بَابُ الرُّكُوعِRuku’

And the saying of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic: “So glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great.” (Al-A’la: 1)

And His saying: “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.” (Al-A’la: 1)

And His saying: “O you who have believed, bow and prostrate.” (Al-Hajj: 77)

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Establish the bowing and prostration properly, for by Allah, I see you after me.” [Agreed upon]

Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A man's prayer is not sufficient until he straightens his back in bowing and prostration.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Darimi]

Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a Hasan Sahih Hadith.

Al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The bowing, prostration, sitting between the two prostrations, and standing after bowing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were nearly equal in duration.” [Agreed upon]

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah’ (Allah hears the one who praises Him), he stood for so long that we would say, ‘He has forgotten.’ Then he would prostrate, and he would sit between the two prostrations for so long that we would say, ‘He has forgotten.’” [Narrated by Muslim]

Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The worst thief is the one who steals from his prayer.” They asked: “O Messenger of Allah, how does one steal from his prayer?” He said: “By not completing his bowing and prostration properly.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

Nu’man bin Murrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “What do you say about the drinker, the fornicator, and the thief? This was before the rulings regarding them were revealed. They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘They are immoral acts, and they carry punishments, but the worst theft is that of the one who steals from his prayer.’” They asked: “How does one steal from his prayer, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “By not completing his bowing and prostration properly.” [Narrated by Malik and Ahmad; Al-Darimi narrated a similar report]

Shaqiq said: “Hudhaifah saw a man not completing his bowing and prostration. When the man finished his prayer, Hudhaifah called him and said: ‘You have not prayed.’ And I believe he said: ‘If you were to die in this state, you would die on a way other than that upon which Allah created Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]

Talq bin Ali Al-Hanafi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, does not look at the prayer of a servant who does not straighten his back between his bowing and prostration.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, I have been prohibited from reciting the Qur’an while bowing or prostrating. As for bowing, glorify your Lord therein. And as for prostration, strive in supplication, for it is most likely to be answered.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to frequently say in his bowing and prostration: ‘سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي (Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You. O Allah, forgive me).’” [Agreed upon]

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his bowing and prostration: ‘سُبُوْحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبُّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالرُّوْحِ (Most Glorious, Most Holy, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit).’” [Narrated by Muslim]

Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I stood in prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When he bowed, he remained for the duration of Surah Al-Baqarah, saying in his bowing: ‘سُبْحَانَ ذِي الْجَبَرُوْتِ وَالْمَلَكُوْتِ وَالكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ (Glory be to the Possessor of Might, Dominion, Greatness, and Majesty).’” [Narrated by Al-Nasa’i]

Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When the verse ‘فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ’ (Al-Waqi’ah: 74) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Put it in your bowing.’ And when ‘سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى’ (Al-A’la: 1) was revealed, he said: ‘Put it in your prostration.’” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, At-Tahawi, and Al-Darimi]

At-Tahawi said: “It is possible that what was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in earlier reports was before these two verses were revealed, so they abrogated what came before them.” (Excerpted)

In Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar: “One should not say anything in his bowing and prostration other than glorification according to the preferred opinion. Whatever has been reported otherwise is understood to be in voluntary prayer.” Al-Khalbi said: “The matter is broad in scope.” (End quote)

Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his back from bowing, he said:

سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الْأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ

(Allah hears the one who praises Him. O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise, filling the heavens and the earth and filling whatever You will beyond that).’” [Narrated by Muslim]

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head from bowing, he said:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الْأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ ، أَهْلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ، أَحَقُّ مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ - وَكُلُّنَا لَكَ عَبْدُ : اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ

[Narrated by Muslim]

In "Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar": There is no supplication after rising from the bowing position (Ruku’), and whatever has been reported in this regard is applied to voluntary prayers, as previously mentioned.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Imam says: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ (Allah hears those who praise Him), then say: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ (O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise), for whoever's statement coincides with that of the angels, his past sins will be forgiven." [Agreed upon]

In the narration of Ibn Majah and Al-Nasa’i: "When the Imam says: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ then say: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ "

Our scholars have said: This is a division, for it is the division of Tasmi’ (saying "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah") and Tahmid (praising Allah), so the Tasmi’ was assigned to the Imam, and the Tahmid to the follower, and this contradicts participation. Therefore, the follower does not say Tasmi’, and the Imam does not say Tahmid. This is mentioned in "Al-Hidayah" and "Al-Binayah."

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he would say: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ he would follow it with: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ [Narrated by Ibn Majah]

In a narration by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from him: "Then he would say: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ when he would raise his back from Ruku’, then while standing, he would say: رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ

Our scholars have said: This applies to the case of praying alone, for the one praying alone combines both statements. This is mentioned in "Al-Hidayah" and "Al-Binayah."

‘Awn ibn ‘Abdullah reported from Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you bows and says in his Ruku’: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great) three times, then his Ruku’ is complete, and that is the minimum. And when he prostrates and says in his prostration: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times, then his prostration is complete, and that is the minimum." [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah]

Ibn Jubayr said: I heard Anas ibn Malik say: "I have not prayed behind anyone after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) whose prayer resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) more than this young man," meaning ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz. He said: "So we estimated his Ruku’ to be ten Tasbihat, and his prostration to be ten Tasbihat." [Narrated by Abu Dawud and Al-Nasa’i]

Our scholars have deduced from this narration and from the Hadith: "Indeed, Allah is Witr (One), and He loves Witr," that it is recommended to increase beyond three in Ruku’ and Sujood while ensuring that the last one is in an odd number, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to conclude with an odd number. End of quote.