Resting the hands on the knees when going down into sajda

Question

In what manner should the hands be held when going down from the qawma [into sajda]: should one act on placing the hands on the knees (wad' al-yadayn 'ala al-rukbatayn) or on letting the hands hang down (irsal al-yadayn)? Further, the statement in Bihishti Zewar (“Heavenly Ornaments”) that one should go into sajda with the hands placed on the knees has no annotation, nor is it established by any sound hadith; the noble fuqaha' also have not touched upon this issue, and it is not established by any book of fiqh.

Answer

I have not seen this particular ruling (juz'iyya) explicitly in any book. The practice is that one goes down from the qawma into sajda placing the hands on the thighs and knees, that is, taking support from them — just as, rising from sajda, one stands up taking support from the thighs and knees.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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