Ruling about Making the Last Prostration Long

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

The imam of my local Mosque always prolongs the last prostration for dua. I read that this is not from the Sunnah, and some say it’s even an innovation to do this because he does this every prayer, specifically in the last rakah and the scholars say he should have the same length for all ruku and for all sujood not single out the last rakah and make it the longest for dua. What is the correct understanding about it?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Prolonging the prostration, in a general sense, is established in the Sacred law, from various Prophetic narrations. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

It is also established tacitly (dimnan) from the many Prophetic narrations that tell of the Prophet’s (sometimes lengthy) supplications in prostration. [Ibid.]

Despite, prolonging prostration being established and encouraged, it is specific to one’s own private prayers and not congregational prayers. In congregational prayers, it is Sunna to keep prayers brief. [Ibid.]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Indeed, some of you are driving people away. Whoever of you is leading people in prayer, let them be brief; amongst them are weak, elderly, and needy people.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

During Congregational Prayer

For the Imam to do so in a congregation prayer is considered disliked, especially if lengthy, and especially if it causes the second unit (rak’a) of prayer to be longer than the first unit. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.