The reward for the prayer of one who is seated is half that of one who prays standing

His statement, “The reward for the prayer of one who is seated is half that of one who prays standing,” means that the prayer of one who is seated is valid, but its reward is half that of the prayer of one who stands. What is meant here is voluntary prayer; this is why the author, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned it in the chapter on voluntary prayers.

As for an obligatory prayer, the prayer of one who is able to stand but prays seated carries no reward, because it is invalid. Standing when able is one of the pillars of the obligatory prayer.

His statement, “the reward for the prayer of one who is seated,” refers to one who sits without an excuse. But if he sits due to an excuse, and it was his usual practice to pray standing, then he receives the full reward, owing to the Prophet’s saying, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: “When a servant falls ill or travels, there is recorded for him the like of what he used to do while resident and in good health” (1).

This is among Allah’s blessings, for which a rational person ought to increase his voluntary prayers so long as he is in good health. For every voluntary prayer he performs while healthy will be recorded for him in full if he falls ill and becomes unable to perform it, as though he were still performing it.

But if he sits without an excuse, then his reward is half that of one who prays standing. Thus, if the reward of the standing person’s prayer is ten good deeds, the seated person receives five good deeds. It is also reported in the hadith that the reward of one who prays lying down is half the reward of one who prays seated (2). However, the majority of scholars did not act upon this part of the hadith, and did not deem the prayer of one lying down valid except when he has an excuse.