Draft:Standing Connected to Ruku
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Standing Connected to Ruku' (Arabic: القیامُ المُتَّصِلُ بِالرُّکوعِ) is one of the essentials of prayer (arkān). It requires the worshipper to be in a fully upright, stationary position immediately before transitioning into ruku' (bowing). The omission of this standing, whether intentional or accidental, invalidates the prayer. Key conditions for a valid Standing Connected to Ruku' include maintaining bodily stillness without relocating, planting both feet on the ground (though the body's weight may rest predominantly on one foot), and avoiding any bending or leaning, except in cases of necessity or forgetfulness. According to Islamic jurists, if the body moves or leans unintentionally, the prayer must be repeated.
Jurisprudential rulings dictate that if a worshipper is physically capable of standing, they must perform this qiyam before proceeding to ruku'. If an individual praying from a seated or recumbent position regains the ability to stand during the prayer, they are obligated to stand for this phase. Furthermore, if a worshipper forgets to perform ruku' and sits directly after reciting Sura al-Hamd and the subsequent sura, they must stand fully upright (qiyam) before bowing into ruku' to ensure the prayer remains valid.
Definition and Status
Classified among the essentials of prayer, the Standing Connected to Ruku' is a foundational element; its omission—whether deliberate or accidental—renders the prayer void.[1] The concept dictates that the worshipper must assume a fully upright position (qiyam) before bowing, and executing this action (ityan) is wajib (obligatory).[2] Importantly, this standing does not require a prolonged pause or lingering prior to bowing;[3] rather, it signifies achieving a state of complete, stationary uprightness before initiating ruku'.[4]
Conditions of Standing Connected to Ruku'
To ensure the validity of the qiyam and the overall correctness of the prayer, the worshipper must adhere to specific conditions while performing all obligatory standings, including the Standing Connected to Ruku':
- The worshipper must not walk or shift locations during the qiyam.[5]
- The body must remain entirely at rest. Movement, bending, or leaning during the qiyam invalidates the posture unless caused by sheer necessity or forgetfulness.[6] Nevertheless, certain scholars assert that if a worshipper bends, moves, or leans out of forgetfulness during this specific standing, they must, based on obligatory precaution, complete the current prayer and then repeat it.[7]
- Both feet must remain in contact with the ground. However, the body's weight does not need to be distributed evenly; resting the majority of one's weight on a single foot is permissible.[8]
- For an individual physically capable of standing properly, spreading the legs excessively to the point where it no longer resembles a customary standing posture invalidates the prayer.[9] The worshipper must stand securely on both feet; balancing exclusively on one foot, solely on the toes, or solely on the heels is impermissible.[10]
- Addressing the obligation for those who pray while seated, Imam Khomeini clarified in a religious edict that such individuals must transition directly into ruku' from their seated posture.[11]
Rulings of Standing Connected to Ruku'
Islamic jurists have extensively outlined the rulings pertaining to the Standing Connected to Ruku' in their practical treatises (risalahs). Notable rulings include:
- An individual whose religious duty mandates performing the prayer while standing—meaning they possess no valid excuse to pray while seated or lying down—must be in a state of qiyam immediately before bowing.[12]
- If a worshipper praying in a seated or recumbent position regains the physical ability to stand after reciting Sura al-Hamd and the subsequent sura, they are obligated to stand up and then proceed into ruku'.[13]
- During the standing posture, it is mustahabb (highly recommended) to maintain a perfectly straight body, distribute weight evenly across both feet, relax the shoulders, rest the hands flat against the thighs with joined fingers, and direct one's gaze toward the place of sajda (prostration). Additionally, it is recommended for men to stand with their feet separated by a distance spanning three fingers to a handspan, whereas women are advised to keep their feet joined.[14]
- If a worshipper unintentionally moves or leans against an object during the Standing Connected to Ruku' due to forgetfulness, they must, based on obligatory precaution, finish the current prayer and then perform it again to ensure validity.[15]
- Should a worshipper forget to perform ruku' and proceed directly to a seated position after reciting Sura al-Hamd and the second sura (or the Tasbihat al-Arba'a), they must upon realization stand completely upright before bowing into ruku'. Transitioning into ruku' from a partially bent or seated position bypasses the required standing, thereby invalidating the prayer.[16]
- If a worshipper realizes they omitted ruku' while already bending forward to perform sajda, they must return to a full, upright standing posture before bowing. Simply adjusting into ruku' from their current bent position renders the prayer invalid, even if the initial omission was entirely due to forgetfulness.[17]
Notes
- ↑ Najafī, Jawāhir al-kalām, 1263 Sh, vol. 9, p. 239.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, 1419 AH, vol. 2, p. 473.
- ↑ Sīstānī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1393 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 1252.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, 1419 AH, vol. 2, p. 473.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 170; Sīstānī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1393 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 1253.
- ↑ Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 170.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1392 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 962.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1392 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 963.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 172.
- ↑ Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 171.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Istiftāʾāt, 1392 Sh, vol. 2, p. 120.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1392 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 958.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā, 1419 AH, vol. 2, p. 485.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1392 Sh, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 977.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil, 1392 Sh, issues 961, 962.
- ↑ Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil-i sīzdih marjiʿ, section on the obligatories of prayer, issue 960.
- ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 170.
References
- Imām Khumaynī, Sayyid Rūḥullāh. Istiftāʾāt. Tehran, Muʾassasih-yi Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, 1392 Sh.
- Imām Khumaynī, Sayyid Rūḥullāh. Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil. Qom, Muʾassasih-yi Nashr wa Tanẓīm-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, 1392 Sh.
- Imām Khumaynī, Sayyid Rūḥullāh. Taḥrīr al-wasīla. Tehran, Muʾassasih-yi Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, 1385 Sh.
- Najafī, Muḥammad Ḥasan. Jawāhir al-kalām fī sharḥ sharāʾiʿ al-islām. Edited by ʿAbbās Qūchānī and ʿAlī Ākhūndī. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1263 Sh.
- Sīstānī, Sayyid ʿAlī. Risālih-yi touḍīḥ al-masāʾil. Mashhad, Daftari-i Ḥaḍrat-i Āyatullāh al-ʿUẓmā Sīstānī, 1393 Sh.
- Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, Sayyid Muḥammad Kāẓim. al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā. Qom, Muʾassasih-yi Nashr-i Islāmī, 1419 AH.