then this is not slight support. But if, upon its removal, he would not fall, then it is slight.

If someone were to say, “This is not a precise criterion, because when a person is alert, he will not fall when that on which he was leaning is removed; whereas if he is inattentive, he will fall even if his reliance upon it was slight. So what is the answer?”

The answer is that the criterion is whether that on which he relies is bearing his weight. If it is bearing him, his standing is invalid; otherwise, it is valid.

Some scholars,(1) however, held that the general import of Allah’s saying,

“And stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.” [al-Baqarah 2:238]

and the Prophet’s ﷺ saying, “Pray standing,”(2) includes even one who leans on something such that he would fall if it were removed. That is, it is permissible to lean on something. But our jurists, may Allah have mercy on them, said that it is not permissible to lean heavily on something such that one would fall if it were removed.

They explained this by saying that it removes the hardship of standing, for such a person is like one reclining against the wall upon which he leans.

The Opening Takbir

His statement, “the opening takbir,” means the takbir of consecration. This is the second pillar, and its conditions have already been explained at the beginning of the description of the prayer.(3)

The opening takbir is one of the pillars of the prayer. None of the other takbirs is a pillar except the takbir of consecration, due to the Prophet’s ﷺ statement to the man who performed his prayer improperly: “Face the qiblah and say the takbir,”(4) and his ﷺ statement: “Its consecration is the takbir …”(5) Thus, the prayer is not validly commenced without the takbir.