The Shaykh’s mention of the issue of lowering oneself to prostration on the two hands and rising to the second rak'ah by relying on the two hands.
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The Shaykh : As for the thought that came to my mind, as I said, it is to support a legal ruling.
This legal ruling, although most people are ignorant of it, we praise Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) for guiding many Muslims, especially the young among them, to become aware of this ruling and to act upon it. That is lowering oneself to prostration on the two hands, not on the knees. The majority of worshippers, when they prostrate, prostrate on their knees, whereas the Sunnah is to prostrate on the two hands, to receive the ground with the two hands, not with the two knees. This has a ruling, one of the clearest of which is that it prevents the shock of the ground from affecting him if he were to prostrate on his knees.
I do not wish to delve into this, but there is a corresponding Sunnah to this, which is: when the worshipper wants to rise from the second prostration to the second rak'ah, or from the tashahhud to the third rak'ah, how does he rise? Does he rise relying on his two hands, as we believe is the correct Sunnah, or does he rise relying on his two knees? There is an old disagreement among the jurists on this issue, and the correct, explicit, and established Sunnah in Sahih al-Bukhari is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he would rise to the second rak'ah, would not rise except that he would sit a light sitting, which is known among the jurists as the sitting of rest, and then he would rise relying on his hands.
Up to this point, the issue is detailed and explained in the books of hadith and jurisprudence, but there is a problem for some people, even scholars, regarding the hadith that was among the proofs for lowering oneself on the two hands to the ground. That hadith is his saying (peace be upon him)Sunan Abi Dawud 840Sahih (Al-Albani), meaning the second part of the hadith explains the first part of it. The first part says Sunan Abi Dawud 840Sahih (Al-Albani), as if a person were to say, "So how does the camel kneel? And how is the opposition to the camel?" The answer is . So the opposition to the camel in lowering oneself is in this form that was explained in the hadith itself. There are interpretations and differences of opinion that are not our concern here.
Now, the hadith regarding the manner of rising does not contradict this; this specific hadith did not address the manner of rising. But I say, and this is the thought, this is the point of discussion: if there is a general principle that it is not permissible for a Muslim to imitate an animal, just as it is not permissible for him to imitate a disbeliever, this is a rule in Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to imitate an animal, just as it is not permissible for him to imitate a disbeliever. There are many hadiths in both matters: the prohibition of imitating the disbelievers and the prohibition of imitating animals, especially in prayer. For example, in prayer, there is the hadith where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited kneeling like the kneeling of a camel, turning like the turning of a fox, and pecking like the pecking of a crow in prayer, and hastening in it. The point is that he prohibited imitating these animals. Now, if we keep in our minds how the camel kneels, we must consequently keep in mind how the camel rises. There is a disagreement on the first issue, how the camel kneels, a very strange disagreement, because if the camel lived in a world other than our world, we might be excused for not knowing how it kneels. But since it lives in our world, indeed in our lands, it is one of the strangest of wonders that the scholars of the Muslims, let alone others, still differ in their conception of how the camel kneels. The hadith that is decisive and matches the observation is that the camel kneels on its two knees, but its two knees are in its front. Here we leave the detailed discussion to its known place in Zad al-Ma'ad and others regarding this disagreement. But I say now, the camel walks on four legs, so if it kneels, it is not correct to say "it knelt on its hands", because its hands are placed like its legs always. So on what does it kneel? On its two joints which are in its front. What is the name of these two joints? The knees. This is its place in the books of language, and it is well known.
So, since the camel kneels on its two knees, we are prohibited from imitating animals in general, and this specific envious animal, which is cited as an example of envy, in particular. So we do not kneel as the camel kneels, meaning we do not place our knees before our two hands. In other words, we do not receive the ground with the knees as the camel does, but we receive the ground with the two hands, where that camel cannot do so, because the camel walks on four legs.
Now the opposite, here is the point, confirms this fact for them. When the camel rises, on what does it rely? Tell us now, when the camel rises, on what does it rely?
The questioner : Its two knees.
The Shaykh : On its two knees. Imagine with me, a second camel, its front, so it relies on these two joints which are the knees. So if the worshipper rises relying on his two knees, he has resembled the camel. Therefore, the Sunnah came regarding relying on what when rising? On the two hands. So there is no excuse for anyone who opposes this correct Sunnah, and that one as well, but this one is clearer; the known objection regarding lowering oneself does not apply to it. There is no way for anyone who opposes the Sunnah of relying on the two hands when rising to avoid resembling the camel, because the camel necessarily relies on its two knees when it rises, and not on its two hands, because its two hands are in the rear. So it relies on its two knees. So you, O Muslim, if you want to embody and verify the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sahih al-Bukhari 6008, do not kneel first like the kneeling of the camel. Do not receive the ground with your two knees, but with your two hands. Then do not rise relying on your two knees, but on your two hands. The two hands are the reliance for both lowering and rising: lowering on the two hands... and rising on the two hands, we rely.
This point, specifically the second one, is the thought that came to me so that our brothers, the students of knowledge, can grasp this issue from all its aspects with its evidence from the Book and sound logic that corresponds to reality.
This is what I wanted to clarify, and now bring the questions you have.
The questioner : The two hands... regarding his hands.
The Shaykh : That was regarding rising.
The questioner : That is when rising.
The Shaykh : Yes, we discussed now, specifically as we said, only to clarify the difference, what is it? That the camel rises relying on the knees, whereas the detail is known that it relies on its two fists.
This legal ruling, although most people are ignorant of it, we praise Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) for guiding many Muslims, especially the young among them, to become aware of this ruling and to act upon it. That is lowering oneself to prostration on the two hands, not on the knees. The majority of worshippers, when they prostrate, prostrate on their knees, whereas the Sunnah is to prostrate on the two hands, to receive the ground with the two hands, not with the two knees. This has a ruling, one of the clearest of which is that it prevents the shock of the ground from affecting him if he were to prostrate on his knees.
I do not wish to delve into this, but there is a corresponding Sunnah to this, which is: when the worshipper wants to rise from the second prostration to the second rak'ah, or from the tashahhud to the third rak'ah, how does he rise? Does he rise relying on his two hands, as we believe is the correct Sunnah, or does he rise relying on his two knees? There is an old disagreement among the jurists on this issue, and the correct, explicit, and established Sunnah in Sahih al-Bukhari is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he would rise to the second rak'ah, would not rise except that he would sit a light sitting, which is known among the jurists as the sitting of rest, and then he would rise relying on his hands.
Up to this point, the issue is detailed and explained in the books of hadith and jurisprudence, but there is a problem for some people, even scholars, regarding the hadith that was among the proofs for lowering oneself on the two hands to the ground. That hadith is his saying (peace be upon him)
when one of you prostrates himself he must not kneel in the manner of camel, but should put down his hands before his knees
إذا سجد أحدكم فلا يبرك كما يبرك البعير وليضع كفيه قبل ركبتيهhe must not kneel in the manner of camel
فلا يبرك كما يبرك البعيرAnd let him place his two hands before his two knees.
وليضع كفية قبل ركبتيهNow, the hadith regarding the manner of rising does not contradict this; this specific hadith did not address the manner of rising. But I say, and this is the thought, this is the point of discussion: if there is a general principle that it is not permissible for a Muslim to imitate an animal, just as it is not permissible for him to imitate a disbeliever, this is a rule in Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to imitate an animal, just as it is not permissible for him to imitate a disbeliever. There are many hadiths in both matters: the prohibition of imitating the disbelievers and the prohibition of imitating animals, especially in prayer. For example, in prayer, there is the hadith where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited kneeling like the kneeling of a camel, turning like the turning of a fox, and pecking like the pecking of a crow in prayer, and hastening in it. The point is that he prohibited imitating these animals. Now, if we keep in our minds how the camel kneels, we must consequently keep in mind how the camel rises. There is a disagreement on the first issue, how the camel kneels, a very strange disagreement, because if the camel lived in a world other than our world, we might be excused for not knowing how it kneels. But since it lives in our world, indeed in our lands, it is one of the strangest of wonders that the scholars of the Muslims, let alone others, still differ in their conception of how the camel kneels. The hadith that is decisive and matches the observation is that the camel kneels on its two knees, but its two knees are in its front. Here we leave the detailed discussion to its known place in Zad al-Ma'ad and others regarding this disagreement. But I say now, the camel walks on four legs, so if it kneels, it is not correct to say "it knelt on its hands", because its hands are placed like its legs always. So on what does it kneel? On its two joints which are in its front. What is the name of these two joints? The knees. This is its place in the books of language, and it is well known.
So, since the camel kneels on its two knees, we are prohibited from imitating animals in general, and this specific envious animal, which is cited as an example of envy, in particular. So we do not kneel as the camel kneels, meaning we do not place our knees before our two hands. In other words, we do not receive the ground with the knees as the camel does, but we receive the ground with the two hands, where that camel cannot do so, because the camel walks on four legs.
Now the opposite, here is the point, confirms this fact for them. When the camel rises, on what does it rely? Tell us now, when the camel rises, on what does it rely?
The questioner : Its two knees.
The Shaykh : On its two knees. Imagine with me, a second camel, its front, so it relies on these two joints which are the knees. So if the worshipper rises relying on his two knees, he has resembled the camel. Therefore, the Sunnah came regarding relying on what when rising? On the two hands. So there is no excuse for anyone who opposes this correct Sunnah, and that one as well, but this one is clearer; the known objection regarding lowering oneself does not apply to it. There is no way for anyone who opposes the Sunnah of relying on the two hands when rising to avoid resembling the camel, because the camel necessarily relies on its two knees when it rises, and not on its two hands, because its two hands are in the rear. So it relies on its two knees. So you, O Muslim, if you want to embody and verify the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليThis point, specifically the second one, is the thought that came to me so that our brothers, the students of knowledge, can grasp this issue from all its aspects with its evidence from the Book and sound logic that corresponds to reality.
This is what I wanted to clarify, and now bring the questions you have.
The questioner : The two hands... regarding his hands.
The Shaykh : That was regarding rising.
The questioner : That is when rising.
The Shaykh : Yes, we discussed now, specifically as we said, only to clarify the difference, what is it? That the camel rises relying on the knees, whereas the detail is known that it relies on its two fists.