Is the sitting of rest established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, is the sitting of rest established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the prayer?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 844Sahih (Al-Albani) Malik ibn al-Huwayrith narrated this from him, and Malik was among those who came in the delegations in the ninth year of the Hijrah. In that year, may Allah know best, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had eaten meat, so he would sit in order to stand up. For this reason, the hadith itself mentions that he would lean on his hands, which indicates that he needed it.
The scholars differed on this with three opinions:
The first opinion is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) for both the strong and the weak, because this is the later of the two actions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The second opinion is that it is not a recommended practice (sunnah) for the strong or the weak, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only did it for rest.
The third opinion is the middle one. We say: whoever is able to stand up without it, it is better for him to do so. And whoever is not able, whether due to old age, weakness, illness, or otherwise, should rest himself, because a person is commanded to seek rest. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As when he said, "I will stand in prayer all night," he said, "Then sleep."
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) rewards a person for seeking rest for his body. That is, seeking rest for the body is something you are commanded to do, and you have a reward for it. So if a person needs it due to illness, old age, or otherwise, he sits. But not like a bird perching on a branch, standing up immediately. Rather, it is a sitting in which he rests a little, then he stands up. This is the ruling of the sitting in itself.
As for the one praying behind the imam, the ma'mum is a follower of his imam. If the imam sits, the recommended practice (sunnah) is for him to sit. If the imam does not sit, the recommended practice (sunnah) is for him not to sit, even if the ma'mum believes that the sitting is a recommended practice (sunnah). If the imam does not sit, the ma'mum does not sit, in order to achieve following the imam. For this reason, the ma'mum was commanded to leave the first tashahhud, which is obligatory, if the imam forgets it. Did you understand?
The correct opinion is to distinguish in this matter: whoever needs it and finds it difficult to stand up from prostration to standing, here he should rest himself. And whoever does not need it, it is better for him to stand up with energy.
And with this, this meeting has ended. And Glory is to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You. And my peace be upon everyone, beginning and ending, because the time does not allow that
The Shaykh : Yes, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
the prophet (may peace by upon him) would not stand at the end of the first or the third rak’ah until he sat down straight
أنه إذا كان في وترٍ من صلاته لم ينهض حتى يستوي قاعداًThe scholars differed on this with three opinions:
The first opinion is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) for both the strong and the weak, because this is the later of the two actions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The second opinion is that it is not a recommended practice (sunnah) for the strong or the weak, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only did it for rest.
The third opinion is the middle one. We say: whoever is able to stand up without it, it is better for him to do so. And whoever is not able, whether due to old age, weakness, illness, or otherwise, should rest himself, because a person is commanded to seek rest. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As when he said, "I will stand in prayer all night," he said, "Then sleep."
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) rewards a person for seeking rest for his body. That is, seeking rest for the body is something you are commanded to do, and you have a reward for it. So if a person needs it due to illness, old age, or otherwise, he sits. But not like a bird perching on a branch, standing up immediately. Rather, it is a sitting in which he rests a little, then he stands up. This is the ruling of the sitting in itself.
As for the one praying behind the imam, the ma'mum is a follower of his imam. If the imam sits, the recommended practice (sunnah) is for him to sit. If the imam does not sit, the recommended practice (sunnah) is for him not to sit, even if the ma'mum believes that the sitting is a recommended practice (sunnah). If the imam does not sit, the ma'mum does not sit, in order to achieve following the imam. For this reason, the ma'mum was commanded to leave the first tashahhud, which is obligatory, if the imam forgets it. Did you understand?
The correct opinion is to distinguish in this matter: whoever needs it and finds it difficult to stand up from prostration to standing, here he should rest himself. And whoever does not need it, it is better for him to stand up with energy.
And with this, this meeting has ended. And Glory is to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You. And my peace be upon everyone, beginning and ending, because the time does not allow that