Q: Is it permissible for a person to offer Salah (Prayer) while sitting on their feet and placing their buttocks on their shanks? This issue has created disagreement, so please, Your Honor, advise us in this regard.

A: It was reported in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) how he used to sit between the two Sujuds (Prostrations) in the first Tashahhud (testification recited in the sitting position in the second unit of Prayer), the last Tashahhud (testification recited in the sitting position in the last unit of Prayer), Tawarruk (placing the left foot under the right leg and sitting on the posterior during the last Tashahhud) and squatting. It was reported from Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) offering Salah. He performed Sujud, then he sat and stretched out his left foot (to sit on it). Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Al-Nasa'y. In another narration by Sa`id ibn Mansur, he said, I offered Salah behind the Prophet (peace be upon him). When he sat down to pronounce Tashahhud, he stretched out his left foot on the ground and sat on it. (Part No. 7; Page No. 53) It was also reported from Rifa`ah ibn Rafi` that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to a Bedouin, When you perform Sujud, be firm in your Sujud. When you sit, sit on your left foot. Narrated by Ahmad. In the Hadith reported from Abu Humayd and narrated by Al-Bukhari, When he sat between the two Rak`ahs (units of Prayer), he used to sit on his left foot and spread his right one. In the last Rak`ah, he used to precede his left foot, spread his right one and sit on his buttocks. In the Hadith reported from `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrated by Ahmad, Muslim and Abu Dawud, he used to place his left foot on the ground and raise up the right one. He prohibited the devil's way of sitting on the heels. In the Hadith reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade me from three things: Pecking like a crow, squatting like a dog, ..." Narrated by Ahmad. These Hadiths clarify that he (peace be upon him) used to sit between the two Sujuds while spreading his left foot, sitting on it and raising his right foot. He did the same in the first Tashahhud. In the last Tashahhud, he would put forth his left foot, raise the right one and sit on his buttocks. He (peace be upon him) prohibited sitting on one's heels like Satan. Its interpretation in the other Hadith was that it resembles the squatting of a dog. Al-Shawkany said that Abu `Ubayd and others interpreted this as the forbidden squatting, which is sitting on one's buttocks, raising the legs and putting the hands on (Part No. 7; Page No. 54) the ground like a dog. Ibn Raslan said in his book Sharh Al-Sunan, "It means spreading one's feet and sitting on one's heels." Al-Nawawy said, "The undisputable truth is that squatting is of two forms: the first is placing the buttocks on the ground, raising the legs and putting the hands on the ground like a dog. This is how Abu `Ubayd, Mu`ammar ibn Al-Muthanna , Abu `Ubayd Al-Qasim ibn Salam and other linguists described it. This is the reprehensible form which was forbidden. The second is placing the buttocks on the heels between the two Sujuds. Al-Shawkany said in his book Al-Nihayah that the first form is more correct, whereas the second form is the one which was reported from Ibn `Abbas, in Sahih Muslim and others. He said, "It is the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace be upon him)." Thus, it can be concluded that the prohibited form of squatting is raising the hips and the legs when sitting, and placing the hands on the ground. As for the form of squatting mentioned by Ibn `Abbas as a Sunnah, it is described in two ways: the first is spreading the feet and sitting on them; the second is spreading the feet and sitting on the heels. What is better than this is Iftirash (spreading one's left foot and sitting on it between the two prostrations while keeping the right foot vertical) between the two Sujuds and in the first Tashahhud, because it was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in many Sahih (authentic) Hadiths. As for Tawarruk, it is a Sunnah in the last Tashahhud in a three or four-Rak`ah Salah (Prayer consisting of three or four units).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.