Ruku in Salah
Total Hadiths 15
Prophetic Guidance on Perfecting the Ruku in Salah
These authentic prophetic traditions outline the precise physical components required to perform bowing (ruku) and prostration properly during prayer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) emphasized that a prayer is invalid if a person fails to bring their backbone to rest completely while bowing and prostrating, highlighting the necessity of stability and stillness. Believers are commanded to practice moderation in these postures, explicitly avoiding resting the forearms along the ground like a dog during prostration. Regarding hand placement during ruku, the companions noted that an early practice of keeping the hands together between the knees was subsequently replaced and forbidden. Instead, Muslims were strictly commanded to hold their knees firmly with the palms of their hands to maintain proper posture.
أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، وَحَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " اعْتَدِلُوا فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَلاَ يَبْسُطْ أَحَدُكُمْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ كَالْكَلْبِ " .
Anas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be moderate in bowing and prostration, and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1028In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 153English translation : Vol. 2, Book 11, Hadith 1029
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدَةُ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَتِمُّوا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرَاكُمْ مِنْ خَلْفِ ظَهْرِي فِي رُكُوعِكُمْ وَسُجُودِكُمْ " .
Anas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Bow and prostrate properly, for by Allah (SWT) I can see you from behind my back when you bow and prostrate."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1117In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 89English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1118
أَخْبَرَنَا نُوحُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ عَلَّمَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّلاَةَ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ طَبَّقَ يَدَيْهِ بَيْنَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَرَكَعَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ سَعْدًا فَقَالَ صَدَقَ أَخِي قَدْ كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ هَذَا ثُمَّ أُمِرْنَا بِهَذَا يَعْنِي الإِمْسَاكَ بِالرُّكَبِ .
`Abdullah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the prayer. He stood up and said the takbir, and when he wanted to bow, he put his hands together and put his hands between his knees and bowed. News of that reached Sa'd and he said: "My brother has spoken the truth. We used to do that, then we were commanded to do this," meaning to hold the knees.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1031In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 3English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1032
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو دَاوُدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، قَالَ سُنَّتْ لَكُمُ الرُّكَبُ فَأَمْسِكُوا بِالرُّكَبِ .
'Umar Narrated from:
It is established for you to hold the knees, so hold the knees.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1034In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 6English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1035
أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، فِي حَدِيثِهِ عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، قَالَ أَتَيْنَا أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ فَقُلْنَا لَهُ حَدِّثْنَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَقَامَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَكَبَّرَ فَلَمَّا رَكَعَ وَضَعَ رَاحَتَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ أَصَابِعَهُ أَسْفَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَجَافَى بِمِرْفَقَيْهِ حَتَّى اسْتَوَى كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقَامَ حَتَّى اسْتَوَى كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ .
Salim Narrated from:
We came to Abu Mas'ud and said to him: 'Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' He stood in front of us and said the takbir, then when he bowed he placed his palms on his knees and put his fingers lower than that, and he held his elbows out from his sides until every part of him had settled. Then he said: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Allah hears those who praise Him, our Lord, and to You be the praise), then he stood up until every part of him had settled.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1036In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 8English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1037
أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ رُكُوعُهُ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَسُجُودُهُ وَمَا بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ قَرِيبًا مِنَ السَّوَاءِ .
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib Narrated from:
The bowing of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and when he raised his head from bowing, and his prostration, and the time between the two prostration, were almost equal in length.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1065In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 37English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1066
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تُجْزِئُ صَلاَةٌ لاَ يُقِيمُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا صُلْبَهُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ " .
Abu Mas'ud Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The prayer is not valid if a man does not bring his backbone to rest while bowing and prostrating.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1027In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 152English translation : Vol. 2, Book 11, Hadith 1028
أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ خَشْرَمٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عِيسَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ يُونُسَ - عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تُجْزِئُ صَلاَةٌ لاَ يُقِيمُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا صُلْبَهُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ " .
Abu Mas'ud Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'No prayer is valid in which a man does not maintain his back (at ease) when bowing and prostrating.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1111In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 83English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1112
أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الرَّهَاوِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ، عَنْ زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ أَلاَ أُصَلِّي لَكُمْ كَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي فَقُلْنَا بَلَى . فَقَامَ فَلَمَّا رَكَعَ وَضَعَ رَاحَتَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ أَصَابِعَهُ مِنْ وَرَاءِ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَجَافَى إِبْطَيْهِ حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَامَ حَتَّى اسْتَوَى كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَجَافَى إِبْطَيْهِ حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ صَنَعَ كَذَلِكَ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَكَذَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي وَهَكَذَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِنَا .
'Uqbah bin 'Amir Narrated from:
Shall I not show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray? We said: "Yes." So he stood up and when he bowed, he placed his palms on his knees and put his fingers behind his knees, and held his arms out from his sides, until every part of him settled. Then he raised his head and stood up until every part of him settled.Then he prostrated and held his arms out from his sides, until every part of him settled. Then he sat up until every part of him settled. Then he prostrated again until every part of him settled. Then he did four rak'ahs like that. Then he said: "This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray, and this is how he used to lead us in prayer."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1037In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 9English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1038
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا، يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَتِمُّوا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ إِذَا رَكَعْتُمْ وَسَجَدْتُمْ " .
Qatada Narrated from:
I heard Anas narrate that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Bow and prostrate properly when you bow and prostrate.'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1054In-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 26English translation : Vol. 2, Book 12, Hadith 1055
