What is the ruling on the sitting for rest in the prayer?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable one.The Shaykh : The sitting for rest, may Allah reward you, is it a permanent recommended practice, or is it prescribed for the elderly person who has a need for it?
The Shaykh : What is the sitting for rest?
The questioner : Is it that one sits before standing up for the second unit, and sits before standing up for the fourth unit?
The Shaykh : In the prayer?
The questioner : Yes, in the prayer, the sitting for rest in the prayer?
The Shaykh : The correct view is that there is a distinction in this matter. Whoever needs it should sit, following the Sunnah and to rest the body. Whoever does not need it should not sit. This is the distinction that reconciles the evidence. Then, if the follower is behind an imam who does not perform this sitting, the follower should not sit, because by sitting he would be contradicting the imam by sitting in a place where the imam is standing. If the imam performs the sitting and the follower does not consider it necessary, the follower should sit following his imam. The follower is a follower, not one who is followed. If his imam sits, he sits; if his imam does not sit, he does not sit, in all cases.
The questioner : If one needs to sit, but the imam does not sit?
The Shaykh : There is no harm in sitting. This is a need. This is a need. But as I told you: it is better not to differ from the imam except out of dire necessity.
The Shaykh : What is the sitting for rest?
The questioner : Is it that one sits before standing up for the second unit, and sits before standing up for the fourth unit?
The Shaykh : In the prayer?
The questioner : Yes, in the prayer, the sitting for rest in the prayer?
The Shaykh : The correct view is that there is a distinction in this matter. Whoever needs it should sit, following the Sunnah and to rest the body. Whoever does not need it should not sit. This is the distinction that reconciles the evidence. Then, if the follower is behind an imam who does not perform this sitting, the follower should not sit, because by sitting he would be contradicting the imam by sitting in a place where the imam is standing. If the imam performs the sitting and the follower does not consider it necessary, the follower should sit following his imam. The follower is a follower, not one who is followed. If his imam sits, he sits; if his imam does not sit, he does not sit, in all cases.
The questioner : If one needs to sit, but the imam does not sit?
The Shaykh : There is no harm in sitting. This is a need. This is a need. But as I told you: it is better not to differ from the imam except out of dire necessity.