- The scholars are unanimously agreed that bowing is an indispensable pillar. (1)
His statement, “and rising from it”: this is the fifth pillar. Had the author said, “and raising oneself from it,” that would have been more fitting, since raising oneself precedes attaining an upright position, and because it would accord with the hadith: “Then rise until you are standing upright.” (2) However, he departed from that wording lest it be assumed that what is meant is merely rising, and because uprightness necessarily follows from rising, and because the wording of the two Sahih collections is: “Then rise until you are standing upright.” (597)
The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah concerning the man who performed his prayer improperly, in which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Then rise until you are standing upright.” (3) He thus commanded rising until one has attained an upright posture, which is complete standing.
Excluded from this is the second bowing and those that follow it in the eclipse prayer, for they are sunnah. Thus, if a person performs the eclipse prayer in the manner of an ordinary prayer, his prayer is valid.
The eclipse prayer has two bowings in each rak‘ah: the first bowing is a pillar, whereas the second is sunnah. If a person omits it, his prayer is valid.
Also excluded is one who is unable. If someone has an illness in his spine and is unable to rise, he is not required to rise. Likewise, if a person is hunchbacked, with his back curved, and cannot stand upright, this is not required of him. Rather, he should intend it as a rising and say: “Allah hears whoever praises Him.”