Is it better to rely on one's hands on the ground to rise from the sitting posture of rest, or to rely on one's knees and rise onto the balls of one's feet?

Scholars differed on how to rise from the sitting posture of rest and other positions, falling into two opinions:

1. Leaning on the knees: This is the view of the Hanbalis and those who agreed with them. They adduced as evidence what Wa'il ibn Hujr narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "And when he stood up, he stood up on his knees, and leaned on his thighs," and the Prophet's prohibition, peace and blessings be upon him, against leaning on the hands when rising in prayer. Also, Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Indeed, it is from the Sunnah (definition) in the obligatory prayer, when a man rises in the first two rak'ahs, that he should not lean with his hands on the ground, unless he is an old man who cannot."

2. Leaning on the hands: This is the view of Malik and Shafi'i. They adduced as evidence what Malik ibn Al-Huwayrith narrated concerning the description of the Prophet's prayer, peace and blessings be upon him: "When he raised his head from the second prostration, he sat up straight, then leaned on the ground."

Ibn Qudamah favored the opinion of the Hanbalis and interpreted the hadith (definition) of Malik ibn Al-Huwayrith as the Prophet's action being due to the difficulty of standing for him, because of his weakness and old age.