Is it obligatory to place the foot against the foot in prayer?
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The questioner : He says:The questioner : Your Eminence, is the connection of the feet in congregational prayer necessary?
The Shaykh : What? Is
The questioner : the connection of the feet, meaning the touching of the feet
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. Is placing the foot against the foot in prayer necessary?
The questioner : He says, is it necessary or not necessary?
The Shaykh : It is not necessary, it is not necessary in the row. Then I tell you that some people understood this hadith to mean that the Companions would place one’s heel against his companion’s heel and his shoulder against his shoulder, and they understood it incorrectly. If they said that it is recommended for a person to spread his legs until the heel touches the heel, the Companions did not say that we spread our legs. Rather, they were standing in a normal way without spreading or closing them, but when they were packed tightly due to the tightness between them, the heel would touch the heel. Some scholars understood that the meaning of placing the heel against the heel is that they all stand and pack tightly, then they measure the straightness by the heel, meaning they make this a measure for straightness only, because the heel is the foundation of the body, is it not? So he says the intention with this is straightness, not closeness by touch. And in any case, this spreading between the legs, the legs, I mean, is not correct. This is not what was reported from the Companions. If this were what was reported, they would have said: “And we used to spread our legs until the heel of one of us would touch the heel of the other.” I saw a row of people wearing pants, and what is it called? Ha, pants or a suit, I think
The student: A full suit
The Shaykh : The point is, and each one was bent like this, spreading his legs, so each one became like a pyramid, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. You find a gap between the people; you find a gap in the row because the legs are spread and take up space, and the upper part, the shoulder, is empty. This is a matter I warn my brothers, the students of knowledge, and especially those who love to apply the Sunnah. I thank them for this love and I hope for them success, that they do not rush in understanding the texts. They must gather them together and look at reality and gather the texts together until the issue comes out pure from doubts. So we say, heel against heel for straightness and for packing tightly, and on this basis, there is no need to spread the legs.
The questioner : Okay, without spreading.
The Shaykh : There is no harm without spreading. Yes, correct, they touch, but only for straightness. As for it being the case that for the whole prayer it is not possible, at prostration it is not possible, and at sitting it is not possible
The student: At standing up
The Shaykh : And at standing up they touch, but we say, if you see that your companion is being harmed, do not harm him. Missing the Sunnah for him, he should be patient, O the trustworthy one. Ha, the time is over. May Allah reward you with good. Glory be to You, O our Lord. After Maghrib, if Allah wills, there is a lesson
The student: After Fajr?
The Shaykh : And after Fajr. Heh heh, Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : What? Is
The questioner : the connection of the feet, meaning the touching of the feet
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. Is placing the foot against the foot in prayer necessary?
The questioner : He says, is it necessary or not necessary?
The Shaykh : It is not necessary, it is not necessary in the row. Then I tell you that some people understood this hadith to mean that the Companions would place one’s heel against his companion’s heel and his shoulder against his shoulder, and they understood it incorrectly. If they said that it is recommended for a person to spread his legs until the heel touches the heel, the Companions did not say that we spread our legs. Rather, they were standing in a normal way without spreading or closing them, but when they were packed tightly due to the tightness between them, the heel would touch the heel. Some scholars understood that the meaning of placing the heel against the heel is that they all stand and pack tightly, then they measure the straightness by the heel, meaning they make this a measure for straightness only, because the heel is the foundation of the body, is it not? So he says the intention with this is straightness, not closeness by touch. And in any case, this spreading between the legs, the legs, I mean, is not correct. This is not what was reported from the Companions. If this were what was reported, they would have said: “And we used to spread our legs until the heel of one of us would touch the heel of the other.” I saw a row of people wearing pants, and what is it called? Ha, pants or a suit, I think
The student: A full suit
The Shaykh : The point is, and each one was bent like this, spreading his legs, so each one became like a pyramid, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. You find a gap between the people; you find a gap in the row because the legs are spread and take up space, and the upper part, the shoulder, is empty. This is a matter I warn my brothers, the students of knowledge, and especially those who love to apply the Sunnah. I thank them for this love and I hope for them success, that they do not rush in understanding the texts. They must gather them together and look at reality and gather the texts together until the issue comes out pure from doubts. So we say, heel against heel for straightness and for packing tightly, and on this basis, there is no need to spread the legs.
The questioner : Okay, without spreading.
The Shaykh : There is no harm without spreading. Yes, correct, they touch, but only for straightness. As for it being the case that for the whole prayer it is not possible, at prostration it is not possible, and at sitting it is not possible
The student: At standing up
The Shaykh : And at standing up they touch, but we say, if you see that your companion is being harmed, do not harm him. Missing the Sunnah for him, he should be patient, O the trustworthy one. Ha, the time is over. May Allah reward you with good. Glory be to You, O our Lord. After Maghrib, if Allah wills, there is a lesson
The student: After Fajr?
The Shaykh : And after Fajr. Heh heh, Allah knows best.