The same has been narrated from Hafsah, 'Abdullah bin 'Amr (4), and Jabir bin Samurah, and they were extracted by Muslim (5). This is because it is difficult for many people to endure long standing; if it were mandatory in voluntary prayer, most of it would be abandoned. Thus, the Legislator (the Lawgiver) showed leniency regarding the omission of standing in it, as an incentive to perform more of it, just as He showed leniency in performing it on a riding animal during a journey, and showed leniency regarding the intention for voluntary fasting during the day.

241 - Issue; He said: (And he shall be in a state of crossing his legs during the standing [portion of the sitting prayer], and bend his legs during the bowing and prostrating.)

Its summary is that it is recommended for one performing voluntary prayer while sitting to be cross-legged while in the standing [portion of the prayer]. This was narrated from Ibn 'Umar, Anas, Ibn Sirin, Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Malik, al-Thawri, al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq. From Abu Hanifah, there is a view like ours. Another view from him is that he may sit however he wishes. [It was narrated from Ibn al-Musayyab, 'Urwah, and Ibn 'Umar: He sits] (1) [however he wishes] (2); because the standing is dropped, so its specific posture is dropped. It was narrated from Ibn al-Musayyab, 'Urwah, Ibn Sirin, 'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz, and 'Ata' al-Khurasani (3), that they used to sit with their knees brought up (ihtiba') in voluntary prayer. There is disagreement regarding this from 'Ata' and al-Nakha'i. Our evidence is that standing differs from sitting, so it is appropriate that its posture, as a substitute for it, should differ from the posture of other [types of sitting], just as standing differs from other [postures]. Moreover, this is further from inadvertence and confusion. Furthermore, when standing is dropped due to its difficulty, it does not necessitate the dropping of that which has no difficulty in it, just as for one for whom bowing and prostrating are dropped, it does not necessitate the dropping of signaling for them. And this which we have mentioned regarding