What is the meaning of (the heel of Satan) mentioned in the hadith?
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The questioner : Well, my Shaykh, I asked you about the hadith in Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the heel of Satan.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : The question is, what is the heel of Satan, like this?
The Shaykh : The heel of Satan.
The questioner : He forbade the heel of Satan, like this, in the description of the prayer, like this, in the text itself.
The Shaykh : Like this, and where?
The questioner : In the description of his prayer, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He forbade the heel of Satan, like this, in this text. So what is the meaning of the heel of Satan, and how did you explain it? I did not understand it.
The Shaykh : Did I not explain it to you?
The questioner : I did not understand it, and I was outside.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, you want clarification.
The questioner : May Allah honor you.
The Shaykh : It is the upright sitting (iqtifa') established in the Sunnah between the two prostrations. Do you know it?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is the iqtifa'. And standing upright on the heels. If the one praying does this in a place other than between the two prostrations, it is the heel of Satan, or the heel of Satan. Is that clear? I mean, for the tashahhud.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The tashahhud, as we all know, is either sitting cross-legged (iftrash) or sitting on the left foot (tawarruk). I do not mean the madhhab differences, meaning some say this and some say that. I mean the established Sunnah. So the first tashahhud is iftrash, and the second tashahhud, which is followed by the taslim,
The questioner : is tawarruk.
The Shaykh : It is tawarruk. So if he does not do iqtifa' in any of these tashahhuds, that is what the hadith refers to and warns against. Is that clear? And there is nothing after that.
The questioner : By Allah, may Allah honor you. The posture of iqtifa', you still do not understand it?
The Shaykh : This... is a second matter, may Allah have mercy on you. Standing upright on the heels.
The questioner : Like this is the iqtifa'.
The Shaykh : I mean, iftrash. I hope it is known to everyone. And this iftrash means raising the right foot and sitting on the left foot. Iqtifa' means raising both feet in the same way.
The questioner : I mean, raising the right and the left.
The Shaykh : Ah.
The questioner : I mean, like this is the iqtifa'.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is it. This is a Sunnah between the two prostrations. Sometimes it is a Sunnah, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes sat cross-legged between the two prostrations and sometimes did this iqtifa'. It has come in Sahih Muslim that a man asked Abdullah ibn Abbas about this iqtifa' between the two prostrations, saying, "We see it as harsh for the man." He said, "It is the Sunnah of your Prophet."
The questioner : Who said that?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Abdullah ibn Abbas. And the iqtifa' is established as being from the Sunnah. I repeat and repeat so that the matter is not confused. Between the two prostrations, it is established from the three Abdullahs: Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Abdullah ibn Amr. All three narrated this Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). But it is not a unique Sunnah; it has a place that also came in other hadiths, including the hadith of Aisha which contains the prohibition of the heel of Satan, or the heel of Satan. Sitting cross-legged between the two prostrations. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes, it is clear.
The Shaykh : Is this your third question or your second?
The questioner : There is one left, may Allah honor you.
The Shaykh : Fine.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : The question is, what is the heel of Satan, like this?
The Shaykh : The heel of Satan.
The questioner : He forbade the heel of Satan, like this, in the description of the prayer, like this, in the text itself.
The Shaykh : Like this, and where?
The questioner : In the description of his prayer, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He forbade the heel of Satan, like this, in this text. So what is the meaning of the heel of Satan, and how did you explain it? I did not understand it.
The Shaykh : Did I not explain it to you?
The questioner : I did not understand it, and I was outside.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, you want clarification.
The questioner : May Allah honor you.
The Shaykh : It is the upright sitting (iqtifa') established in the Sunnah between the two prostrations. Do you know it?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is the iqtifa'. And standing upright on the heels. If the one praying does this in a place other than between the two prostrations, it is the heel of Satan, or the heel of Satan. Is that clear? I mean, for the tashahhud.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The tashahhud, as we all know, is either sitting cross-legged (iftrash) or sitting on the left foot (tawarruk). I do not mean the madhhab differences, meaning some say this and some say that. I mean the established Sunnah. So the first tashahhud is iftrash, and the second tashahhud, which is followed by the taslim,
The questioner : is tawarruk.
The Shaykh : It is tawarruk. So if he does not do iqtifa' in any of these tashahhuds, that is what the hadith refers to and warns against. Is that clear? And there is nothing after that.
The questioner : By Allah, may Allah honor you. The posture of iqtifa', you still do not understand it?
The Shaykh : This... is a second matter, may Allah have mercy on you. Standing upright on the heels.
The questioner : Like this is the iqtifa'.
The Shaykh : I mean, iftrash. I hope it is known to everyone. And this iftrash means raising the right foot and sitting on the left foot. Iqtifa' means raising both feet in the same way.
The questioner : I mean, raising the right and the left.
The Shaykh : Ah.
The questioner : I mean, like this is the iqtifa'.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is it. This is a Sunnah between the two prostrations. Sometimes it is a Sunnah, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes sat cross-legged between the two prostrations and sometimes did this iqtifa'. It has come in Sahih Muslim that a man asked Abdullah ibn Abbas about this iqtifa' between the two prostrations, saying, "We see it as harsh for the man." He said, "It is the Sunnah of your Prophet."
The questioner : Who said that?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Abdullah ibn Abbas. And the iqtifa' is established as being from the Sunnah. I repeat and repeat so that the matter is not confused. Between the two prostrations, it is established from the three Abdullahs: Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Abdullah ibn Amr. All three narrated this Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). But it is not a unique Sunnah; it has a place that also came in other hadiths, including the hadith of Aisha which contains the prohibition of the heel of Satan, or the heel of Satan. Sitting cross-legged between the two prostrations. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes, it is clear.
The Shaykh : Is this your third question or your second?
The questioner : There is one left, may Allah honor you.
The Shaykh : Fine.