Hadith 14
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Maintain balance in prostration, and let none of you spread his forearms the way a dog spreads them.”
Overall meaning
The Prophet ﷺ commands worshippers to adopt a well-proportioned posture in prostration: they place their palms on the ground while lifting their forearms and keeping them away from the flanks. This stance reflects the energy and eagerness required in prayer and enables every limb involved in prostration to take its proper share of worship.
He also forbids laying the forearms flat, for that betrays laziness and boredom, and it likens the noblest moment of worship to the posture of one of the lowest and filthiest animals—a comparison unbefitting the dignity of prayer.
Lessons derived from the hadith
- It is prescribed to maintain a balanced, legislated posture during prostration.
- Spreading the forearms flat in prostration is prohibited because it signals laziness and resembles the way a dog sits; likeness to contemptible things should be shunned in prayer.
- The hadith also implies the reprehensibility of imitating animals, especially while performing an act of worship.
A notable benefit
The Lawgiver has instructed us to differ from both lowly and noble animals in the postures of prayer. He forbade turning the head like the darting glance of a fox, sprawling like a predatory beast, squatting like a dog, pecking the ground like a crow, gesturing with the hands like the restless swishing of horses’ tails (1), or collapsing to the ground like a camel. All such animal-like behaviors are proscribed, for prayer is a private conversation with Allah and therefore deserves the finest posture and the most excellent form.