Is It Permissible For The People With Knee Disorders To Establish Prayer By Sitting On A Chair?

Is it permissible for the people with knee disorders to establish prayer by sitting on a chair?

Responsibilities are determined according to the power of a servant in our religion (Baqarah, 2/286). The principle of facilitating is introduced for conditions that are beyond a servant’s power (Baqarah, 2/185). The excuses that prevent one from performing any of the pillars of the prayer are included in this scope (Abu Dawud, Salat, 181). Accordingly, a person who cannot establish prayer in a normal way by standing on feet may establish it by sitting. Such person may establish prayer by kneeling down or sitting cross-legged, or extending his legs to his side or to the direction of qiblah according to his situation. In this respect, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) told a sick Companion who asked how to establish prayer, “Establish prayer on your feet, if you cannot, establish it by sitting, if you cannot do this too, then establish it by leaning on your side.” (Bukhari, Taqsir as-salat, 19).

Accordingly, a person who can stand on his feet but cannot perform sajdah although he can sit on the ground starts prayer on his feet, sits after ruku, and then performs prostrations by symbolic moves. A person who cannot stand up after sitting although he can stand on his feet completes his prayer by sitting after sajdah. According to Hanafis, a person who cannot perform prayer by moving his head establishes qada prayer later; he cannot establish prayer by moving his eyes, eyebrows, or by heart only (Marghinani, al-Hidayah, II, 83-85; Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, I, 260). A person who can perform ruku and stand on his feet but cannot sit on the ground starts prayer on his feet and does prostration by sitting on a stool, etc. after performing ruku. A person who is unable to stand on his feet and cannot sit on the ground even by extending his legs to his sides or to the direction of the qiblah may establish prayer by sitting on a stool, chair, or a similar thing and perform rukus and prostrations by symbolic moves.

We should never forget that one should be really sincere in his worship to Allah and show due diligence for fulfilling the required forms specified by the religion. For this reason, the excuses put forward by a believer to establish his prayers on a stool, chair, or similar objects should be valid enough to appease his conscience. The excuses that do not prevent one form establishing prayers in its original form are not seen as valid justifications.

On the other hand, one should know that placing fixed chairs in the form of rows at mosques in order to establish prayers on them does not accord with the essence and culture of mosques.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA