“And Ḥammād ibn Zayd used to do it.” He then said:

“I myself follow the ḥadith of Rifāʿah ibn Rāfiʿ as transmitted by Ibn ʿAjlān: ‘Then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration; then rise until you are at ease sitting; then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration; then stand.’ ”

I say: This provides no proof for rejecting what is affirmed in the report of Ibn al-Huwairith and others, for its utmost import is that the sitting is simply omitted. The sitting is a sunnah, not an obligation; so how could it be mentioned in the ḥadith of the man who prayed poorly, in which the Prophet taught him only the obligatory elements and not the recommended ones? See al-Majmūʿ 3/443.

Because this argument is so weak, Imām Aḥmad—may Allah have mercy on him—ultimately returned to practicing according to the ḥadith of Ibn al-Huwairith, and that, beyond doubt, is the correct position.

His statement: “In the ḥadith of Ibn ʿAjlān there is evidence that he would rise on the balls of his feet.”

I reply: If he means the report of Ibn ʿAjlān from Rifāʿah cited earlier in ʿAbd Allāh’s narration from Aḥmad, it contains no mention of rising in that manner; moreover, it belongs to the Prophet’s instruction to the man who prayed poorly, not to his own practice, as already explained. If he means another report, I do not know it. On the first assumption, the wording is problematic, for it implies that the ḥadith of Rifāʿah is different from that of Ibn ʿAjlān, whereas they are one and the same—so reflect on this.

He also said: “All the other Companions who described the Prophet’s prayer did not mention this sitting; it is mentioned only in the ḥadith of Abū Ḥumayd and of Mālik ibn al-Huwairith.”

I say: In the ḥadith of Abū Ḥumayd the Prophet’s prayer is described, and the sitting is included—in the presence of ten of the Prophet’s Companions. At the end they declared, “You have spoken the truth; that is exactly how he used to pray.”