6/16. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 735a — Prayer Sitting Is Half
It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers standing or sitting, and to stand and sit in the same rak`ah
Hadith About Prayer Sitting Being Half of the Prayer
Sahih Muslim : 735a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 735a
وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ يَسَافٍ، عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ حُدِّثْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا نِصْفُ الصَّلاَةِ " . قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي جَالِسًا فَوَضَعْتُ يَدِي عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو قُلْتُ حُدِّثْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ " صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا عَلَى نِصْفِ الصَّلاَةِ " . وَأَنْتَ تُصَلِّي قَاعِدًا قَالَ " أَجَلْ وَلَكِنِّي لَسْتُ كَأَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ " .
'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said: The prayer observed by a person sitting is half of the prayer. I came to him (ﷺ) and found him praying in a sitting position. I placed my hand on his head. He said: O 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, what is the matter with you? I said: Messenger of Allah, it has been narrated to me that you said: The prayer of a man in a sitting position is half of the prayer, whereas you are observing prayer sitting. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes, it is so, but I am not like anyone amongst you.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 735aIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 145USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1600
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 735a
This hadith about prayer sitting gives both a statement and a question. Abdullah b. Amr heard that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said the prayer of a person sitting is half of the prayer. Later, he saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) praying while sitting and asked about it. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) confirmed the statement, then said, I am not like anyone amongst you. The explanation should stay with the words of the text. It does not describe every case or every ruling. It shows that Abdullah wanted to understand what he had heard, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered him directly. For searches like prayer sitting is half hadith, Sahih Muslim 735a, and seated prayer hadith, this narration is the key text.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith states that a person’s prayer sitting is half of the prayer.
- Abdullah b. Amr asked when he saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) praying sitting.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) confirmed the statement but noted his own special case.
- Asking for clarification is shown in a respectful way.
