Be Different From Animals in Prayers

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Part #1:

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:

The Prophet ﷺ forbade from imitating the animals while in prayers. For he ﷺ forbade from kneeling like a camel [1], and from looking here and there like a fox [2], and resting (spreading the forearms) on the ground like a wild beast [3], and squatting like a dog [4], and pecking like a crow [5], and from raising the hands like wild horses while concluding the Salaah with the Tasleem [6]. The actions of the one who is praying are different from the actions of the animals.

[Zaad al-Ma`aad (1/217-218)]

NOTES:

[1] Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ as saying: ❝When one of you prostrates, he must not kneel in the manner of a camel, but should put his hands down before his knees.❞

[Sunan Abu Dawood (840), Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (1091) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

 

[2] Narrated `Aaishah رضي الله عنها: I asked the Prophet ﷺ about one’s looking here and there during the prayer. He ﷺ replied: ❝It is what Shaitaan steals from the prayer of any one of you.❞

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (75, 3291)]

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ: ❝…forbade three things: pecking like a hen, squatting (Iq`aa') like a dog, and looking around like a fox.❞

[Musnad Ahmed (8106) and graded as “Hasan li Ghairihee by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Targheeb (555)]

[3] Narrated `Aaishah رضي الله عنها: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ: ❝...forbade the people to spread out their arms (on the ground) like a wild beast (during Sujood).❞

[Saheeh Muslim (498) part of a longer Hadeeth]

[4] Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said; ❝Adopt a moderate position while in Sujood (prostration), and see that none of you stretches out his forearms (on the ground) like a dog.❞

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (532, 822) and Saheeh Muslim (493)]

Moderate position or doing the Sujood properly, meaning: the seven parts of the body – the forehead along with the nose, the two palms with fingers close to each other pointing towards the Qiblah, the two knees, and the toes of both the feet – should be touching the ground, and that the person should keep his forearms raised above the ground, keeping the arms (elbows) away from touching his chest or his sides, with the back raised high (i.e. the belly should not touch the thighs), and the thighs should not touch the calf.

[5] `Abdul-Rahmaan Ibn Shibl رضي الله عنه said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ forbade three things: ❝Pecking like a crow, resting one's forearms on the ground like a predator, and to fix the same place in the Masjid (for prayer) like a camel which gets used to a certain place.❞

[Sunan Abu Dawood (862), Sunan Ibn Maajah (1429) and Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (1112) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

[6] Jaabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrated: We used to pray behind the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and we would greet (each other) with our hands. He ﷺ said: ❝What is the matter with those who greet (others) with their hands as if they were tails of wild horses? It is enough for you that one should place one’s hand on one’s thigh and then pronounce salutation upon one’s brother on the right side and then on the left.❞

[Saheeh Muslim (430, 431)]

Part #2:

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله:

In the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝…and see that none of you stretches out his forearms (on the ground) like a dog❞, he ﷺ especially mentioned the dog here as sharp disapproval and censuring.

 

In this Hadeeth, there is a clear indication that a person should not imitate animals. Similar has been mentioned in the Qur’aan when Allaah تعالى said:

 

﴿مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا ۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ﴾

 

{The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Tauraah (Torah) (i.e. to obey its commandments and to practice its legal laws), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them). How bad is the example (or the likeness)…}

[Surah al-Jumu`ah (62): 5]

 

﴿فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث﴾

 

{So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.}

[Surah al-A`raaf (7): 176]

 

﴿وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ﴾

 

{And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of donkeys.}

[Surah Luqman (31): 19]

 

And the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝One who takes back his gift (which he has already given) is like a dog that swallows its vomit.❞

[Saheehain]

 

All these shows that a person should not imitate the animals. And from this, we also learn that a person should not imitate the sounds of animals, like the crowing of a rooster, or the barking of a dog, or the braying of a donkey.

 

…Anyways, it is not befitting to imitate the animals for the children of Aadam about whom Allaah تعالى said:

 

﴿وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا﴾

 {and We preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.}

[Surah al-Israa (17): 70]

And this is so much disliked to the extent that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝It does not befit us to follow a bad example. The one who takes back his gift is like the dog who takes back his vomit.❞

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2622, 6975)]

[Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaaree of Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (2/364)]