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Is it Sunnah to keep the heels of the feet apart or touch in Sajdah according to Islamic texts?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftisays.com
ASSALAAMUALAYKUM Q1-IN AHSANUL FATAWA PART 3 IT STATES THAT IN SAJDAH IT IS SUNNAH FOR THE HEELS OF THE FEET TO BE KEPT APART AND IN SHAMI ,ILAAUS SUNNAN ETC IT STATES THAT IN SAJDAH IT IS SUNNAH FOR THE HEELS OF THE FEET TO TOUCH WHICH OF THE ABOVE IS CORRECT AND SUNNAH?
Answer
26th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1427 – 24th April 2006

Firstly, the Hadith does not mention keeping the heels
together. The words of the Hadith are
‘Raassan-al-Aqibain’ i.e joining of the ankles.

Standard Hanafi Fatawa books such as Shami etc, do
mention this as a Sunnah basing it on the Hadith of
Hazrat Aisha (R.A) recorded in Sahih Ibn Hibban as
mentioned in I’ilaa-us-Sunan. (Page 39, Vol. 3)

Many of our Akaabireen-Ulamaa-e-Deoband such as
Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri (R.A) (see
Al-Arf-Us-Shazi) have written this as a Sunnah.
Likewise, Hazrat Mufti Mahmood Saheb Gangohi (R.A)
also mentions this in Fatawaa Mahmoodiyyah. (Page 198,
Vol. 14)

However, Hazrat Mufti Rashid Ahmad Saheb (R.A) has
questioned the validity of this sunnah by saying that
the Hadith of Hadhrat Baraa (R.A) (I’ilaa-us-Sunan p.
39) apparently contradicts the hadith of Hazrat Aisha
(R.A) as the verb ‘Tafaajja’ is mentioned which
denotes that both feet were kept apart in Sajdah.

Thereafter Hazrat Mufti Rashid Ahmad saheb (R.A)
answers this apparent contradiction in two ways:-
(1) Tatbeeq – i.e. Both hadith can be reconciled if
the word ‘Rass’ is taken in the meaning of ‘Taqreeb’
i.e. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) kept
both feet close together in Sajdah but not necessarily
touching each other.

Hazrat Mufti Saheb (R.A) also mentions two reasons why
it is more appropriate to take the meaning of ‘Rass’
in Hazrat Aisha (R.A)’s hadith as ‘Taqreeb’:-

(i) The same hadith also mentions
‘Istiqbaal-ul-Asaabi-al-Qiblah’ (Facing the toes
towards the Qiblah) and
(ii) ‘Nasb-ul-Qadamain’ – keeping both feet up in
sajdah.

It is not possible to fulfil both these sunnats
completely when the ankles are kept together.

(2) Tarjeeh – Priority has to be given to the Hadith
of Hazrat Baraa (R.A) as it confirms to the sunnah of
‘Tajaafi’ in Ruku and Sajood. I.e. Just as it is
sunnah for men to separate the arms from the sides in
Ruku and Sajdah, therefore the logical sequence would
be to keep the feet also apart in Sujood.

Having tried joining the ankles in Sajdah a number of
times, personally I am of the opinion that the the
‘Tatbeeq’ offered by Hazrat Mufti Rashid Ahmad saheb
(R.A) is more appropriate as well as practical.
Joining of the ankles also require the knees to be
displaced from their natural position of comfort.

Wallahu A’alam Bis Sawaab.
(Mufti) Abdullah Patel.

N.B.
My respected Ustaadh Sheikh-ul-Hadith Hazrat Moulana
Fazlur-Rahmaan Saheb (D.B) (D.Uloom Azaadville, S.
Africa) is also of the opinion that joining the ankles
is sunnah and during one of his visits to the U.K he
mentioned to me that he has written a reply to Mufti
Rashid Ahmad Saheb’s arguments. However, I have not
seen Hazrat Moulana’s ‘Tahqeeq’

————————————–
(Mufti) Abdullah Patel
Halal Food Guide

Original Source Link

This answer was collected from MuftiSays.com, based in London (UK). It is one of the fruits of Darul Uloom London. Many ‘ulama are involved in answering the Q&A on the site, including: Shaikul Hadeeth Mufti Umar Farooq Sahib, Mufti Saifur Rahman Sahib, Mufti Abdullah Patel Sahib, Maulana Qamruz Zaman Sahib, Mufti Abu Bakr Karolia Sahib.

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