Question:

 Can the sunnah prayers be performed sitting down? [Question published as received.]

The Fatwa

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Answer

The Fiqh of The Answer

The Fard prayers by consensus are the five daily obligatory prayers. These prayers must be performed in their prescribed manner and sequence, i.e., standing, and cannot be performed while seated or mounted, except in exceptional circumstances. The ruling is also extended to the Witr prayer.

Technically, the Sunnah prayers are considered Nawāfil, and are not considered obligatory like the Fard prayers. Nawāfil includes:

1. the Sunnan Mu’akkada prayers which should be performed. Intentionally missing this is blameworthy and can lead to one being deprived of the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ.
2. Ghayr Mu’akkada and other Nawāfil prayers which can be omitted without blame.

However, the Sunnah of Fajr hold a higher rank than the rest of the Sunnah prayers, and as such, has unique rulings. The Sunnah of Fajr holds a position higher than other Sunan, and lower than Wājib Salah. As such, it has a hybrid element to it, with some ‘light’ features Wājib prayers and some features of other Sunnah prayers. This is due to the strong encouragement in the Hadith regarding the Sunnah of Fajr, singling it out from all other Sunan, and the strict adherence to performing the Sunnah of Fajr by the Prophet ﷺ.

Why has the Sunnah of Fajr been singled out with so much virtue?

1. It is performed in the night. Prophetic narrations, as cited in Sahih Muslim, and other books of Hadith, indicate how Nāwafil prayers in the night hold more virtue than prayers in the day.
2. The Sunnah of Fajr are the first two official units of prayer in the day. Being the two that initiate the day’s communion with Allah Ta’ala increases its value and rank.
3. For many people, there is a considerable gap of Salah, at times, almost 12 hours, with the Witr and any other prayer being performed before sleeping, and the Sunnah of Fajr performed upon awakening. Whereas, the Salah do not have long durations between them. As such, the Sunnah of Fajr reconnect a person with Allah Ta’ala and awaken the soul after a considerable absence from Salah.
4. Allah Ta’ala loves the performance of these two as a believer forgoes his comfort of sleep to be with Allah Ta’ala. As such, the Sunnah of Fajr hold a special rank as it is the strongest sign of preferring Allah Ta’ala over the comfort of oneself.

Al-Sughnāqī (d.714 AH) states that the exclusivity of the sunnah units of the Fajr prayer is due to the prayer being the strongest of all Sunnah prayers, according to the consensus of narrations, based on the Hadīth of Sayyida ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) where the Prophet ﷺ said: “The two rak’ahs of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it”. [Sahih Muslim]

Imam Al-Mahbubi (d.747 AH) mentioned in his Sharh Al-Jam’i Al-Saghīr that the sunnah units of Fajr are the strongest in terms of rank amongst all the other sunnah prayers, to the extent that Hasan (d. 204 AH) narrated from Imām Abu Hanifah (d.150 AH) that he said: “It is not permissible for one to perform the sunnah prayer of Fajr seated without an excuse”.

As such, the Sunnah of Fajr cannot be performed sitting down like other Fard and Wājib prayers. Similarly, there is scope to do Qada (make-up) the Sunnah of Fajr subordinate to the Fard of Fajr up to Zawāl time of the same day. This is based on Istihsan as the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have performed Qada of the Sunnah of Fajr also. This highlights its unique and hybrid features whereby the Qada is performed before Zawāl, but not performed and not outstanding after Zawāl, and therefore becomes similar to other Sunan for which there is no Qada.

With regards to voluntary prayers, it is permissible to perform them seated without reason, according to scholarly consensus as mentioned by ‘Allāmāh Bābirtī (d.786 AH), but the reward of the one who sits in that case is half the reward of one who stands, based open the report narrated in the collection of Imām Muslim which states that the Messenger of Allah said: “The prayer of a man who sits is half of the prayer of a man who stands.”

While it is generally recommended to perform the Sunnah prayers while standing, it is also permissible to perform them while sitting. The extension of permissibility of sitting and performing the Sunnah prayers has been categorically stated by jurists such as Imām Shurubulālī (d.1069 AH) and others.

This, however, is only a permitted (mubāh) act and should not be construed as a preferred action such that one opts to sit and perform Salah whenever possible. One may read the Nawāfil prayers whilst seated but should not make this a habit in the Sunnah prayers.

And Almighty Allah Alone Knows Best

Maulana Ammar Y Badat
Trainee Mufti

Reviewed and approved by
Mufti Faraz Adam
Darul Iftaa Muadh ibn Jabal
www.darulfiqh.com 

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(يجوز النفل) إنما عبر به ليشمل السنن المؤكدة وغيرها فتصح إذا صلاها “قاعدا مع القدرة على القيام لكن له نصف أجر القائم إلا من عذر ويقعد كالمتشهد في المختار وجاز إتمامه قاعدا بعد افتتاحه قائما بلا كراهة على الأصح (مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح)

(وَيُصَلِّي النَّافِلَةَ قَاعِدًا مَعَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ) لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «صَلَاةُ الْقَاعِدِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْقَائِمِ» وَلِأَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ خَيْرُ مَوْضُوعٍ وَرُبَّمَا يَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِ الْقِيَامُ فَيَجُوزُ لَهُ تَرْكُهُ كَيْ لَا يَنْقَطِعَ عَنْهُ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي كَيْفِيَّةِ الْقُعُودِ وَالْمُخْتَارُ أَنْ يَقْعُدَ كَمَا يَقْعُدُ فِي حَالَةِ التَّشَهُّدِ لِأَنَّهُ عُهِدَ مَشْرُوعًا فِي الصَّلَاةِ.  (فتح القدير)

قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَيَتَنَفَّلُ قَاعِدًا مَعَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ ابْتِدَاءً وَبِنَاءً) أَمَّا الِابْتِدَاءُ فَلِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «مَنْ صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ وَمَنْ صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَلَهُ نِصْفُ أَجْرِ الْقَائِمِ». وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ النَّفَلُ فِي غَيْرِ حَالَةِ الْعُذْرِ بِدَلِيلِ قَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «صَلَاةُ الْقَاعِدِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْقَائِمِ إلَّا مِنْ عُذْرٍ» وَالْفَرْضُ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُصَلَّى قَاعِدًا مِنْ غَيْرِ عُذْرٍ بِدَلِيلِ «قَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – لِعِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ صَلِّ قَائِمًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا» الْحَدِيثَ، فَتَعَيَّنَ النَّفَلُ مُرَادًا مَعَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ وَلِأَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ خَيْرُ مَوْضُوعٍ فَرُبَّمَا يَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِ الْقِيَامُ فَجَازَ تَرْكُهُ كَيْ لَا يَتْرُكَهُ أَصْلًا (تبيين الحقائق)

قَالَ (وَيُصَلِّي النَّافِلَةَ قَاعِدًا) يَجُوزُ لِلْقَادِرِ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ النَّافِلَةَ قَاعِدًا (لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «صَلَاةُ الْقَاعِدِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْقَائِمِ» سَمَّاهُ صَلَاةً، وَلَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَادُ مَا كَانَ بِعُذْرٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، لَا سَبِيلَ إلَى الْأَوَّلِ؛ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ وَصَلَاةُ الْقَائِمِ سِيَّانِ فِي الثَّوَابِ فَتَعَيَّنَ أَنْ يَكُونَ بِغَيْرِ عُذْرٍ، وَلَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَادُ بِهَا الْفَرْضَ أَوْ التَّطَوُّعَ لَا سَبِيلَ إلَى الْأَوَّلِ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ فَتَعَيَّنَ الثَّانِي (وَلِأَنَّهُ خَبَرٌ مَوْضُوعٌ) أَيْ مَشْرُوعٌ لَك الْخَيْرُ لَا يَكُونُ خَيْرًا، وَمَرْفُوعٌ عَنْك لِكَوْنِهَا غَيْرَ وَاجِبَةٍ وَمَا كَانَ بِهَذِهِ الْمَثَابَةِ لَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ مَا قَدْ يُفْضِي إلَى تَرْكِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ مَا يُفْضِي إلَى تَرْكِ الْخَيْرِ لَا يَكُونُ خَيْرًا، وَالْقِيَامُ قَدْ يُفْضِي إلَى ذَلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا يَشُقُّ عَلَى الْمُصَلِّي فَلَا يُشْتَرَطُ لِئَلَّا يَنْقَطِعَ بِهِ، أَيْ بِسَبَبِهِ عَنْ الْخَيْرِ.  (العناية شرح الهداية)

قوله: ويتطوع قاعدًا بغير عذرٍ لأن باب النفل أوسع إلا سنة الفجر، ولو شرع قاعدًا وأتم قائمًا، أو بالعكس صح، ثم قيل: يقعد متربعًا. والصحيح: أن يقعد كما في التشهد؛ لأنه عُهِد مشروعًا في الصلاة. قوله: إلا سنة الفجر. لأنها في قوة الواجب، فلا تجوز قاعدًا إلا من عذرٍ (منحة السلوك)

سنة الفجر أقوى السنن باتفاق الروايات لحديث عائشة رضي الله عنها، أن النبي عليه السلام قال: «ركعتا الفجر خير من الدنيا وما فيها» (١٣)، (١٤). وذكر الإمام المحبوبي في «الجامع الصغير»: أن سنة الفجر أقوى من سائر السنن حكمًا، حتى روى الحسن عن أبي حنيفة رحمه الله قال: لو صلى الرجل سنة الفجر قاعدًا لا يجوز من غير عذر. (النهاية)