When any of you prostrates, he should not kneel down like a camel; rather, he should put down his hands before his knees

Arabic text

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه مرفوعًا: «إذا سجد أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَا يَبْرُك كَمَا يَبْرُكُ البَعِير، وَلْيَضَعْ يديه قبل ركبتيه».

Translation

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When any of you prostrates, he should not kneel down like a camel; rather, he should put down his hands before his knees.”

Explanation

This Hadīth demonstrates the way of going down for prostration. It suggests that one should place his hands down before his knees. However, there are other Hadīths stating that one should place his knees down before his hands. So, both ways are valid, and the one who does this or that should not be subject to criticism.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Prayer
• Method of Prayer