Prohibition of Imitating Animals in Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The first message in this episode is from one of our female listeners. The sender, Aml from Sudan, says: I read in the book *Zad al-Ma'ad* by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited imitating animals in prayer: he prohibited prostrating like the prostration of a camel, turning like the turning of a fox, spreading out like the spreading of a beast of prey, squatting like the squatting of a dog, pecking like the pecking of a crow, and raising the hands at the time of the closing salam like the tails of horses. Is this hadith authentic? I ask for clarification of these movements so that I may avoid them, for I love to follow everything and to seek out the authentic Sunnah. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
What Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned is correct, and it is prescribed for the believer to be wary of these things in which he resembles wild beasts. He should conduct himself according to the Islamic etiquettes, and he should pray as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 6008 So the believer resembles the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and takes him as his model, and he does not resemble the animals or the wild beasts.
The prostration of the camel is that it prostrates on its hands. The Sunnah is that when a person prostrates, he lowers himself on his knees first, and then on his hands. This is the Sunnah, unless he is unable to do so due to old age or illness; in that case, there is no harm in placing his hands first.
Likewise, he should not peck in his prayer. Rather, he should be composed (mutma'in). He should not hasten in his bowing or his prostration. He should be composed in the prostration, between the two prostrations, and in the bowing. Likewise, when he rises from the bowing, he should straighten up and be composed, and not hasten or peck in his prayer, but rather be composed.
Likewise, he should not spread his arms like the spreading of a beast of prey when he prostrates. He should raise his arms and rest on his palms on the ground.
Likewise, he should not squat like the squatting of a dog when he sits. The prohibited squatting in this context is when he extends his legs and thighs while sitting and rests on his hands like the squatting of a dog. Rather, the Sunnah is to spread his left leg and extend his right leg, sitting on his left leg, and placing his hands on his thighs or on his knees. This is the Sunnah. As for extending his thighs and legs and resting on his hands on the ground, like a squatting dog or a squatting beast of prey, this is the disliked and prohibited act.
Likewise, waving the hands. They used to wave their hands at the time of the closing salam, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to be still in prayer and not to wave their hands. The salam and turning the head are sufficient without waving the hands. This is the Sunnah. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
The first message in this episode is from one of our female listeners. The sender, Aml from Sudan, says: I read in the book *Zad al-Ma'ad* by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited imitating animals in prayer: he prohibited prostrating like the prostration of a camel, turning like the turning of a fox, spreading out like the spreading of a beast of prey, squatting like the squatting of a dog, pecking like the pecking of a crow, and raising the hands at the time of the closing salam like the tails of horses. Is this hadith authentic? I ask for clarification of these movements so that I may avoid them, for I love to follow everything and to seek out the authentic Sunnah. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
What Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned is correct, and it is prescribed for the believer to be wary of these things in which he resembles wild beasts. He should conduct himself according to the Islamic etiquettes, and he should pray as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليThe prostration of the camel is that it prostrates on its hands. The Sunnah is that when a person prostrates, he lowers himself on his knees first, and then on his hands. This is the Sunnah, unless he is unable to do so due to old age or illness; in that case, there is no harm in placing his hands first.
Likewise, he should not peck in his prayer. Rather, he should be composed (mutma'in). He should not hasten in his bowing or his prostration. He should be composed in the prostration, between the two prostrations, and in the bowing. Likewise, when he rises from the bowing, he should straighten up and be composed, and not hasten or peck in his prayer, but rather be composed.
Likewise, he should not spread his arms like the spreading of a beast of prey when he prostrates. He should raise his arms and rest on his palms on the ground.
Likewise, he should not squat like the squatting of a dog when he sits. The prohibited squatting in this context is when he extends his legs and thighs while sitting and rests on his hands like the squatting of a dog. Rather, the Sunnah is to spread his left leg and extend his right leg, sitting on his left leg, and placing his hands on his thighs or on his knees. This is the Sunnah. As for extending his thighs and legs and resting on his hands on the ground, like a squatting dog or a squatting beast of prey, this is the disliked and prohibited act.
Likewise, waving the hands. They used to wave their hands at the time of the closing salam, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to be still in prayer and not to wave their hands. The salam and turning the head are sufficient without waving the hands. This is the Sunnah. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.