Description of Rukū’ and Sujūd

 

The Description of Prophet’s Salāt

Description of the Prophet’s Rukū’ and Sujūd in the Solāt

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks are due to Allāh, The Lord of the al-ā’lamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

6 – Rukū’ (bowing)

69 - When the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) has completed the recitation, he would pause briefly, to catch his breath.

70 - Then he would raise his hands in the manner described for takbirat al-ihrām (the takbir at the beginning of prayer).

71- And he would say takbir (“Allahu Akbar”). This is obligatory.

72- Then he would do rukū’, bowing as deeply as his joints will let him, until his joints take the new position and are relaxed in it. This is an essential part of prayer. 

How to do rukū’

73 - He would put his hands on his knees, firmly, spacing the fingers out, as if he is grasping his knees. All of this is obligatory.

74- He would spread his back and make it level so that if water were poured on it, it would stay there (not run off). This is obligatory.

75 - He would not lower or raise his head, but make it level with his back.

76 - He would keep his elbows away from his sides.

77- In rukū’, he would say “Subhāna Rabbiy al-‘Azīm (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty) three times or more. 

There are others kinds of dzikir which may be said in rukū’, some of which are long, some of medium length and some short. See Sifat Salāt al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), p. 132, Maktabat al-Ma’ārif edition [“The Description of Prophet’s Salāt” , p. 44]:

The Prophet (Sallallāhu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) would also say:  

“Subhāna Rabbiy al a’lā wa bihamdih” 

(How Perfect is my Lord, the Most High, and Praised be He), three times or more.

[Sahih, transmitted by Abu Dawud, Daraqutni, Ahmad, Tabarani and Bayhaqi]

Rasullulāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) would say:
“Subbuhun Quddūs Rabbul malāikati warrūh” 

(Perfect, Blessed, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit).

 [Muslim and Abu `Awanah]

The Rasullulāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) used also to say:  
“Subhānak Allāhumma Rabbanā wa bi hamdika Allāhumma ighfir li”

  (Glory and praise be to You, O Allāh our Lord. O Allāh, forgive me).

[Narrated by al-Bukhāri, 761; Muslim, 484, from the hadīth of ‘Aishah]

Rasullulāh (Sallallāhu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) would also say:

“Allāhumma laka sajadtu wa bika āmantu wa laka aslamtu. Sajada wajhi lilladzi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu, tabāraka Allāhu ahsan al-khāliqīn” 

(O Allah! For you I have prostrated, in You I have believed and to You I have submitted. My face has prostrated for the One Who created it and shaped it, and then brought forth its hearing and vision. Blessed be Allāh, the Best of creators).

[Muslim, Abu `Awanah, Tahawi and Daraqutni]

It is the best of time to make a lot of duā’

Whilst sujūd (prostrating) is the best of time to make a lot of duā’, because Rasullulāh (Sallallāhu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

“The closest that any one of you may be to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a lot of duā’ at that time.”

[Narrated by Muslim, 482]

Making the essential parts of Salat equal in length

78 - It is Sunnah to make the essential parts of prayer equal in length, so the rukū’, the standing after rukū’, the prostration and the sitting between the two prostrations should be make approximately the same in length.

79 - It is not permissible to recite Qur’ān in rukū’ or in sujūd. 

Straightening up from rukū’

80 - Then he would straighten up from rukū’. This is an essential part of the prayer.

81- Whilst straightening up, he would say, “Sami’a Allāhu liman hamidah (Allāh listens to the one who praises Him).” This is obligatory.

82 - He would raise his hands when straightening up, in the manner described above.

83 - Then he would stand straight until every vertebra has returned to its place. This is an essential part of the prayer.

84 - Whilst standing thus, he would say, “Rabbanā wa laka al-hamd (our Lord, to You be all praise).” (There are other kinds of dzikir which may be said at this point. See Sifat al-Salāh, p. 135/The Prophet’s prayer described, p. 47). This is obligatory for every person who is praying, even if he is following an imām, because this is the dhikr of standing after rukū’, and saying “Sami’a Allāhu liman hamidah” is the dhikr of straightening up from rukū’. It is not prescribed to put the hands one over the other during this standing, because this was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)). For more details, see Sifat Salāt al-Nabi, 1 – Istiqbāl al-Qiblah (“The Description of Prophet’s Salāt” – Facing the Ka’bah).

85 - He would make this standing equal in length to the rukū’, as stated above

7 – Sujūd (prostration)

86 - Then he would say “Allāhu Akbar” – this is obligatory.

87 - He would raise his hands sometimes.

Going down on the hands

88 - Then he would descend into sujūd on his hands, putting them down before the knees. This is what was commanded by the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), and it is proven that he did this, and he forbade imitating the manner in which a camel sits down, which camel is by kneeling with its forelegs first.

89 - When he prostrates – which is an essential part of the prayer – he should put his weight on his palms and spread them out.

90 - He would keep the fingers together.

91 - And point the fingers towards the qiblah.

92 - He would put his palms level with his shoulders.

93 - Sometimes he should make them level with his ears.

94 - He would keep his forearms off the ground. This is obligatory. He should not spread them along the ground like a dog.

95 - He would place his nose and forehead firmly on the ground. This is an essential part of the prayer.

96 - He would also place his knees firmly on the ground.

97 - The same applies to his toes.

98 - He would hold his feet upright with his toes touching the ground. All of this is obligatory.

99 - He would make his toes point in the direction of the qiblah.

100 - He would put his heels together.

 

Being at ease in sujūd

101- He would be at ease in sujūd, distributing his weight equally on the seven parts of the body which should be in contact with the ground during sujūd. They are: the face that is nose and forehead; the two palms, the two knees; and the two toes. It is not permissible for a worshipper to lift up any of these seven parts of the body when prostrating, because the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead, and he pointed to his nose, and on the two hands, the two knees and the edges of the two feet (i.e., the toes).”[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri, 812; Muslim, 490]

102 - Whoever is at ease in his sujūd in this manner has got it right. And this being at ease is also an essential part of the prayer.

103 - In sujūd, he would say, “Subhaāna Rabbiy al-‘A’lā(Glory be to my Lord Most High)” three times or more. (There are other kinds of dzikir also, see Sifat Salāt al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), p. 145/“The Description of Prophet’s Salāt” , p. 55).

104 - It is mustahāb to offer a lot of dua’ during sujūd, because it is a time when duā’ is likely to be answered.

105- He would make his sujud almost as long as his ruku’, as described above.

106 - It is permissible to prostrate on the bare ground, or on something covering the ground such as a garment or carpet, or a mat, etc.

107 - It is not permitted to recite Qur’ān whilst prostrating.

 

Iftirāsh and Iq’ā’ between the two sajdahs

[Iftirāsh means sitting on the left thigh with the right foot upwards and its toes pointed towards the qiblah; iq’ā’ means resting on both heels and feet]

108 - Then he would raise his head, saying takbir. This is obligatory.

109 - He would raise his hands sometimes.

110 - Then he would sit at ease, until every vertebra returns to its place. This is obligatory.

111- He would spread his left leg and sit on it. This is obligatory.

112- He would put his right foot upright.

113 - And make its toes point towards the qiblah.

114 - It is permissible to sit in iq’ā’ sometimes, which means resting on the heels and feet.

115 - Whilst sitting thus, he would say, “Allāhumma ighfir li warhamni wajburni, warfa’ni, wa’āfini warzuqni (O Allāh, forgive me, have mercy on me, strengthen me, raise me in status, pardon me and grant me provision).”

116 - If he wishes, he may say, “Rabbi ighfir li, Rabbi ighfir li (My Lord, forgive me, my Lord, forgive me).”

117- He would make this sitting almost as long as his sujud. 

The second sajdah

118 - Then he would say takbir – this is obligatory,

119 - He would raise his hands sometimes when saying this takbir.

120 - He would do the second prostration – this is also an essential part of the prayer.

121- He would do in the second prostration what he did in the first. 

The sitting of rest

122 - When he raises his head from the second prostration and he wants to get up for the second rak’ah, he should say takbir. This is obligatory.

123 - He would raise his hands sometimes.

124 - He should sit up straight, sitting on his left foot, until every bone returns to its place. 

[Excerpted from Sifat Salāt al-Nabi (May Peace and Blessings  of Allāh be upon him) via Islam QA]