What is the description of the sitting for rest, where is its place in the prayer, and for whom is it prescribed?
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The questioner : What is the description of the sitting for rest, where is its place in the prayer, and for whom is it prescribed? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : The sitting for rest is like the other sittings, meaning that a person sits down, settles, and then stands up. This sitting is prescribed if a person is in the odd-numbered unit of his prayer, meaning if he stands up for the second or the fourth unit, he sits, settles, and sits upright, then stands up. However, the scholars differed on this matter. Some said it is a recommended practice in all cases, some said it is not a recommended practice in all cases, and some said it is a recommended practice in cases of old age, weakness, or illness, so that it does not become difficult for a person to stand up directly from prostration to standing.
This detailed opinion is the most correct. A person who needs to rest and does not stand up from prostration to standing should do so, and one who does not need to, should not.
But here is an issue: if the imam considers the sitting to be a recommended practice, does the follower follow him or remain in prostration until he thinks the imam has stood up, or does he stand up before the imam? We say he must follow him and sit with him, because a person is commanded to follow his imam, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1236 Even if you think it is not a recommended practice, sit with the imam following him. And if the situation is the reverse, where the follower considers it a recommended practice and the imam does not consider it a recommended practice and does not sit, then the follower does not sit, even if he considers it a recommended practice, in order to follow his imam.
But is it obligatory for him to leave off the sitting for the sake of following? This is a matter of consideration. Therefore, we say it is better not to sit, and we do not say it is obligatory, because falling behind here is a slight falling behind, not a long one, such that we would say it is forbidden. Rather, it is a slight falling behind. In any case, if the imam does not consider the sitting and the follower considers the sitting, let him stand up with his imam and not sit, for that is better for him and closer to following the Sunnah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 378 So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the follower to prostrate immediately after the prostration of his imam, to bow immediately after the bowing of his imam, and to say the takbir immediately after the takbir of his imam, but to be behind him. Yes.
The Shaykh : The sitting for rest is like the other sittings, meaning that a person sits down, settles, and then stands up. This sitting is prescribed if a person is in the odd-numbered unit of his prayer, meaning if he stands up for the second or the fourth unit, he sits, settles, and sits upright, then stands up. However, the scholars differed on this matter. Some said it is a recommended practice in all cases, some said it is not a recommended practice in all cases, and some said it is a recommended practice in cases of old age, weakness, or illness, so that it does not become difficult for a person to stand up directly from prostration to standing.
This detailed opinion is the most correct. A person who needs to rest and does not stand up from prostration to standing should do so, and one who does not need to, should not.
But here is an issue: if the imam considers the sitting to be a recommended practice, does the follower follow him or remain in prostration until he thinks the imam has stood up, or does he stand up before the imam? We say he must follow him and sit with him, because a person is commanded to follow his imam, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جعِل الإمام ليؤتم بهBut is it obligatory for him to leave off the sitting for the sake of following? This is a matter of consideration. Therefore, we say it is better not to sit, and we do not say it is obligatory, because falling behind here is a slight falling behind, not a long one, such that we would say it is forbidden. Rather, it is a slight falling behind. In any case, if the imam does not consider the sitting and the follower considers the sitting, let him stand up with his imam and not sit, for that is better for him and closer to following the Sunnah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):