The Sunnahs of Prayer, Part 2: Recitation and Movements

1. Sunnahs 13–15: Imam's Voice and Foot Spacing

وَجَهْرُ الْإِمَامِ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّسْمِيعِ، وَتَفْرِيجُ الْقَدَمَيْنِ فِي الْقِيَامِ قَدْرَ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ

13–14. The Imam audibly says the transition Takbirs and سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ so the congregation can follow.
15. In standing, the feet are kept about the width of four fingers apart as stated by the text.

This is a posture measurement from the source; no separate medical or skeletal explanation is added.

2. Sunnahs 16–17: Surah Length and Fajr's First Rak'ah

وَأَنْ تَكُونَ السُّورَةُ الْمَضْمُومَةُ لِلْفَاتِحَةِ مِنْ طِوَالِ الْمُفَصَّلِ فِي الْفَجْرِ وَالظُّهْرِ، وَمِنْ أَوْسَاطِهِ فِي الْعَصْرِ وَالْعِشَاءِ، وَمِنْ قِصَارِهِ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ لِلْمُقِيمِ ... وَإِطَالَةُ الْأُولَى فِي الْفَجْرِ فَقَطْ

For a resident, the commentary describes the Mufassal ranges approximately as:
• longer: from al-Hujurat toward al-Buruj — Fajr and Zuhr;
• middle: from around al-Buruj toward al-Bayyinah — Asr and Isha;
• shorter: from al-Bayyinah to the end of the Quran — Maghrib.

A traveler may choose any convenient Surah. The author also lists making the first rak'ah longer than the second specifically in Fajr.

3. Sunnahs 18–24: Ruku

وَتَكْبِيرُ الرُّكُوعِ، وَتَسْبِيحُهُ ثَلَاثًا، وَأَخْذُ رُكْبَتَيْهِ بِيَدَيْهِ، وَتَفْرِيجُ أَصَابِعِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ لَا تُفَرِّجُهَا، وَنَصْبُ سَاقَيْهِ، وَبَسْطُ ظَهْرِهِ، وَتَسْوِيَةُ رَأْسِهِ بِعَجُزِهِ

18. Takbir for Ruku.
19. Ruku Tasbih three times.
20. Hold the knees with the hands.
21. A man spreads the fingers on the knees; a woman does not.
22. Keep the shins upright.
23. Keep the back level.
24. Keep the head aligned with the back/rear rather than lifting or dropping it.

4. Sunnahs 25–30: Rising, Sujud, and Transition Takbirs

وَالرَّفْعُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ، وَالْقِيَامُ بَعْدَهُ مُطْمَئِنًّا، وَوَضْعُ رُكْبَتَيْهِ ثُمَّ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ وَجْهِهِ لِلسُّجُودِ، وَعَكْسُهُ لِلنُّهُوضِ، وَتَكْبِيرُ السُّجُودِ، وَتَكْبِيرُ الرَّفْعِ مِنْهُ

25. Rise from Ruku.
26. Stand after Ruku with composure.
27. Descend to Sujud in the stated sequence: knees, hands, then face.
28. Rise in the reverse sequence.
29. Say Takbir when going to Sujud.
30. Say Takbir when rising from Sujud.

These sequence details are Sunnahs of performance; a different limb order does not by itself make the prayer invalid.

5. Sunnahs 31–34: Sujud Posture

وَكَوْنُ السُّجُودِ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ، وَتَسْبِيحُهُ ثَلَاثًا، وَمُجَافَاةُ الرَّجُلِ بَطْنَهُ عَنْ فَخِذَيْهِ وَمِرْفَقَيْهِ عَنْ جَنْبَيْهِ وَذِرَاعَيْهِ عَنِ الْأَرْضِ، وَانْخِفَاضُ الْمَرْأَةِ وَلَزْقُهَا بَطْنَهَا بِفَخِذَيْهَا

31. Place the head for Sujud between the hands.
32. Recite the Sujud Tasbih three times.
33. A man keeps the abdomen away from the thighs, elbows away from the sides and forearms off the ground when space permits.
34. A woman adopts the compact posture described by the text; the commentary also mentions placing the forearms down.

6. Sunnahs 35–39: Qawmah, Jalsah, and Sitting Postures

وَالْقَوْمَةُ، وَالْجَلْسَةُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ، وَوَضْعُ الْيَدَيْنِ عَلَى الْفَخِذَيْنِ ... وَافْتِرَاشُ رِجْلِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَنَصْبُ الْيُمْنَى، وَتَوَرُّكُ الْمَرْأَةِ

35. Qawmah: complete standing after Ruku.
36. Jalsah: sitting between the two Sajdahs.
37. Place the hands on the thighs in that sitting as in Tashahhud.
38. A man sits on the left foot and keeps the right foot upright.
39. A woman uses the Tawarruk posture described by the source.

The matn lists Qawmah and Jalsah here among the Sunnahs; the commentary also records later Hanafi preference for a Wajib view regarding the required composure in them.

7. Sunnahs 13–39: The Flow of the Prayer

These Sunnahs form a natural sequence:
• voice and standing posture;
• suitable recitation length;
• Ruku posture;
• rise from Ruku;
• descent into Sujud and return;
• Sujud posture;
• Qawmah, Jalsah and sitting.

This makes them easier to remember as one continuous prayer flow rather than isolated rules.

8. Ruku and Sujud: Sunnah Form vs. Validity

The posture details in this level — finger position, level back, descent order, elbow placement and sitting style — belong to the Sunnah form of the prayer. They should not be upgraded into Fard conditions unless the source separately states a validity requirement.

For example, Sujud itself is a pillar, but descending knees-first is a Sunnah method.

9. Recitation Length Is Guidance, Not a Fixed Verse Count

The Mufassal divisions guide the normal resident's recitation length. They do not impose an exact number of verses for every prayer. A traveler is expressly given wider choice, and circumstances can justify shortening the recitation.

This distinction prevents the Sunnah guidance from being misread as a validity rule.