Fatwa ID: 06270

Answered by: Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

Question:

During salah, when standing my feet may move back after rising from sujood so that a part of them hangs off the back of my prayer mat, and so the feet are not fully touching the ground. Does this invalidate the salah, even if a tiny amount of the feet are not touching the ground?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

During Salah, both feet should be on the ground (Fatwa Tatarkhania, Vol 2, Pg 208). This is like the ruling that the forehead must be on the ground during Sujood (Fatwa Tatarkhania, Vol 2, Pg 125). In the case of Sujood, one can perform it on material as long as it is not thick (Fatwa Tatarkhania, Vol 2, Pg 126). Similarly, as long as you can feel the ground beneath your through the prayer mat (as is the case with most prayer mats), your prayer would remain valid.

Therefore, your Salah would not be invalidated if a portion of your feet are not directly touching the ground, as long as the prayer mat is not so thick that you cannot feel the ground.

و يكره القيام بإحدي القدمين ، و يكره التراوح بين القدمين في الصلاة إلا بعذر

و أما فرض السجود فيتأي بوضع الجبهة أو الأنف و القدمين في قول أبي حنيفة رحمه الله

و لو سجد علي كور عمامته قيل : إنما يجوز ، إذا لم يكن غليظا

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham