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What is the reason for the prohibition of the "Satan's heel" sitting posture mentioned in Sahih Muslim, in the Hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade "the devil's squat" (ʻaqibat ash-shayṭān). Scholars differed on its meaning, but the most accepted view is that it refers to a worshiper planting their feet and sitting on their heels, which is the posture of one who is hasty and eager to stand, and it has been likened to the squatting of a dog.

Some scholars held that it means sitting with one's buttocks on the ground and planting one's shins upright, like a dog's sitting posture, or spreading one's feet and sitting on one's heels.

The prohibition of this posture is due to its lack of tranquility in prayer and its resemblance to some animals. Islamic law dignifies humankind and prohibits resembling animals, whether in prayer or other matters.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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