The ruling on placing the hands before the knees when prostrating
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When a servant goes down for prostration, does he place his hands first or his knees? And what is the stronger position in this matter?
When a person goes down for prostration, he places his knees first and does not place his hands first; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that,So he said: (When one of you prostrates, let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), and a beast of burden, when it lowers itself, places its hands first, as is observed,So the wording of the hadith is not: so let him not lower himself in the manner in which a beast of burden lowers itself,But its wording is: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), and there is a difference between the two expressions.
If it is said: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), so it is a prohibition of the form and manner.
And if it is said: Let him not lower himself on what a beast of burden lowers itself on, so it is a prohibition of the limb on which one prostrates.
And on this basis, if the wording of the hadith were: Let him not lower himself on what a beast of burden lowers itself on, so we say: do not place the knees first; because a beast of burden places its knees first;But he said: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), meaning: in the manner and form, and it is known that a beast of burden, when it lowers itself, first places its hands; but if a person has pain in his knee, or has an illness, or is heavy-bodied, and it is easier for him to go down on his hands, there is no harm in placing his hands first.
When a person goes down for prostration, he places his knees first and does not place his hands first; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that,So he said: (When one of you prostrates, let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), and a beast of burden, when it lowers itself, places its hands first, as is observed,So the wording of the hadith is not: so let him not lower himself in the manner in which a beast of burden lowers itself,But its wording is: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), and there is a difference between the two expressions.
If it is said: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), so it is a prohibition of the form and manner.
And if it is said: Let him not lower himself on what a beast of burden lowers itself on, so it is a prohibition of the limb on which one prostrates.
And on this basis, if the wording of the hadith were: Let him not lower himself on what a beast of burden lowers itself on, so we say: do not place the knees first; because a beast of burden places its knees first;But he said: (Let him not lower himself like a beast of burden), meaning: in the manner and form, and it is known that a beast of burden, when it lowers itself, first places its hands; but if a person has pain in his knee, or has an illness, or is heavy-bodied, and it is easier for him to go down on his hands, there is no harm in placing his hands first.