Discussion of the sitting between the two prostrations, its manner, and what is said in it
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The Shaykh : Then he raises himself from the prostration to sit between the two prostrations. In this sitting, a person sits with his left leg spread out and his right leg upright. By "leg" here, the foot is meant, not the shin. The shin and thigh are extended, but the right foot is upright, while the left foot is spread out.
Then he places his hands on his thighs. As for the left hand, it is placed spread out on the thigh. As for the right hand, it has become established among the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) that it is spread out like the left hand. However, the Sunnah indicates that the state of the right hand between the two prostrations is like its state in the tashahhud: the little finger, ring finger, thumb, and middle finger are brought together, or the thumb is looped with the middle finger, and the index finger is raised and pointed with during supplication. The pointing is not constant like this; rather, he points with it during supplication. Whenever a supplicatory phrase comes, he moves it, as stated explicitly in the hadith: It is not a constant movement. This is what I mentioned, and it is what Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in *Zad al-Ma'ad*, and it is what Wail ibn al-Hajj mentioned in what Ahmad narrated in his *Musnad*, and it is the apparent meaning of what Muslim narrated in one of the wordings of the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to sit in prayer and mention the grasping. The Sunnah did not come that the right hand is spread out on the thigh. If any of you has looked into the Sunnah and found that the right hand is spread out on the thigh between the two prostrations, please provide it to us, because I searched for it and did not find that it is spread out. If it is not spread out and the Sunnah came that it is grasped, then following the Sunnah is preferable, even if the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) say that it is placed on the right thigh spread out.
And he says between the two prostrations: "My Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me health, guide me, and provide for me," or other things that have been transmitted. But I ask: does any of you know the meaning of this supplicatory phrase? "My Lord, forgive me." Does anyone know its meaning?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Forgive my sins. And what does "forgive me" mean?
The student : Pardon me.
The Shaykh : And cover them up as well. "Forgive" means that forgiveness includes asking for two things: covering and overlooking. Because it is derived from *al-mighfar* (the helmet), which is what a person wears on his head in battle to protect himself from arrows. This helmet achieves what? Covering. And the second is protection. So "My Lord, forgive me" means: cover my sins so that no one sees them except You, because a person does not like for people to see the sins he has committed. And also overlook me, so do not punish me for them.
As for your saying "have mercy on me," its meaning is: arrange for me the mercy by which the desired is attained and the feared is removed.
Grant me health from what? From physical illness or from physical and spiritual illness? Physical and spiritual. Physical is the illness of the body, and spiritual is the illness of the heart. We ask Allah for safety from both. That is, grant me health from the illness of the heart and the illness of the body.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. We will limit ourselves to what we have presented regarding the description of the prayer. If it is facilitated for us next night, if Allah wills, we will complete the rest of the description of the prayer. As for now, we begin with the questions. Yes.
Are you asking?
The questioner : In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, esteemed Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Then he places his hands on his thighs. As for the left hand, it is placed spread out on the thigh. As for the right hand, it has become established among the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) that it is spread out like the left hand. However, the Sunnah indicates that the state of the right hand between the two prostrations is like its state in the tashahhud: the little finger, ring finger, thumb, and middle finger are brought together, or the thumb is looped with the middle finger, and the index finger is raised and pointed with during supplication. The pointing is not constant like this; rather, he points with it during supplication. Whenever a supplicatory phrase comes, he moves it, as stated explicitly in the hadith:
He moves it, supplicating with it.
يحركها يدعو بهاAnd he says between the two prostrations: "My Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me health, guide me, and provide for me," or other things that have been transmitted. But I ask: does any of you know the meaning of this supplicatory phrase? "My Lord, forgive me." Does anyone know its meaning?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Forgive my sins. And what does "forgive me" mean?
The student : Pardon me.
The Shaykh : And cover them up as well. "Forgive" means that forgiveness includes asking for two things: covering and overlooking. Because it is derived from *al-mighfar* (the helmet), which is what a person wears on his head in battle to protect himself from arrows. This helmet achieves what? Covering. And the second is protection. So "My Lord, forgive me" means: cover my sins so that no one sees them except You, because a person does not like for people to see the sins he has committed. And also overlook me, so do not punish me for them.
As for your saying "have mercy on me," its meaning is: arrange for me the mercy by which the desired is attained and the feared is removed.
Grant me health from what? From physical illness or from physical and spiritual illness? Physical and spiritual. Physical is the illness of the body, and spiritual is the illness of the heart. We ask Allah for safety from both. That is, grant me health from the illness of the heart and the illness of the body.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. We will limit ourselves to what we have presented regarding the description of the prayer. If it is facilitated for us next night, if Allah wills, we will complete the rest of the description of the prayer. As for now, we begin with the questions. Yes.
Are you asking?
The questioner : In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, esteemed Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.