seated; when the moment for bowing approached he would rise and perform the bowing and the prostrations standing. At other times he would bow and prostrate while still seated. This may have been due to a valid excuse, or simply to demonstrate permissibility. Yet the fact that—despite beginning the prayer seated—he made a point of standing in order to bow and prostrate shows that doing so while standing is superior, for it is more complete and inspires greater humility: one’s head and the limbs that prostrate descend before Allah from an upright posture.

Whoever has a regular supererogatory devotion—such as the forenoon prayer (ṣalāt al-ḍuḥā), the night prayer, or any other—should observe it wherever he may be. He should not forgo his prescribed practice merely because he is among people, provided that Allah knows from his heart that he performs it secretly for His sake while striving to remain free of showing off and all that corrupts sincerity. For this reason he said: