Assalaamu alaykum. Shaykh, can you please tell me which opinion was adopted by Imam Ibn Hajr Al-Asqalaani regarding going into prostration with the knees or the hands first. Please reply with the specific opinion of Imam Al-Asqalaani, not others. Secondly, did he regard jalsat al-istiraahah (sitting after prostrating before standing up) recommended for every one or only for the person in need? May Allaah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We have not come across a statement of Ibn Hajar where he considers what is more preponderant between putting the hands before the knees or the knees before the hands when going down for prostration.

However, in his book Buloogh Al-Maraam, he considers the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah regarding putting the hands down first before the knees stronger than the hadeeth by Waa’il ibn Hajar about putting the knees first before the hands. He said in Buloogh Al-Maraam:

“'Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allaah said, 'When any one of you prostrates, let him not go down as a camel does; let him put his hands down first before his knees.'' [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi and An-Nasaa’i]

This hadeeth is stronger than the hadeeth narrated by Waa’il, which reads, 'I saw the Messenger of Allaah when he prostrated; he put his knees down first before his hands.' [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah and An-Nasaa’i]

The first hadeeth has supportive evidence in another hadeeth narrated by Ibn ‘Umar that Abu Khuzaymah classified as saheeh (sound) and Al-Bukhari cited as Mawqoof (attributing it to the Prophet with a chain of narrators terminating at the Companion level).”

Ibn Hajar elaborated on this issue when commenting on Imaam Al-Bukhari's statement, “Chapter: saying the Takbeer when one falls down in prostration, and Naafi’ said that Ibn ‘Umar used to put down his hands before his knees;” Ibn Hajar mentioned the narrations and the sayings of the jurists about it but his statements do not clarify which one of the two views he considers to be the more preponderant.

As for jilsat al-istiraahah (sitting for rest), then his statement in Fat-h Al-Baari suggests that he leaned to the view that it is a recommended Sunnah and that the Prophet did not just do it because he suffered from an ailment. Ibn Hajar also cited the views of the scholars who did not consider it as a recommended Sunnah after mentioning it. He said in Fath Al-Baari:

“Chapter of sitting straight (after the two prostrations before standing up) in an odd-numbered rak'ah (unit) of prayer: In which he stated the hadeeth by Maalik Ibn Al-Huwayrith, and its conformity is clear; it proves the permissibility of sitting after the two prostrations (and before standing up), and Ash-Shafi’i adopted this view along with a group of hadeeth scholars. Ahmad has two narrations, and Al-Khallaal said that Ahmad went back to encouraging it, and most scholars are not of the view that sitting after the two prostrations is recommended. At-Tahaawi argued that the hadeeth by Abu Humayd did not include it, as he quoted it with a wording that he stood up without sitting, and Abu Daawood reported it with the same wording. He said, "Since they disagreed in opinion, it is probable that what he did in the hadeeth reported by Maalik ibn Al-Huwayrith is that he had an ailment and sat down because of it and not that it is one of the Sunan (recommended acts) of the prayer." Then he strengthened this view that if this position of sitting down is intended, there should be a particular legislated mention to be said at this position. Those who adopted the opposite opinion said that the basic principle is that there was no ailment that necessitated it and that Maalik ibn Al-Huwayrith was the narrator of the hadeeth that reads “Pray as you see me praying.”; so his report on the method of the prayer of the Prophet is included in this matter. The hadeeth of Abu Humayd that was already mentioned can only be used as an evidence that it (jilsat al-istiraahah) is not obligatory and that he (the Prophet ) abandoned it to clarify that it was permissible [to do so]. Those who are of the view that such a sitting is not recommended hold firm to the saying of the Prophet “Do not precede me in standing up or in sitting down as I have become weighty.” So this is evidence that he used to do it for this reason [of being heavy, overweight] and so it is not permissible for anyone else to do it except for whoever has this reason. As regards saying that it should have a specified mention of Allaah, then the answer to this is that it is a very short sitting, so it is sufficient for it to say the Takbeer that is legislated for standing up because it is included in the process of standing up for the following rak'ah. In regard to its meaning, when the worshiper prostrates, he puts down his hands, knees and head, each organ is distinct; so when he lifts up his head and his hands, he should distinguish raising his knees, but this can be done by sitting first and then standing up. Nassir al-Deen ibn Al-Muneer highlighted this point in his Haashiyah. Also, the reports from Abu Humayd did not agree altogether in negating this position of sitting down as could be understood from what At-Tahaawi said. Rather, Abu Dawood also reported it (jilsat al-istiraahah) from him (Abu Humayd) with another chain of narrators confirming it. We will discuss this when speaking about the hadeeth reported by him after two chapters, Allaah willing. As regards the view of some of them that if it had been a Sunnah, then every Companion who described the method of the prayer of the Prophet would have mentioned it, hence this strengthens the view that he did it for a need, then this is to be considered; as none of those who have described the manner of the prayer of the Prophet has included all the Sunan that are agreed upon, but all these Sunan were taken from all the different narrators and not only from one of them.” [End of quote]

Allaah knows best.