Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
The imam in my masjid does not always point his toes towards the qibla. Some said this is wajib. Others said it is fard. One person told me, don’t worry about it. What is the truth, sir?
In the name of Allah, the inspirer of truth. All praise is to Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate, and all blessings and peace to our Master Muhammad, his family, companions, and those who follow them.
Pointing the toes towards the qibla during prostration is a confirmed sunna for those able to do so, as explained by Ibn Abidin in his Radd al-Muhtar and by Tahtawi in his Hashiyat al-Durr and his Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah.
These texts also explain that not pointing the toes towards the qibla is blameworthy and somewhat disliked (makruh tanzihan), but not sinful. It does not relate to the validity of the prayer.
Staying on the ground…
Ibn Abidin explains that it is obligatory (fard), however, to have at least on toe on the ground, if only for a moment, in prostration, and necessary (wajib) to place one toe from each foot on the ground, even if only for a moment.
It is disliked to lift a foot off the ground without reason in the prayer.
In prostration, it is:
- Obligatory (fard) to place any part of one toe of one foot on the ground, even if only for a moment
- Necessary (wajib) to place any part of one toe of both feet on the ground, even if only for a moment
- It would be disliked to lift one or both feet off the ground without reason, though doing so does not invalidate the prayer. Shaykh Mahmoud Usmani and Shaykh Adib Kallas both stated that there is no basis for this belief, as the texts are clear on this point, and it just rises out of a misreading of the texts or pious ignorance.
- A confirmed sunna to point one’s toes towards the qibla.
Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani.