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:

I have read in a book called "Prayer according to Sunnah" written by Professor Mohd Zulfikhar. It has been narrated by Abu Hurairah that our prophet (Saw) said, When any of you goes into Sujud he should not sit like a camel but he should place both hands on the ground before placing the knees on the ground. please confirm the same in light of quran and sunnah so I can work accordingly.

(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:

Knees or hands first sit prayer

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.151

Topic: Sunnah acts of prayer, How To Prostrate

Most scholars prefer that one place his knees on the floor before his hands. Ibn al-Mundhir related this from 'Umar an-Nakha'i, Muslim ibn Yasar, Sufyan al-Thauri, Ahmad, Ishaq and other jurists including Ibn al-Mundhir himself.

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "When the Prophet (saws) prayed, he would place his knees (on the floor) before his hands, then his hands, then his forehead and nose.’

Narrated Shuraik from 'Asim ibn Kaleeb on the authority of his father from Wa'il ibn Hajr who said, 'I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) while prostrating, placing his knees (on the floor) before his hands. Upon getting up, he would raise his hands before his knees. I never saw him do otherwise."

Although it is preferred to place one’s knees before one’s hands on the ground when approaching the ‘sujood’ in prayer, the scholars and jurists in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that if one due to old age, or lack of agility, or any reason whatsoever happens to place one’s hands before one’s knees there is no harm and it does not effect the validity of one’s prayers in the least.

Perhaps the hadith which you are referring to is this one:

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 840 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘(Does) one of you kneel down in his prayer as a camel kneels down (i.e. put his hands before his knees)?’

If one sees a camel trying to sit down from a standing posture, it naturally lowers its front legs first and then folds its hind legs…..in light of the above quoted hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) clearly disapproved the believers from placing the hands on the ground before their knees when going into the state of ‘sajdah’ in prayer.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan