Question:
Any idea why sitting with knees drawn up during khutba is prohibited?
Answer:
wa ‘alaykum salam,
قال البيهقي رحمه الله :
“والذي روي في حديث معاذ بن أنس أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن الحبوة يوم الجمعة : فهو إن ثبت فلِما فيه من اجتلاب النوم ، وتعريض الطهارة للانتقاض ، فإذا لم يخش ذلك فلا بأس بالاحتباء” انتهى .
“معرفة السنن والآثار” (1814) .
This hadith was declared hasan by Imam at-Tirmidhi, however Imam an-Nawawi said, “we do not consider this hadith hasan we consider it da`eef because it contains two weak narrators.” In actuality one of them is very weak and one of them is weak.
Another proof is that the Prophet (s) and the Sahaba were observed sitting in the ihtibaa’ position which is also called qurfusah and the Prophet (s) and the Sahaba were seen sitting the position of qurfusah during Jumu`ah and the Prophet (s) was also seen outside of Jumu`ah in the position of qurfusah.
Therefore there is no karaha (dislike) in it at all and that is the fatwa of all the four madhhabs. That is not the position of Ahl al-`Ilm on that hadith. They did not endorse it and it was not recognized by them as paradigmatic, ie something to be considered in the Shariah as definitive, and Allah knows best.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
