Qiyam

Qiyām(Arabic:قيام,"orthostasis/standing" ) is an integral part of the Islamicsalah.The prayer begins in the standing position and some prayers only require theqiyām,such asSalat al-Janazah.

In the Quran

To "stand before God" is sometimes used in the Quran in reference to the Islamic prayer.

Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind).

— Quran, (2:238)

Overview

A general unit or cycle of salah calledraka'ahis commenced while standing and saying thetakbir,which isالله أَڪْبَر(transliteration "Allahu-akbar", meaning God is Greatest). The hands are raised level with shoulders or level with top of the ears, with fingers apart and not spaced out or together.^[1]^[2]It is in this position that sections of the Quran are recited.^[1]

I'tidālis straightening up fromruku'to stand a second time. The back is straightened and the following is saidسمع الله لمن حمده(transliteration “Sami' Allaahu liman hamidah”, meaning “Allah listens and responds to the one who praises him” ).^[1]^[2]Additionally, some of many praises to God for this situation is said such asربنا لك الحمد(transliteration “Rabbanaa wa lakal-hamd”, meaning “O our Lord! And all praise is for You” ).^[2]The takbir is said again and the worshipper moves into prostration.^[2]

Types of prayers

In the five daily prayers,sunnah salat(the voluntary, additional prayers) and most other prayers,qiyāmis one part of the prayer.

Insalat al-Janazah,the Islamicfuneral prayerwhich is part of theIslamic funeralritual, the entire prayer consists ofqiyām.

Sayings during qiyām

Most of the reciting of the Quran that occurs during Islamic prayer is done while inqiyām.The first chapter of the Quran,Al-Fatiha,is recited while standing.^[1]^[2]Sahih Muslimrecorded that Abu Hurayrah said thatMuhammadsaid, «مَنْ صَلَى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ ثَلَاثًا غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ‎» (Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not read Umm Al-Qur'an, then his prayer is incomplete.)

Additionally, recitations from any other section from the Quran of choice is followed in the first or second raka’ah.^[1]^[2]

Position of hands in qiyām

Where the hands are placed inqiyāmvaries among the differentIslamic schools and branches.^[3]These differences have manifested into theqabd-sadldispute. Among Sunnis, several hadith indicate thatqabd(praying with arms crossed) is desirable, if not obligatory; however,sadl(arms hanging by the sides) is still preferred among many Malikis.^[4]The debate predominantly exists in Maliki-practicing areas, such as NorthernNigeria,due to the influence of other Sunni schools.^[5]^[6]

Sunni view

Hanafi

ForHanafis,men put their hands below the navel. Women put their hands on their chest.

Maliki

Unique amongSunnis(but likeShiaandIbadiMuslims), manyMalikisput their hands on the thighs or by their sides. Among those who adhere to this practice, the basis is in the practice of the Medinan community in the generations shortly followingMuhammad's time, as recorded by Malik bin Anas and transmitted by him as authoritative. "According to Imam Malik the prayers should be offered with unfolded hands, he considers the folding of hands as undesirable in obligatory prayers and permissible in Nafl prayers.”^[7]However, this practice is not universal, with the Maliki scholarQadi Ayyad,for example, opining in hisQawa'id al-Islam,that the practice is "unsupported by any authentic hadith".^[8]^[9]

Shafi'i

Shafi'isput their hands above the navel and under the chest.

Hanbali

Hanbalis can put their hands either below the navel like Hanafis, or above the navel like Shafi’is.

Salafi view

Majority of Salafis place the right hand over the left hand over the chest, but Salafis are not restricted to one particular way, so different Salafis can follow the way of Hanbalis, Hanafis, Shafi'is, and Malikis.^{[citation needed]}

Shia view

Twelver Shia

Twelversput their hands on the thighs or on their side.

Zaydi Shia

Zaydisplace their hands on the thighs or at their sides.

Ibadi view

Just like Shia Muslims and Maliki Sunnis,Ibadisput their hands on the thighs or on their side.^{[citation needed]}

Straightening prayer rows

A number of ahadith exist regarding the need to straighten the rows when standing during the prayer.^[10]For example, the companion Anas relates thatMuhammadsaid:"Stand close together in your rows, keep them near each other and stand neck to neck. By Him in whose hand is my life, I see the devil entering between the gaps as do the small lambs."^[11]^[12]

Similarly, Abu Umamah relates Muhammad saying: "Straighten your rows, stand shoulder to shoulder, be soft upon your brother and fill the gaps, for the devil enters through the gaps like the small lambs. "^[13]^[12]

Al-Shawkaniexplains the above which orders to "stand shoulder to shoulder" to mean: "Aligning the body parts with one another so that the shoulders of each person praying are arranged and in line with the shoulders of others. In this way, shoulders and necks will be aligned."^[14]^[12]

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eHaddad, Yvonne Yazbeck; Smith, Jane I. (1 January 2014).The Oxford Handbook of American Islam.Oxford University Press. p. 162.ISBN 9780199862634.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^fShaikh Muhammad Ilyas Faisal,"Sifatus Salat: The Method of Salat in Light of the Authentic Ahadith."Madinat al-Munawwara. 08, October 2014.
^Roman Loimeier (2013).Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology.Indiana University Press. pp. 23–4.ISBN 9780253007971.
^Marloes Janson (2013).Islam, Youth and Modernity in the Gambia: The Tablighi Jama'at(illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 83.ISBN 9781107040571.
^Gomez-Perez, Muriel, ed. (2005).L'islam politique au sud du Sahara: identités, discours et enjeux.KARTHALA Editions. p. 344.ISBN 9782845866157.
^Roman Loimeier (2011).Islamic Reform and Political Change in Northern Nigeria(illustrated, reprint ed.). Northwestern University Press. pp. 79–83.ISBN 9780810128101.
^Sharh e Muslim, volume 1, page 590, by Allama Ghulam Rasool Sa’eedi, Lahore
^Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa (2000).Shariʼah and the press in Nigeria: Islam versus Western Christian civilization.Kurawa Holdings Ltd. p. 219.ISBN 9789783091078.
^Zachary Valentine Wright (2015).Living Knowledge in West African Islam: The Sufi Community of Ibrāhīm Niasse.BRILL. p. 227.ISBN 9789004289468.
^Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck; Smith, Jane I. (1 January 2014).The Oxford Handbook of American Islam.Oxford University Press. p. 163.ISBN 9780199862634.
^Abu Dawud, no.667; al-Nasa’i, no.814, with a sahih chain.al-Nawawi,al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2000), 4:227; al-Arna’ut, Sunan Abi Dawud (Damascus: Dar al-Risalah al-‘Alamiyyah, 2009), 2:9.
^^a ^b ^cAbu Aaliyah,"Joining Feet to Straighten Prayer-Rows: Is it a Sunnah?"15 March 2016
^Ahmad, Musnad, no.21760. It was confirmed as authentic (sahih) in al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1986), no.1840.
^Nayl al-Awtar (Riyadh: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 2006), 6:113.

[Haddad-1] Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck; Smith, Jane I. (1 January 2014).The Oxford Handbook of American Islam.Oxford University Press. p. 162.ISBN 9780199862634.

[Sunnah-2] Shaikh Muhammad Ilyas Faisal,"Sifatus Salat: The Method of Salat in Light of the Authentic Ahadith."Madinat al-Munawwara. 08, October 2014.

[3] Roman Loimeier (2013).Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology.Indiana University Press. pp. 23–4.ISBN 9780253007971.

[4] Marloes Janson (2013).Islam, Youth and Modernity in the Gambia: The Tablighi Jama'at(illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 83.ISBN 9781107040571.

[5] Gomez-Perez, Muriel, ed. (2005).L'islam politique au sud du Sahara: identités, discours et enjeux.KARTHALA Editions. p. 344.ISBN 9782845866157.

[6] Roman Loimeier (2011).Islamic Reform and Political Change in Northern Nigeria(illustrated, reprint ed.). Northwestern University Press. pp. 79–83.ISBN 9780810128101.

[7] Sharh e Muslim, volume 1, page 590, by Allama Ghulam Rasool Sa’eedi, Lahore

[8] Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa (2000).Shariʼah and the press in Nigeria: Islam versus Western Christian civilization.Kurawa Holdings Ltd. p. 219.ISBN 9789783091078.

[9] Zachary Valentine Wright (2015).Living Knowledge in West African Islam: The Sufi Community of Ibrāhīm Niasse.BRILL. p. 227.ISBN 9789004289468.

[Haddad2-10] Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck; Smith, Jane I. (1 January 2014).The Oxford Handbook of American Islam.Oxford University Press. p. 163.ISBN 9780199862634.

[11] Abu Dawud, no.667; al-Nasa’i, no.814, with a sahih chain.al-Nawawi,al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2000), 4:227; al-Arna’ut, Sunan Abi Dawud (Damascus: Dar al-Risalah al-‘Alamiyyah, 2009), 2:9.

[AubAaliyah-12] Abu Aaliyah,"Joining Feet to Straighten Prayer-Rows: Is it a Sunnah?"15 March 2016

[13] Ahmad, Musnad, no.21760. It was confirmed as authentic (sahih) in al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1986), no.1840.

[14] Nayl al-Awtar (Riyadh: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 2006), 6:113.

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