Jalsah al-Istirahah

Jalsah al-Istirahah

(Sitting briefly after Second Sujud in the Solāh

What is the ruling on Jalsah al-Istirahah?

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-'ālameen. There is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu alayhi wasallam, is His Messenger.

What is the ruling on Jalsah al-Istirahah?

It is mustahab to observe Jalsah al-Istirahah in the solāt; it is the brief sitting or pause after the second sajdah of each rak’ah in which one does not recite the Tashahhud immediately or stands up for the next rak’ah after the sujud.

A hadith to this effect was reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan al-Tirmidzi via different isnads that are also sahih.

Al-Shāfi`ie, Ishaq and Ahmad (rahimahumullāh) view it as a Sunnah and mustahab to observe it. Imam al-Nawawi (rahimallāh) said: Jalsah al-Istirahah is not mustahab after Sajdah al-Tilawah (Prostration of Recitation of Qur’an) during solah. And this is the consensus in the mazhab of al-Shafi`ie.

It was reported that Abu Qulabah (radiyallahu‘anhu) said:

“Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (radiyallahu‘anhu) showed us how the Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu alayhi wasallam) performed, and when he raised his head from the second sajdah in the first rak’ah, he sat and then stood up.”

[Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidzi]

The wording according to Sahih al-Bukhari is: “When he (Sallallāhu alayhi wasallam) raised his head from the second sajdah, he sat and settled on the ground, and then he stood up.”

I say [An-Nawawi]: one of the features of the solah is Jalsah al-Istirahah which should be done after every sajdah from which one stands up.

It is not Sunnah to do Jalsah al-Istirahah after Sajdah al-Tilawah, or when one is praying sitting down, or in the fourth or second rak’ah of Dzuhur, for example, if a person wants to recite Tashahhud. If he does not want to recite it, then it is Sunnah to do Jalsah al-Istirahah.

According to the soundest opinion Jalsah al-Istirahah is a separation between the  two rak’ahs: first and third; it is not a part of either the the second.

The best way is not to make it last longer than a few seconds, because according to the Sunnah, the shorter it is the better, like when one keeps quiet in prayer.

[Fatawa al-Imam al-Nawawi, p. 47]

[Excerpted with modification from Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.;Islam Q&A (Fatwa No: 3491)]

Description Of The Prophet’s Solāh

1. The Introduction; 1.6. Clearing the Misconceptions
 2.1. Facing the Ka`abah ;  2.2. Standing in Solah ; 2.3. Intention ; 2.4. Takbīratulihram ;

2.5. To Gaze towards the Place of Sujud and Humility;

2.6. Opening Supplications of Solāh; 2.7. The Recitation;

 2.8. Ruku ;  2.9. Sujud;   2.10. Second Rak`ah ;  2.11. First Tashahhud;
 2.12. Standing up for the Third, and then the Fourth Rak`ah;
 2.13. The Final Tashahhud;  2.14. The Taslim.

3. Appendixes.; 4. Glossary ; 5. Bibliography.

All About The Solah

1.  The Purification; 2. The Menstruation; 3.  The Ghusul ;

4. Al-Wudhu’ ; 5. Tayammum;

6. The Adzān;

7.  The Status and Significance of Solāh; 

8.  The Pre-Conditions of Solāh; 9. The Pillars of Solāh; 10. The Sunnah Part of the Solāh;

11.   Adhkar in the Solāh; 12.   Du'ā Al-Qunūt;

13.   Places Where Offering Solāh Is Prohibited ; 14.   Placing a Sutrah In front of One Who is Performing Solah;

15.   What is permissible During the Solāh?; 16.   The Acts that Renders Solāh Invalid; 17.   Disliked Actions during the Solāh; 18.   The Solāh in Times of Fear or Danger; 19.   The Solāh of a Sick Person ;

20.   The Prostrations of Forgetfulness of Solāh;

21.   The Excellence of Nawafil Solāh;

22.   Solāh of a Traveler; 23. Solāh Qasar ; 24.  Solāh Jama’; 25. The Solāh Jama’ ;

26.   The Masajid; 27.  The Etiquette at the Masjid;

28.   The Excellence of Congregational Solāh ;

29.   Solāh al-Jumu`ah; 30. The Sanctified Hour of Jumu’ah.

31.   The Virtues of Friday; 32. The Etiquette for Solāh al-Jumu`ah ;

33.   Dzikirullāh after Solāh; 34. Du`ā Recited After the Solāh. ;

35.   Reasons for doing Sujud Al-Sahwi ;

36.   Solāh al-Hajjat ; 37. Solāh al-Tahajjud ; 38. Solāh al-Tarawih ;

39.   Solāh al-Dhuha ; 40. Solāh al-Hajjat ; 41.  Solāh al-Istikhārah ;

42.   Solāh al-Janāzah; 43. Solāh al-Jumu`ah;

44.   Solāh al-Kasuf ; 45. Solāh al-Khauf ; 46. Solāh al-Marid; 47. Solāh al-Tahajjud ;

48.   Solāh al-Tahiyyyatul Masjid; 49. Solāh al-Tarawih; 50. Solāh al-Tawbah ;

51. Solāh al-Witr; 52.   Solāh al-Wudhu’ ; 53. Solāh Eid ul Fitr