Second Rakah, Sitting, Tashahhud and Taslim

1. From the Second Rakah to Taslim

The second rakah, the two sittings, and the concluding taslim are connected parts of the prayer. The basic postures repeat, but certain opening invocations do not.

After the second rakah of a two-rakah prayer is the final sitting; in a three- or four-rakah prayer it is the first sitting. The legal ranks and invocations differ.

2. Complete Text: Second Rakah

وَيَفْعَلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ مِثْلَ مَا فَعَلَ فِي الْأُولَى، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَفْتِحُ وَلَا يَتَعَوَّذُ، وَلَا يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ إِلَّا فِي التَّكْبِيرَةِ الْأُولَى.
Meaning: Perform in the second rakah what was performed in the first, except that the opening praise and seeking refuge are not repeated, and the hands are not raised beyond the initial takbir.

Istiftah is the opening praise, and ta‘awwudh is seeking refuge. Recitation, bowing and prostration remain in the second rakah.

3. Why Opening Invocations Are Not Repeated

The opening praise belongs to the beginning of the prayer rather than every rakah. In the Hanafi method, seeking refuge is similarly at the beginning of recitation in the first rakah.

The prayer is treated as a unified act. The second rakah still has recitation and the relevant basmalah, without restarting the initial opening formulas.

4. Raising the Hands: Views and Evidence

The established Hanafi practice raises the hands at the opening takbir but not again before or after bowing, supported by reports associated with Ibn Mas‘ud, whose authenticity and interpretation are discussed.

Al-Shafi‘i and others recommend raising the hands before and after bowing based on rigorously transmitted reports from Ibn ‘Umar. The dispute concerns a sunnah manner, not a pillar of prayer.

5. Complete Text: Sitting after the Second Rakah

فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السَّجْدَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ افْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى، وَنَصَبَ الْيُمْنَى نَصْبًا، وَوَجَّهَ أَصَابِعَهُ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ، وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ، وَبَسَطَ أَصَابِعَهُ، ثُمَّ يَتَشَهَّدُ.
Meaning: After rising from the second prostration of the second rakah, sit upon the laid-down left foot, keep the right foot upright and its toes toward the qiblah, place both hands on the thighs with the fingers extended, then recite the tashahhud.

This is the iftirash form of sitting.

6. Iftirash and the Position of the Feet

Iftirash means spreading the left foot and sitting upon it; nasb al-yumna means keeping the right foot upright. The right toes face the qiblah.

The three details are distinct: left foot laid down, right foot upright, and toes directed toward the qiblah.

7. Hands and Fingers in the Sitting

The hands are placed on the thighs and the fingers extended. The pointing gesture of the index finger during the testimony is a separate detail.

A report from Ibn ‘Umar describes the Prophet pointing with his index finger. Hanafi sources also transmit and discuss the gesture and its precise manner, alongside some differing earlier formulations.

8. Complete Text: Tashahhud

وَالتَّشَهُّدُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: «التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ».
Meaning: All greetings, prayers and good things belong to Allah. Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and Allah’s righteous servants. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

The tashahhud combines devotion, greetings of peace, and the two testimonies.

9. Meanings of al-Tahiyyat and al-Salawat

Al-tahiyyat encompasses greetings and forms of honor; al-salawat refers to prayers or bodily devotion; al-tayyibat covers pure words and deeds.

Li-llah makes all of these exclusively for Allah, establishing the devotional opening of the tashahhud.

10. Peace upon the Prophet and the Righteous

As-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu invokes peace, mercy and blessings upon the Prophet. The following phrase extends peace to the worshipper and all righteous servants of Allah.

These are invocatory words within the prescribed tashahhud, not conversation with another person.

11. The Two Testimonies within Tashahhud

The first testimony affirms Allah’s exclusive divinity, and the second affirms Muhammad as His servant and messenger. The two words ‘abduhu wa-rasuluhu express both servanthood and messengership.

This sequence accords with the well-known tashahhud transmitted from Ibn Mas‘ud.

12. Complete Text: First Sitting Has No Addition

وَلَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى هَذَا فِي الْقَعْدَةِ الْأُولَى.
Meaning: Do not add anything beyond this in the first sitting.

In a three- or four-rakah prayer, the first sitting follows the second rakah. After the tashahhud, one proceeds to the next rakah; the usual place for salawat and subsequent supplication is the final sitting.

13. Legal Status of the First Sitting

In Hanafi law the first sitting of a three- or four-rakah obligatory prayer is wajib, as is reciting the tashahhud there. Forgetful omission requires the prostrations of forgetfulness under their detailed conditions.

The final sitting has a higher legal rank: sitting for the duration of tashahhud is an obligatory pillar.

14. Unnecessary Delay in the First Sitting

After completing the tashahhud in the first sitting, prolonged delay postpones standing for the next rakah. A qualifying forgetful delay leads to the Hanafi rules of sujud al-sahw.

Salawat is itself an established devotional formula; the issue is its prescribed position in the prayer.

15. Complete Text: Last Two Rakahs

وَيَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ خَاصَّةً.
Meaning: In the final two rakahs, recite only al-Fatihah.

In a four-rakah obligatory prayer, reciting al-Fatihah in the third and fourth is the preferred sunnah form, without the usual additional surah of the first two. The obligatory minimum recitation and the transmitted sunnah practice must be distinguished.

16. Evidence for Recitation in the Last Two Rakahs

The sound report of Abu Qatadah describes the Prophet reciting al-Fatihah with additional verses in the first two rakahs of Zuhr and al-Fatihah alone in the last two.

Hanafis treat reciting al-Fatihah in the last two as the preferred sunnah, while Shafi‘i law requires al-Fatihah in every rakah. This follows the broader difference about the legal rank of al-Fatihah.

17. Adding a Surah in the Final Rakahs

In the final two rakahs of a four-rakah obligatory prayer, al-Fatihah alone is the established Hanafi form. Additional Quranic recitation does not invalidate the prayer, though adding a surah is the usual sunnah in the first two rakahs.

Khas-satan describes the recommended pattern, not an automatic invalidity from extra verses.

18. Complete Text: Final Sitting and Salawat

فَإِذَا جَلَسَ فِي آخِرِ الصَّلَاةِ جَلَسَ كَمَا جَلَسَ فِي الْأُولَى، وَتَشَهَّدَ، وَصَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ.
Meaning: When sitting at the end of the prayer, sit as in the first sitting, recite the tashahhud, and send blessings upon the Prophet.

The sitting posture is the same in this Hanafi description, but the final sitting adds salawat after the tashahhud.

19. Final Sitting: Fard, Wajib and Sunnah

In Hanafi law, sitting for the duration of tashahhud is fard, actually reciting the tashahhud is wajib, and salawat afterward is sunnah.

Shafi‘i law has a well-known view requiring salawat in the final sitting. These are distinct legal classifications.

20. Disagreement on Salawat: Evidences

Shafi‘i jurists cite the Quranic command to send blessings on the Prophet (33:56) and narrations teaching salawat within prayer to support obligation in the final sitting.

Hanafis affirm its established sunnah status but distinguish the general Quranic command from a decisive proof making it a specific pillar of every prayer.

21. Salat Ibrahimiyyah after Tashahhud

After tashahhud, the Ibrahimiyyah blessings invoke mercy and blessings upon Muhammad and his family, with mention of Ibrahim and his family.

In this sequence, salawat belongs to the final sitting rather than the initial sitting of a three- or four-rakah prayer. Several sound wordings are transmitted.

22. Complete Text: Supplication in the Final Sitting

وَدَعَا بِمَا شَاءَ، مِمَّا يُشْبِهُ أَلْفَاظَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْأَدْعِيَةَ الْمَأْثُورَةَ، وَلَا يَدْعُو بِمَا يُشْبِهُ كَلَامَ النَّاسِ.
Meaning: Then supplicate as desired using formulations resembling Quranic expressions and transmitted supplications, and avoid supplication resembling ordinary human speech.

Al-ad‘iyah al-ma’thurah are established supplications. Kalam al-nas denotes ordinary human discourse outside the character of prescribed worship.

23. An Example of Quranic Supplication

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Meaning: Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

This is Quran 2:201, an example of Quranic supplication seeking good and protection from Allah.

24. Ordinary Speech and Prayer Supplications

Kalam al-nas in this discussion concerns formulations jurists consider too similar to requests in ordinary human conversation, especially some particular worldly demands.

Hanafi jurisprudence restricts such formulations in prayer, while Shafi‘i and Maliki approaches allow a broader range of lawful supplications. This is not a blanket prohibition on asking Allah for worldly good.

25. Complete Text: Concluding Taslim

ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: «السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ»، وَيُسَلِّمُ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ.
Meaning: Then give taslim to the right, saying “Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy,” and give the same greeting to the left.

Taslim concludes the prayer, first to the right and then to the left.

26. Words and Direction of Taslim

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
Meaning: Peace and Allah’s mercy be upon you.

The described sunnah form is to turn first to the right and then to the left. The report from Ibn Mas‘ud describes the Prophet’s two salutations. The usual wording here includes wa-rahmatullah on both sides.

27. Legal Status of Taslim

In Hanafi law, concluding taslim is wajib, while sitting for the period of tashahhud is fard.

In Shafi‘i law, the first taslim is an integral pillar and the second is sunnah. Both agree that taslim is prescribed; its rank differs.

28. Comparison of the Two Sittings

First sitting: after the second rakah in a three- or four-rakah prayer; sitting and tashahhud are wajib, followed by standing.

Final sitting: after the prayer’s last prostration; the sitting itself is fard, reciting tashahhud is wajib, and salawat and supplication are sunnah.

Their form is similar in this description, but their ranks and subsequent invocations differ.

29. Sitting Sequence by Prayer Length

Two-rakah prayer: only the final sitting after the second rakah.

Three-rakah prayer: first sitting after the second, final sitting after the third.

Four-rakah prayer: first sitting after the second, final sitting after the fourth.

This determines whether to rise after tashahhud or proceed with salawat and taslim.

30. Comparative View of Juristic Arguments

Raising the hands: reports associated with Ibn Mas‘ud and Ibn ‘Umar are weighed differently.

Final salawat: the Quranic command and prayer reports are agreed evidence, but their implication for obligatory status differs.

Taslim: both schools accept the transmitted two salutations; they differ on whether its legal rank is fard or wajib.

31. Key Terms in Tashahhud and Taslim

Iftirash: sitting upon the left foot. Nasb al-yumna: keeping the right foot upright. Tashahhud: the prescribed words from al-tahiyyat through the testimonies.

First sitting: the intermediate sitting. Final sitting: the sitting at the end of prayer. Salawat: blessings upon the Prophet. Taslim: concluding salutations.

32. Complete Sequence from Second Rakah to Taslim

Second rakah: repeat the main pillars without repeating opening praise and seeking refuge.

After the second rakah: sit in iftirash and recite the full tashahhud; in longer prayers rise afterward.

Final rakahs and sitting: al-Fatihah in the final two obligatory rakahs, then tashahhud, salawat and prescribed dua in the last sitting.

Conclude with the right and left taslim.