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Can I Perform Sunnah Prayers While Sitting?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Seekersguidance.org

Question: Asalamu alaikum. From what I have understood in the Hanafi school, one must pray the fard and wajib prayers and Sunna of fajr whilst standing, and all other prayers could be prayed sitting. Does this mean someone could even pray the 4 Sunna muakada before Zuhr whilst sitting? I have never seen anybody do this. Please kindly clarify.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Performing Sunnah Prayers While Sitting

Assalāmu ‘alaykum dear sister/brother in faith,

Yes, it would be permitted to pray the emphasized sunnah prayers associated with the five daily obligatory prayers (al-Sunnan al-Rawatib) while sitting, and the prayers would be valid.

Standing is an agreed-upon integral in the definitive obligatory prayers (Fard) and non-definitive mandatory prayers (Wajib). (Imdad al-Fattah, p. 83)

Sitting In Prayer Without Excuse Decreases Its Reward By Half

Nafl prayers may be performed while sitting. If there is an excuse for doing so, the reward of the prayer remains in full. If there is no excuse, it is still permitted, but the reward for such a nafl prayer would be decreased.

It was related by ‘Imran ibn Husayn (Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Messenger of Allah about the salah of one who is sitting, so he said (Allah bless him and give him peace),

“Whoever prays standing, that is better. Whoever prays sitting will have half the reward of the one who stands…”

[Tirmidhi, Book of Salah] [similar wording has been reported by both Bukhari and Muslim]

And Allah, Most High, knows best.

May Allah grant us all good standing with Him in all our affairs.

[Ustadha] Iman Badawi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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