The Ruling on the Resting Sitting in Prayer
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Question:
What is the ruling on the sitting of rest? Is it recommended for the one praying behind the imam to perform it with an imam who does not perform it? Is it prescribed for the imam to perform it? And what is the manner of doing this?
Answer:
The sitting of rest is a matter in which the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed; some recommended it and some did not. Several hadiths have been narrated regarding it, and the correct view is that it is recommended (mustahabb). This is because it is established from the hadith of Malik al-Huwairith and the hadith of Abu al-Huwairth al-Sa'di that it is a sunnah. Its description is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he stood up from the second prostration in the first rak'ah, would sit for a short time to rest between the two prostrations, and then stand up. Likewise, when he stood up from the third rak'ah after the second prostration, he would sit for a short time in the same state as between the two prostrations, and then stand up. There is no recitation in it and no supplication, so it is recommended for the imam, the one praying alone, and the one praying behind the imam. The one praying behind the imam performs it even if the imam does not, because it is among the sunnahs according to the stronger position, just as the one praying behind the imam performs the sunnahs that the imam left out. For example, if the imam did not raise his hands at the opening takbir, or at the bowing, or when rising from it, or when standing up for the first and third rak'ahs, if he did not raise his hands in these places, then it is a sunnah for the one praying behind him to raise them. It is a well-established sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to raise the hands to the level of the shoulders or to the level of the ears. This is a sunnah that the one praying behind the imam, the imam, and the one praying alone perform, and if the imam leaves it out, it is not prescribed for the one praying behind him to leave it out. It is not permissible for the one praying behind the imam to leave it out so that the sunnahs are not lost. Yes.
What is the ruling on the sitting of rest? Is it recommended for the one praying behind the imam to perform it with an imam who does not perform it? Is it prescribed for the imam to perform it? And what is the manner of doing this?
Answer:
The sitting of rest is a matter in which the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed; some recommended it and some did not. Several hadiths have been narrated regarding it, and the correct view is that it is recommended (mustahabb). This is because it is established from the hadith of Malik al-Huwairith and the hadith of Abu al-Huwairth al-Sa'di that it is a sunnah. Its description is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he stood up from the second prostration in the first rak'ah, would sit for a short time to rest between the two prostrations, and then stand up. Likewise, when he stood up from the third rak'ah after the second prostration, he would sit for a short time in the same state as between the two prostrations, and then stand up. There is no recitation in it and no supplication, so it is recommended for the imam, the one praying alone, and the one praying behind the imam. The one praying behind the imam performs it even if the imam does not, because it is among the sunnahs according to the stronger position, just as the one praying behind the imam performs the sunnahs that the imam left out. For example, if the imam did not raise his hands at the opening takbir, or at the bowing, or when rising from it, or when standing up for the first and third rak'ahs, if he did not raise his hands in these places, then it is a sunnah for the one praying behind him to raise them. It is a well-established sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to raise the hands to the level of the shoulders or to the level of the ears. This is a sunnah that the one praying behind the imam, the imam, and the one praying alone perform, and if the imam leaves it out, it is not prescribed for the one praying behind him to leave it out. It is not permissible for the one praying behind the imam to leave it out so that the sunnahs are not lost. Yes.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 26 — archive.org (34:21)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.