It is recommended that one be on the tips of his toes, or bend them (8) toward the Qibla. Ahmad said: "He spreads the toes of his feet so that they face the Qibla." He prostrates on the balls of his feet, because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones" (9). He mentioned the tips of the feet among them. In one narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prostrated without sprawling, nor holding them [his limbs] tightly, and directed his toes toward the Qibla, from the narration of al-Bukhari (10). From the narration of al-Tirmidhi (11): "And he spread his toes." This is its meaning. From the narration of Abu Dawood (11): "He prostrated, and he stood upright on his palms, his knees, and the balls of his feet, while he was prostrating."

Section: It is recommended that he place his palms on the ground, spread out, with the fingers joined together, facing the Qibla with them, and he places them (12) level with his shoulders. The Qadi mentioned this, and it is the school of al-Shafi'i, because of the statement of Abu Humayd: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed his palms level with his shoulders" (13). Al-Athram narrated: "I saw Abu Abdullah prostrate, and his hands were level with his ears." This has been narrated from Ibn Umar and Sa'id ibn Jubayr, because of what Wa'il ibn Hujr narrated, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prostrated and placed his palms level with his ears. Al-Athram and Abu Dawood (14) recorded it, and its wording is: "Then he prostrated and placed his face between his palms." Both are good.

Section: The perfection in prostrating on the ground is to place the entire belly of his palms and his fingers on the ground, and to raise his elbows. If he limits himself to some of the interior of them, it suffices him. Ahmad said: "If he places as much of his hands as the forehead, it suffices him." If he places the backs of his palms on the ground and prostrates on them, or prostrates on the tips of his fingers, the manifest meaning of the report is that it suffices him, because he was commanded to prostrate on the hands, and he has prostrated on them. Likewise (15), if he prostrated on the backs of his feet, he has indeed prostrated on the feet, and it would not be devoid of some part of his feet touching the ground, so he is prostrating on the tips of his feet (16), but he would be leaving the more excellent and better way, because of the hadiths we mentioned regarding that.

Section: It is recommended that he separate his knees and feet, because of what Abu Humayd narrated, saying: "And when he prostrated, he spread his thighs, not carrying his belly on any part of his thighs" (17).

Section: If he intended to prostrate and fell onto his face, so his forehead touched the ground, [it suffices him, even if he did not intend it. Unless he broke the intention of prostration, then it does not suffice him. If he flipped onto his side, then turned over, so his forehead touched the ground] (18), that does not suffice him, unless he intended prostration. The difference between the two issues is that here (19) he departed from the Sunnah of the prayer and its postures, then his second turn was a return to the prayer, so he required a renewal of intention. In the one before it, he is upon the posture of the prayer and its Sunnah, so it is sufficient (20) to maintain the intention.

163 - Issue; He said: "Then he says: 'Subhana Rabbiya al-A'la' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times, and if he says it once, it suffices him."

The ruling on this glorification is like the ruling on the glorification of bowing, according to what we have explained. Its origin is the hadith of Uqbah ibn Amir, who said: "When 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High' was revealed..."