Iqa' (sitting on the heels or buttocks in prayer)

In Arabic usage iqa' is sitting with the buttocks on the ground, the shins raised and the hands on the ground. ¹ The jurists give two explanations: the first is close to the lexical sense, held by al-Tahawi among the Hanafis; the second is sitting with the buttocks on the heels, with the hands on the ground, held by al-Karkhi among the Hanafis. ¹² It is different from the tawarruk and iftirash sitting postures. ²

• The first kind is disliked in prayer according to most jurists; the Malikis hold this form forbidden but not invalidating the prayer. ²
• The second kind is disliked by the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis; the Hanafi dislike is only reprehensible, not forbidden. ²
• Among the Shafi'is, this form between the two prostrations is a sunna. Al-Shafi'i stated it, and Ahmad is reported as neither doing it nor faulting one who does. ²
• Sitting in iqa' to eat is not disliked; a report from Anas describes the Prophet ﷺ sitting so and eating dates. ²³