The short answer
Praying sitting down is the option the reports give someone who cannot stand, and the four schools differ on the details. In Sahih al-Bukhari 1117, sahih by inclusion in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, tells 'Imran ibn Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, to pray standing, then sitting, then on his side.
How do you pray sitting down, step by step?
The steps follow the report of 'Imran ibn Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, in Sahih al-Bukhari 1117, and the named texts for the points the report leaves open. The table below shows where the schools differ.
- Stand for the prayer if you are able. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, gave standing first 1. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi does not allow the fard (obligatory) prayer to be prayed sitting by someone able to stand. 9 Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu and Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni require standing for someone who can stand but cannot bow or prostrate. 1217 Al-Marghinani's al-Hidayah differs for that case. 5
- If you cannot stand, sit. The report gives sitting as the second option 1. The Hidayah says the sick person who cannot stand prays sitting and bows and prostrates. 6 The Kafi says whoever cannot stand in the prayer sits cross-legged, and bows and prostrates as far as he can. 9
- Jabir's report describes the prostration as lower than the bow 2. If you cannot bend to the floor, bow and prostrate as far as you can. The Hidayah makes the prostration lower than the bow. 6 Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says the least seated bow brings the forehead level with the ground behind the knees. 15 It says the seated prostration is like the standing one.
- If you cannot bring your head to the ground, gesture, and do not raise anything to your face to prostrate on. Al-Marghinani's al-Hidayah says the sick person does not raise anything to his face, because gesturing exists. 7 Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu accepts a pillow when the form of prostration is achieved. 15 Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni records different Hanbali views on it. 20 The Kafi passage read does not address pillows.
- If you cannot sit, lie down, on your side, as the report says 1. The four texts give different lying positions, set out in the section on lying down below.
- Sit for the tashahhud as a healthy person would, if you can. The Kafi says so. 9
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 1117
Sahih al-Bukhari 1117
صَلِّ قَائِمًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْبٍ
Ṣalli qā'iman, fa-in lam tastaṭi' fa-qā'idan, fa-in lam tastaṭi' fa-ʿalā janbin
Pray standing; if you cannot, sitting; if you cannot, on your side.
What do the four schools say about partial ability?
Ability is rarely all or nothing. The table sets out each named work's position on four points. Ilmwell does not decide between them.
| Point | Hanafi | Maliki | Shafi'i | Hanbali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Able to stand, but cannot bow or prostrate on the floor | Al-Marghinani's al-Hidayah says standing is not obligatory here: the person prays sitting and gestures, and the sitting gesture is the better option. 5 | Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says no one may pray the fard sitting while able to stand. It does not give the steps for this case. 9 | Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says standing is required, and the person bows and prostrates as far as he can. It reports that Malik and Ahmad agree, and that Abu Hanifa differs. 12 | Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says standing is not dropped: the person stands and gestures the bow, then sits and gestures the prostration. 17 |
| An object raised to the forehead | Al-Marghinani's al-Hidayah says the sick person does not raise anything to his face to prostrate on, because gesturing exists. 7 | The Kafi passage read does not address this. | Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says a pillow suffices if the form of prostration is achieved, and reads what Umm Salama, may Allah be pleased with her, did in that way. 15 | Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni records that some Hanbali companions (scholars of the school) say raising an object to the face does not suffice, and that Ahmad is reported both to prefer gesturing and to allow a cushion. Mughni p.109 also has Ahmad preferring a cushion to gesturing, and Abu Thawr saying a raised object suffices. 20 |
| How the person sits | The Hidayah passage read does not describe the seated posture. Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu reports that Abu Hanifa and Zufar favoured iftirash (sitting on the left foot with the right foot upright). 14 | Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says the person sits cross-legged. 9 | Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says any seated posture is valid when sitting for inability. The sounder view for the sitting that replaces standing is iftirash; iqa' and stretching the legs out are disliked. 14 | Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a voluntary worshipper who prays seated is recommended to sit cross-legged in the standing position, with the legs folded in bowing and prostration. 21 |
| Standing that harms or is severely hard | The Hidayah passage read speaks of inability, not of harm. 5 | Ibn Qudamah reports that Malik said sitting is allowed when standing would increase the illness or cause severe hardship. 18 | Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu takes apparent hardship as the test: severe hardship, increased illness, or dizziness, not minor discomfort. 13 | Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni allows sitting when standing would increase the illness, delay recovery, or cause severe hardship. 18 |
Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that a sick man was praying on a cushion, and that a visitor threw it away and told him to pray on the ground if he could, and otherwise to gesture, making his prostration lower than his bowing 2. The report is graded differently. Some gradings stop it at Jabir's own words, so it is not the Prophet's words on every reading.
2Graded differently Al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra 2/306
Jabir's report, Sunan al-Kubra 2/306
صل على الأرض إن استطعت، وإلا فأومئ إيماء، واجعل سجودك أخفض من ركوعك
Pray on the ground if you can; if you cannot, gesture, and make your prostration lower than your bowing.
Can you pray on a salah chair?
Chairs are not mentioned in the works read for this page, so this guide gives no ruling on them. Three nearby points are in the named texts:
- Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says there is no harm in a sick person praying on a bed or a mattress. 11
- Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says whichever way the person sits is valid when sitting for inability. 14
- Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a voluntary worshipper who prays seated is recommended to sit cross-legged while standing, with the legs folded in bowing and prostration. 21
For a chair in your own case, a scholar you trust is the right person to ask, and your doctor or physiotherapist can say which position is safe for your body.
How do you lie down, and what do the schools say?
When sitting is not possible, the report says to pray on your side 1. The Hanafi work gives "on his back" instead 8, and the four texts differ on the side and the direction:
- Hanafi: Al-Marghinani's al-Hidayah says lying on the back with the feet towards the Qibla is the preferred position, and that the side facing the Qibla is also valid, differing from al-Shafi'i. 8
- Maliki: Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says lying with the feet and face towards the Qibla, or on the right side, gesturing for the whole prayer. 10
- Shafi'i: Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu gives the side facing the Qibla as the stated view, and says some companions (scholars of the Shafi'i school) say the back with the feet towards the Qibla. 16
- Hanbali: Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says the side facing the Qibla, with the right side preferred and the left valid. Lying on the back is for someone who cannot pray on his side. 19
Is standing excused when it is hard or harmful?
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni allows sitting when standing would increase the illness or delay recovery. 18 Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu asks whether the hardship is apparent. 13 Whether a concession applies to your case is a question for a scholar you trust.
Which movements are safe for your body is a medical question. Your doctor, surgeon or physiotherapist can tell you which movements are safe for you, and a scholar you trust can tell you how the concession applies to your prayers. This guide gives no clinical advice.
For your own situation
The safe movements for your body are a question for your doctor, surgeon or physiotherapist, and how the rules apply to your prayers is a question for a scholar you trust. This guide describes what the named works say; it does not decide your case.
When an older cousin's knees got too bad to stand, he started praying on a dining chair at home. He was frustrated at first and kept trying to stand for part of it. I put the chair in place before each prayer, and that became our routine.
Try it: the reports and the texts
Three checks, each with its source.
1In Sahih al-Bukhari 1117, what order of postures does the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, give 'Imran ibn Husayn?
Answer: Standing, then sitting, then on the side. The report gives standing first, then sitting if he cannot stand, then on his side if he cannot sit. Source 1
2For someone who can stand but cannot bow or prostrate, do the Hidayah and al-Majmu agree?
Answer: No. The Hidayah says standing is not required here; al-Majmu says it is required. The Hidayah (1/77) says standing is not required in this case, and al-Majmu (4/313) says it is required, with bowing and prostration done as far as possible.
3If a sick person must lie down, which position does the Hidayah prefer?
Answer: On the back, with the feet towards the Qibla. The Hidayah (1/77) prefers the back with the feet towards the Qibla "according to us", and says the side facing the Qibla is also valid.
Questions people ask
Where should a salah chair go in the mosque row?
There is no ruling here on chairs, because the works read for this page do not mention them. Ask the mosque team where a chair can be placed so that you can pray safely without blocking the rows behind you. Someone who alternates between standing and sitting may need an arrangement agreed with them.
Can you pray voluntary (nafl) prayers sitting down when you are healthy?
The Hanbali text in al-Mughni (volume 2, page 105) says voluntary prayer while seated is permitted, and that standing is better. It cites the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: in Sahih al-Bukhari 1115, sahih by inclusion in Sahih al-Bukhari, the one who prays sitting has half the reward of the one who stands. 'Imran ibn Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, reports it. The report does not say whether it refers to voluntary prayers or to the five daily prayers, so ask a scholar you trust about your own prayers.
Does illness keep the reward of the good deeds you used to do?
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, reports in Sahih al-Bukhari 2996, sahih by inclusion in Sahih al-Bukhari. The Prophet said that when a servant falls ill or travels, the like of what he used to do at home in good health is recorded for him. The report speaks of deeds in general and does not mention prayer, and it gives no amount. For your own prayers, ask a scholar you trust.
Must a fard prayer prayed sitting because of illness be repeated?
The Shafi'i text in al-Majmu (volume 4, page 310) reports agreement that someone unable to stand in the fard prays it sitting without repeating it. The same text takes apparent hardship, not minor discomfort, as the test for sitting. The works read for this page do not give a ruling for every case, so ask a scholar you trust about your own situation.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
'Imran ibn Husayn reports that he had piles and asked the Prophet about the prayer; the Prophet told him to pray standing, then sitting if he cannot stand, then on his side if he cannot sit.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1117 Book 18, Hadith 37
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 2
Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah reports that the Prophet visited a sick man who was praying on a cushion, threw the cushion away, and told him to pray on the ground if he could, and otherwise to gesture, making his prostration lower than his bowing. The report is graded differently: some gradings take it as the Prophet's words, others stop it at Jabir's own words.
Al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra 2/306 Al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra 2/306
Graded differently. Here is who graded it which way:
- SoundAl-Albani
- WeakAbu Hatim al-Razi, Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn 'Uthaymin
- Other remarksIbn Daqiq al-Id, Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Al-Zayla'i, Ibn al-Turkmani, Al-Bayhaqi
See each grading in full, with its wording and where it was given
Scholars disagree about this hadith. Here is how each graded it, so you can follow the scholar you trust.
- هذا من قول جابر، ورفعه خطأ (Jabir's own words; its raised form is an error): Abu Hatim al-Razi, al-Muqarrar 1/336 (as listed on dorar.net)
- في رفعه: هذا خطأ، إنما هو عن جابر قوله (in its raising, this is an error: it is Jabir's own words): Abu Hatim al-Razi, al-Muharrar 156 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحح وقفه (he established it as mawquf): Abu Hatim al-Razi, Bulugh al-Maram 126 (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده قوي، ولكن صحح أبو حاتم وقفه (strong chain, but Abu Hatim established it as mawquf): Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Bulugh al-Maram 97 (as listed on dorar.net)
- الظاهر أن الحديث موقوف (apparently mawquf): Ibn al-Qayyim, Bada'i' al-Fawa'id 3/197 (as listed on dorar.net)
- موقوف على الأصح (mawquf, the sounder view): Ibn 'Uthaymin, Sharh Bulugh al-Maram 2/319 (as listed on dorar.net)
- له طرق أخرى وشاهدا بسند صحيح (other routes and a supporting sound chain): Al-Albani, Tamam al-Minnah 314 (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده على شرط مسلم (its chain meets Muslim's condition): Al-Albani, Asl Sifat al-Salat 1/97 (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده صحيح (its chain is sahih): Al-Albani, Sifat al-Salat 78 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح على طريقة بعض أهل الحديث (sahih by the method of some hadith scholars, as he stated in his introduction): Ibn Daqiq al-Id, al-Ilmam 1/193 (as listed on dorar.net)
- اجتمع ثلاثة أبو أسامة، وأبو بكر الحنفي، وعبد الوهاب (three named narrators in the route; a remark on the route): Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, al-Talkhis al-Habir 1/371 (as listed on dorar.net)
- له طريق آخر (has another route): Al-Zayla'i, Nasb al-Rayah 2/175 (as listed on dorar.net)
- رواه ثلاثة ثقات مرفوعا (three trustworthy narrators narrated it raised): Ibn al-Turkmani, al-Jawhar al-Naqi 2/306 (as listed on dorar.net)
- رواته ثقات (its narrators are trustworthy): Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, al-Dirayah 1/209 (as listed on dorar.net)
- هذا الحديث يعد في أفراد أبي بكر الحنفي عن الثوري (counted among the solitary narrations of Abu Bakr al-Hanafi from al-Thawri): Al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra 2/306 (as listed on dorar.net)
- 3
'Imran ibn Husayn asks the Prophet about a man praying sitting; the Prophet says praying standing is better, the sitter has half the reward of the one standing, and the one who lies has half the reward of the sitter.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1115 Book 18, Hadith 35
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 4
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reports that the Prophet said that when a servant falls ill or travels, the like of what he used to do at home in good health is recorded for him.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2996 Book 56, Hadith 205
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 5
The Hidayah says that a sick person who can stand but cannot bow or prostrate is not obliged to stand; he prays sitting and gestures, and the sitting gesture is the better option.
- 6
The Hidayah says that when a sick person cannot stand he prays sitting and bows and prostrates; if he cannot bow and prostrate, he gestures sitting, with the prostration lower than the bow.
- 7
The Hidayah says that the sick person gesturing for prostration does not raise anything to his face to prostrate on, because gesturing exists.
- 8
The Hidayah says that a sick person who cannot sit lies on his back with his feet towards the Qibla and gestures for bowing and prostration; lying on the side facing the Qibla is also valid, and the back position is the one the Hidayah prefers, against al-Shafi'i.
- 9
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says that no one may pray the fard sitting while able to stand; whoever cannot stand in the prayer prays cross-legged, bows and prostrates as he can, and if he cannot, gestures with the prostration lower than the bow, folding his legs when gesturing for prostration; for the tashahhud he sits as a healthy person does, if able.
- 10
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says that someone who cannot sit prays lying down, with his feet and face towards the Qibla or on his right side, gesturing for the whole prayer.
- 11
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr's al-Kafi says there is no harm in a sick person praying on a bed or on a mattress.
- 12
Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says that a person who can stand but cannot bow or prostrate must stand, and bows and prostrates as far as he can; he reports that Abu Hanifa does not require standing, and that Malik and Ahmad agree with the Shafi'i view.
- 13
Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says the Shafi'i companions take apparent hardship as the test for praying seated: severe hardship, increased illness, dizziness, or a boat passenger fearing drowning; he reports the community's agreement that one unable to stand in the fard prays seated without repeating it.
- 14
Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says that however the person sits suffices when he prays seated for inability; iqa' and stretching the legs out are disliked; for the sitting that replaces standing, the soundest view is iftirash, which he says Abu Hanifa and Zufar also held.
- 15
Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu describes seated bowing (least: bend until the forehead is level with the ground behind the knees; fullest: forehead level with the place of prostration), says the seated prostration is like the standing one, and says that prostrating on a pillow suffices when the form of prostration is achieved, reading Umm Salama's act this way.
- 16
Al-Nawawi's al-Majmu says a person who can neither stand nor sit prays on his side facing the Qibla, which he gives as the stated view of al-Buwayti; some Shafi'i companions say he lies on his back with his feet towards the Qibla.
- 17
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a person who can stand but cannot bow or prostrate keeps the obligation to stand: he prays standing and gestures the bow, then sits and gestures the prostration; he says al-Shafi'i agrees and that Abu Hanifa holds standing drops.
- 18
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a sick person who could stand but fears that standing will increase his illness, delay his recovery, or cause severe hardship may pray sitting; he says Malik and Ishaq held likewise.
- 19
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a person who cannot pray sitting prays on his side facing the Qibla, the right side being preferred and the left valid; praying on the back while the side is possible does not seem valid on the evidence, and the back is for someone unable to pray on his side.
- 20
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a sick person who cannot lower his face further may prostrate on a cushion or raised object placed before him; he records that some Hanbali companions said raising an object to the face does not suffice, and that Ahmad was reported both to prefer gesturing and to allow a cushion. Mughni p. 109 also has Ahmad preferring a cushion to gesturing, and Abu Thawr saying a raised object suffices.
- 21
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says a voluntary worshipper who prays seated is recommended to sit cross-legged in the standing position, folding the legs in bowing and prostration.
- 22
Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni says voluntary prayer while seated is permitted, standing is better, and he cites the Prophet's words that the sitter has half the reward of the one standing, reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Next
- How to pray Salah: the whole prayerGuide
- How to pray FajrGuide
- How to pray WitrGuide
- TayammumGuide
- How to perform wuduGuide
- Tashahhud and Attahiyat: words and meaningWords lesson
- Sunnah and nafl prayers: how they fit togetherGuide
- Qibla finderTool
- What is a fatwaGuide
- Prayer and PurificationThe hub
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