The Distinguished Jurists Primer by Ibn Rushd

The jurists agreed that the communication of the performance of prayer is addressed to the marid, and that the obligation to stand up (and pray) is waived for him only if he is unable to do so, in which case he prays while seated. Likewise, the obligation for bowing and prostrating is waived if he is unable to do either or both, and he may mak$ a sign in their place. They disagreed about the condition of a person who may pray while seated, about the sitting posture, and about the posture of one who is unable to sit or stand.

A group of jurists said about the person who may pray while seated that he is one who is not able to stand at all. Another group of jurists said that he is a person for whom it is difficult to stand up because of illness. This is Malik’s opinion. The reason for disagreement stems from the question of whether the obligation to pray while standing is waived because of hardship (mashaqqa) or because of the inability to stand up. There is no explicit text on this.

About the sitting posture, which is a substitute for standing, a group of jurists said that the person is to sit on his buttocks with folded legs. Ibn Mas ud c disapproved of such a sitting posture. Those who upheld such a sitting posture (tarabbus) did not distinguish between this posture and that adopted for tashahhud, while those who disapproved it maintained that it is not a posture for prayer.With respect to the manner of prayer for one who is not able to stand or sit, H * gfoup of jurists said that the person may pray while reclining on one side E (faCing the qibla), while another group said that he is to pray as is convenient Efor hi01? and a third group said that he is to pray with his legs (feet) pointed in R the direction of the Ka^a. One group maintained that if he is not able to sit, 1 js to pray reclined on one side, but if he is not able to recline on his side, he E is to rest on his back with his legs (feet) pointing in the direction of the qibla to b the extent that he is able to do so. This opinion has been selected by Ibn al- ! Mundhir.