Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

1.Where do we hold our hands while standing in namaz?

2.Is it wrong to hold the hands on the navel, while standing for namaz?

3.Harkat of index finger while sitting in namaz. What is correct raising is once, constant harkat or...?

4.Is it correct to do niyat verbally or in heart?

5.Is cap a must?

6.What is correct way of doing Sajda Sahuit when make a mistake in namaz and when all it is allowed?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Prayer ritual queries

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Where do we hold our hands while standing in namaz?

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.131

Said Sahl ibn Sa'd, "The people were ordered to place their right hand on their left forearm during prayers."  (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Hafez related that the Prophet (saws) said, "All prophets have been ordered to hasten the breaking of the fast and to delay the (pre-fast dawn) meal, and to place our right hands on our left during prayer."

Jabir narrated that  "The Prophet (saws) passed by a man praying with his left hand over his right, and (the Prophet (saws)) pulled them away and put his right over his left." (Related by Ahmad.) 

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.132

Sunnah acts of prayer, The Position of the Hands

There are several opinions regarding the exact placement of the hands. According to the Hanifiyyah, the hands are to be placed below the navel, and the Shafiyyah say below the chest.  Ahmad has two narrations corresponding to both these opinions. Observes at-Tirmidhi, "Knowledgeable companions, their followers and those that came after them believed that one should put his right hand over the left during prayer, while some say above the navel and others say below the navel..." Nevertheless, there do exist hadith that the Prophet (saws) placed his hands on his chest. Reported Hulb at-Ta'i, "I saw the Prophet (saws) praying with his right hand over his left upon his chest above the elbow." This is related by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi.

Reported Wa'il ibn Hajr, "Once when I prayed with the Prophet (saws) and he placed his right hand over his left upon his chest." The report is recorded by Ibn Khuzaimah, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i.

If one puts his right hand over his left and places the hands anywhere between his stomach and his chest while standing in prayer, he would be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Q-2: Is it wrong to hold the hands on the navel, while standing for namaz?

There is absolutely nothing wrong if one holds one’s hands on the navel while standing in prayer for such a person would be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Q-3: Harkat of index finger while sitting in namaz. What is correct raising is once, constant harkat or...?

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.157

Sunnah acts of prayer, Sitting for Tashahud

One should sit for the tashahud and place his hands in the following manner:

1.       Ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet (saws) sat for the tashahud, he (saws) would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand upon his right knee, and he (saws) would point with his index finger.”

(Related by Muslim.)

2.       Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet (saws) would place his left palm on his left thigh and knee. He would place the end of his right elbow upon his right thigh and would make a circle with his middle finger and thumb and point with his index finger. Then he would raise his finger, and (Wa'il) saw him moving it to make supplications." (Related by Ahmad.) Explaining the hadith, al-Baihaqi says, "The implication of 'he would move it' is that he would point with it, not that he would continue to move it." This would be in agreement with the narration of Ibn az-Zubair who reported, "The Prophet would point with his finger while supplicating, and he would not move it." This is related by Abu Dawud.

3.       Reported az-Zubair, "When the Prophet (saws) sat for tashahud, he (saws) would place his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. He (saws) would point with his middle finger, and would not look beyond his pointing." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim and anNasa'i.)

The preceding three hadith are all considered authentic, and one may act by any of them. One should point with one's right index finger, bending it a little, until one says the salaams at the end of the prayer.  Reported Numair al-Khaza'i, "I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) sitting in the prayer with his forearm along his right thigh. His index finger was raised, curved (or bent) a little, and he was supplicating." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah.

Said Anas ibn Malik, "The Messenger of Allah (saws) passed by Sa'd while he was making supplications (and using) two fingers. The Prophet (saws) said to him, 'Just one, Sa'd"' This is related by Ahmed, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and al-Hakim.

According to the opinion of Imam Shafei one points with the finger only once, when saying "except Allah" in the statement bearing witness. Imam Abu Hanifa is of the opinion that one should raise the finger in the denial part of the statement (there is no god) and put it back down during the confirmation part (except Allah). Imam Malik is of the opinion that one should move the finger to the left and right until they finish the prayer. And Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal opines that one should point with the finger every time they mention Allah, as a reflection of the oneness of Allah, and they do not move it.

In light of the various quoted hadiths and the opinion of the eminent scholars, if one simply points the finger when declaring the Oneness of Allah or moves it, both have evidence from the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws); but the majority of the jurists are of the opinion that one should point one’s index finger without constant movement when declaring the Oneness of Allah in one’s tashahud.

Q-4: Is it correct to do niyat verbally or in heart?

There is no evidence in the Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would make a verbal intention before starting his prayers; but rather he (saws) would make an intention in his heart.

Q-5: Is cap a must?

The dressing norm at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was such that the Arabs used to wear a turban over their heads;  and thus the Messenger of Allah (saws) normally always prayed with his head covered.  Thus, if the normal dress code of the person is such that he covers his head (like the Arab ‘gatra’ or head-cover);  then it is fine to pray with the head cover.   But if the normal dress code of the person is such that in normal circumstances he does not cover his head,  there is no need to specially cover his head while praying.  Covering one’s head or leaving it uncovered is not amongst the conditions of prayer.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.114

Uncovering the Head During the Prayer

Ibn 'Asakir related that the Prophet would sometimes remove his head cover (turban) and place it in front of him as a ‘sutrah’ (end of prayer place mark) for prayer.

It is obligatory for a believing woman to cover her head and her full body while offering her prayers.

Q-6: What is correct way of doing Sajda Sahuit when make a mistake in namaz and when all it is allowed?

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.394         Narrated by Abdullah

The Prophet (saws)  prayed (and the sub-narrator Ibrahim said, "I do not know whether he prayed more or less than usual"), and when he had finished the prayers he was asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Has there been any change in the prayers?" He said, "What is it?' The people said, "You have prayed so much and so much."  So the Prophet bent his legs, faced the Qibla and performed two prostration's (of Sahu) and finished his prayers with Taslim (by turning his face to right and left saying: "As-Salamu'Alaikum-Warahmat-ullah"). When he turned his face to us he said, "If there had been anything changed in the prayer, surely I would have informed you but I am a human being like you and liable to forget like you.  So if I forget remind me and if anyone of you is doubtful about his prayer,  he should follow what he thinks to be correct,  and complete his prayer accordingly and finish it and do two prostrations (of Sahu)."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.324         Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Messenger of Allah (saws)  said, "When anyone of you stands for the prayers, Satan comes and puts him in doubts till he forgets how many Rakat he has prayed.  So if this happens to anyone of you, he should perform two prostrations of Sahu while sitting. "

There are two authentic narrations on how the Messenger of Allah (saws) performed the Sajdah-Sahoo and both are acceptable.  Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws)  did two sujjud before the taslim,  and  in the story of Dhul-Yadain narrated by Abu Hurairah,  it is recorded that  the Prophet (saws) made the prostrations after the taslim.

The way to perform the ‘Sajdah-Sahoo’ (or Sajdahs of forgetfulness) is to go into sajdah and glorify Allah, then sit and make supplication to Allah, then again go into sajdah and glorify Allah, and then perform the tasleems on either side.  

This whole set of actions related above is called ‘sajdah-sahoo’ and is to be done only once at the end of the prayer, if the person has made a mistake/s in the prayer.

Sajdah-Sahoo 1:

If one realizes one’s mistake during one’s prayer, one should recite the ‘tashahud’,  and just before the tasleems of either side,  one should make the two sajdahs for  ‘sajdah-sahoo’ and then perform the taslems on either side.

Sajdah-Sahoo 2:

If one realizes one’s mistake after one’s prayer and tasleems,  one should make the two sajdahs for ‘sajdah-sahoo’ and then again perform the tasleems on either side.

Q-6B: when all it is allowed?

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.47

When to perform these prostrations of forgetfulness

The "sujjud us-sahu" are to be performed in the following circumstances:

1.       If a person makes the taslim before he actually completes the prayers in full, he should complete what he has missed, and do the ‘sajdah-sahu’ at the end.

2.       In the case of an addition to the prayer, whereby one realizes that he has prayed more rakahs than commanded.

3.       In the case of forgetting the first tashahud or one of the other sunnah acts of the prayer.

4.       In the case of doubt over whether or not one performed some act of the prayer. 'Abdurrahman ibn 'Auf reported that he heard the Prophet (saws) say: "If one of you has some doubt during his salah and he does not know if he prayed one rak'ah or two, he should take it to have been just one. If he does not know if he prayed two rak'at or three, he should take it to have been just two. If he does not know if he prayed three rak'at or four, he should take it to have been just three. [In all such cases] at the end of his prayer, while sitting, he should make two sujjud (of ‘sajdah-sahu’) before the taslim." This is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan