Someone may contend that the report is contradicted by, or has been annulled by, another text. Yet standing in the prayer is not, in reality, an act of imitation; therefore it cannot be deemed objectionable. Whenever a legal ruling is linked to a given rationale and is then set aside while that very rationale remains, this can only be because some other consideration outweighed it at the moment of abrogation, or because the rationale’s force weakened—not because the rationale itself was invalid, for that is impossible. All of this would hold only if the ruling here had truly been abrogated. How much more so when the correct view is that this ḥadith is still operative! More than one Companion acted upon it after the passing of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, even though they were aware that he prayed sitting during his final illness.

Furthermore, the Prophet’s command regarding it has come down to us through numerous clear and sound transmissions, making it impossible for the report of his illness to override them, as is detailed elsewhere: either because both modes are permissible—standing does not contradict sitting—or because a distinction exists between the one who begins the prayer seated and the prayer the imam began standing, since the former is not included