5. Establishment the Prayer
٥۔ كتاب إقامة الصلاة والسنة فيها
‘By the One Who took his soul (i.e., the soul of the Prophet ﷺ), he did not die until he offered most of his prayers sitting down. And the dearest of the actions to him was the righteous action that the person does regularly, even if it were a little.”
وَالَّذِي ذَهَبَ بِنَفْسِهِ ﷺ مَا مَاتَ حَتَّى كَانَ أَكْثَرُ صَلاَتِهِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ وَكَانَ أَحَبُّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَيْهِ الْعَمَلَ الصَّالِحَ الَّذِي يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ الْعَبْدُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسِيرًا
“The Prophet ﷺ used to recite Qur’an sitting down, then when he wanted to bow he would stand up for as long as it takes a person to recite forty Verses.”
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ قَامَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ إِنْسَانٌ أَرْبَعِينَ آيَةً
“I did not see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ offer any of the night prayers in any way other than standing, until he became old. Then he started to pray sitting down until, when there were thirty or forty Verses left of his recitation, he would stand up and recite them, and prostrate.”
مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ إِلاَّ قَائِمًا حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِي السِّنِّ فَجَعَلَ يُصَلِّي جَالِسًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَقِيَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ قِرَاءَتِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ آيَةً أَوْ ثَلاَثُونَ آيَةً قَامَ فَقَرَأَهَا وَسَجَدَ
“I asked ‘Aishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at night. She said: ‘He used to pray for a long time at night standing up, and for a long time at night sitting down. If he prayed standing, he would bow standing, and if he prayed sitting, he would bow sitting.’”
عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِاللَّيْلِ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي لَيْلاً طَوِيلاً قَائِمًا وَلَيْلاً طَوِيلاً قَاعِدًا فَإِذَا قَرَأَ قَائِمًا رَكَعَ قَائِمًا وَإِذَا قَرَأَ قَاعِدًا رَكَعَ قَاعِدًا