same manner. The last position, with which the prayer comes to an end, is in all cases the sitting position (qa‘dah), and the prayer concludes with taslīm i.e., the utterance of the words al-salāmu ‘alai-kum wa raḥmatu-llah, or “Peace be on you and the mercy of Allāh!”
It may be added here that the four positions, qiyām, rukū‘, sajdah and qa‘dah, are all the possible positions which a man can assume to show reverence, and so far as the physical position of the worshipper is concerned, the form adopted is the most perfect possible and leaves nothing to be desired. The different postures, even if unaccompanied by any prayers to or praise of the Divine Being, with silent contemplation of the Divine Presence, are sufficient to inspire the heart of the worshipper with true awe of the Divine Being, and to bring before his mind a picture of the great majesty and glory of God, as he stands up, then bows down, then places his forehead on the ground. The law allows certain modifications in certain cases; as, for instance, when a person is sick, he may say his prayers in a sitting position, or if unable to sit down, he may say them while lying down, dispensing with even the rukū‘ and the sajdah if necessary. So, on a journey, a man is allowed to say his prayers while riding a horse or a camel (Bu. 18:7, 19), and though this is expressly allowed only in the case of voluntary prayers, the obligatory (fardz) prayer, in a railway carriage, on a boat or in an aeroplane seat would follow the same rule, and the postures adopted in all such cases must be subject to the exigencies of the situation. Even the direction may not be towards Qiblah. But when there is no exigency, a departure from the form prescribed by the Holy Prophet may not be made.
The question is sometimes asked if these positions are essential, and if an alteration in them would in any way, affect the value of the prayer. Suppose a man simply kneels down and bows his head a little; another man on a chair bows his forehead on to a table placed before him; would it not answer the purpose? Another suggestion is that there should be arrangements in mosques similar to those in churches. These are undoubtedly the suggestions of persons who do