opening supplication after the opening takbir, seeking refuge, and saying "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate," and reciting a surah after al-Fatihah in the first two rak'ahs, and pointing with the index finger in the tashahhud, and joining the ring finger and the middle finger of the right hand in the state of sitting for the tashahhud, and joining the thumb with the middle finger of the right hand. These are among the sunnahs of actions in the prayer. So what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did or said in the prayer does not go beyond these three categories: either a pillar, or an obligation, or a sunnah. This is the detail in this matter, and one should refer to the words of the scholars regarding it. Not everything you read in the manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer is obligatory; rather, there is this detail. Yes.
The questioner:
She referred to her inability to perform the sitting between the two prostrations.
The Shaykh:
I do not know the nature of the inability. If she is unable to sit, if she is unable to do any of these actions, it is dropped from her. For example, one who is unable to stand prays sitting. His saying (peace and blessings be upon him)Bulugh al-Maram 2:223, so if one is unable to perform a pillar or an obligation, it is dropped from him. Yes, and he does what he is able to do. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you.
This questioner also says: I read the book on the Manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer. Is it obligatory for me to follow this prayer exactly? Because there are things I cannot do, such as the sitting between the two prostrations, for example. Will my prayer be complete or not? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
The manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer includes what is a pillar of the prayer, without which it is not valid, such as the opening takbir, reciting al-Fatihah, bowing and prostrating, the final tashahhud and sitting for it, and sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in it, and tranquility in all the pillars, and standing with the ability to do so before bowing. All of these are pillars. Among the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the prayer, there are also what are obligatory, such as the takbirs, the takbirs of transition other than the opening takbir, and saying "Allahu has heard the one who praises Him" when rising from bowing. These are obligatory. Likewise, the sitting between the two prostrations and the sitting for the first tashahhud. As for the sitting between the two prostrations, this is a pillar. The sitting between the two prostrations and tranquility in it is a pillar. As for the sitting in the first tashahhud, this is obligatory. And there are the sunnahs of the prayer, which are among the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such as the opening supplication after the opening takbir, seeking refuge, and saying "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate," and reciting a surah after al-Fatihah in the first two rak'ahs, and pointing with the index finger in the tashahhud, and joining the ring finger and the middle finger of the right hand in the state of sitting for the tashahhud, and joining the thumb with the middle finger of the right hand. These are among the sunnahs of actions in the prayer. So what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did or said in the prayer does not go beyond these three categories: either a pillar, or an obligation, or a sunnah. This is the detail in this matter, and one should refer to the words of the scholars regarding it. Not everything you read in the manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer is obligatory; rather, there is this detail. Yes.
The questioner:
She referred to her inability to perform the sitting between the two prostrations.
The Shaykh:
I do not know the nature of the inability. If she is unable to sit, if she is unable to do any of these actions, it is dropped from her. For example, one who is unable to stand prays sitting. His saying (peace and blessings be upon him)
(ﷺ) said: "Pray standing and if you are unable, pray sitting and if you cannot, pray lying on your side,
صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلِّ قَائِمًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْبٍThe presenter:
May Allah bless you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يلزم الاقتداء تماماً بصفة صلاة النبي ﷺ؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.