Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Rulings on Qiyam and Qira-at: When Sitting in Ṣalah Is (and Isn't) Valid

2. Qiyām

1.     The least level of Qiyām is that if the hands are stretched, they should not reach knees whereas complete Qiyām is to stand erect.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 163, vol. 2) (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 163, vol. 2)

2.     The duration of Qiyām and that of Qirā-at is the same; standing in Qiyām is Farḍ, Wājib or Sunnah for as long as Farḍ Qirā-at, Wājib Qirā-at or Sunnah Qirā-at requires respectively.

(ibid)

3.     Qiyām is Farḍ for Farḍ, Witr, Eīdaīn and the Sunan of Fajr Ṣalāh. If anyone offered any of these Ṣalāh sitting without a valid reason, Ṣalāh would not be valid.

(ibid)

4.     Feeling just slight pain in standing is not a valid excuse, instead, a person can be exempted from Qiyām when he/she is unable to stand or perform Sajdah, or when his wound bleeds due to standing or performing Sajdah or a drop of urine is released, or his quarter Sitr is exposed, or he is quite unable to do Qirā-at. Similarly, if a person is able enough to stand, but it will result in the intensity or prolongation of his illness or unbearable pain, he can offer Ṣalāh sitting.

(Ghunyah, pp. 261-267)

5.     If it is possible to stand for Qiyām leaning on a staff (crutches) or wall, or by the help of a servant, it is Farḍ to do so.

(Ghunyah, pp. 261)

6.     If it is possible to utter just Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmah standing, it is Farḍ to utter اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ whilst standing and then (if it isn't possible to remain standing anymore), he may sit down.

(ibid, pp. 262)

Beware!

Beware! The people who offer their Farḍ Ṣalāh sitting due to any slight pain, injury etc. should consider the foregoing ruling of Sharī'ah; it is Farḍ to repeat every such Ṣalāh offered sitting despite having the strength to stand. Similarly, it is also Farḍ to repeat all such Ṣalāh offered sitting despite the fact that they could have been offered standing by leaning on a staff, wall or with the help of a person.

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 511, vol. 1)

The same rule applies to women, i.e. they are not allowed to offer Ṣalāh sitting without Shar'ī permission.

7.     Some Masājid provide chairs on which some old people sit and offer Ṣalāh despite coming to the Masjid on foot, they even talk with others standing after the Ṣalāh; if such people offer Ṣalāh sitting without Shara'ī permission, their Ṣalāh will not be valid.

8.     It is permissible to offer Nafl Ṣalāh sitting despite having the strength to stand; however, it is better to offer it standing. Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā 'Abdullāh bin 'Amr رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَنْهُ narrates that the Prophet of Raḥmah, the intercessor of Ummah, the distributor of Na'mah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "The Ṣalāh of the one offering in sitting-posture is half of the one offering in standing-posture (the Šawāb would be half)."

(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 370, Ḥadīš 735)

However, the Šawāb will not be reduced if someone offers it sitting due to any valid reason. Nowadays, the trend of offering Nafl Ṣalāh in sitting-posture has developed. People seem to be under the impression that offering these Nafl sitting is better; it is their misconception. The same ruling applies to the two Rak'at Nafl after the Witr (to offer them standing is better).

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 670, vol. 1)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

3. Qiraat (Recitation of the Holy Quran)

1.     Qirā-at means 'pronouncing each and every letter from its correct place of origin so that each letter is quite distinct from every other letter.'

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 69, vol. 1)

2.     Even when reciting in low volume, it is necessary for the reciter to hear his voice of recitation.

(ibid)

3.     If the letters are pronounced correctly, but not loud enough for the reciter to hear himself (and there is no obstruction such as noise or the problem of hard of hearing either), the Ṣalāh will not be valid in this case.

(ibid)

4.     Although it is necessary for the reciter to listen to the voice of recitation himself, the sound should not reach others in Sirrī Ṣalāh (the Ṣalāh in which recitation is done in low volume). Similarly, listening to the voice of recitation while reciting Tasbīḥāt etc. is also necessary.

5.     Likewise, whatever is to be recited or said even other than Ṣalāh, it must be recited or said in such a loud voice that the reciter or speaker could hear himself; for example, giving a divorce, freeing a slave or mentioning the name of Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ when slaughtering an animal. In all these cases, the words must be said loud enough for the reciter to hear.

(ibid)

The same should be kept in mind when reciting Durūd Sharīf and other Awrāds.

6.     To recite at least one Āyah in the first two Rak'at of a Farḍ Ṣalāh, every Rak'at of Witr, Sunan and Nawāfil Ṣalāh is Farḍ for the Imām as well as the Munfarid.

(Marāqil falāḥ, pp. 51)

7.     A Muqtadī is not allowed to do Qirā-at in Ṣalāh, neither Sūra-e-Fātiḥah nor any other Āyah; neither in a Sirrī Ṣalāh nor in a Jahrī Ṣalāh. The Qirā-at of the Imām is sufficient for the Muqtadī.

(Marāqil falāḥ, pp. 51)

8.     If someone did not do Qirā-at in any Rak'at of Farḍ Ṣalāh or did Qirā-at only in one Rak'at, his Ṣalāh would be invalid.

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 69, vol. 1)

9.     One should recite the Qurān slowly in Farḍ Ṣalāh and, at a medium pace, in Tarāwīḥ. Fast recitation in Nawāfil of the night is permissible, however, the words should be clearly understandable, i.e. the Maddat should be pronounced with at least the minimum degree of length set by Qurrā, otherwise, it is Ḥarām, because we have been commanded to recite the Qurān with Tartīl (slowly).

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 320, vol. 2) (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 320, vol. 2)

These days, most of the Ḥuffāẓ recite in such a way that not to speak of maintaining the length of Mad; one cannot understand any word except يَعْلَمُوْنَ,تَعْلَمُوْنَ, they do not pronounce the letters properly, they even miss out words. Even worse, they boast amongst others about their speed of recitation. Reciting the Quran in such a manner is strictly Ḥarām.

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 547, vol. 1)

No comments:

Post a Comment