ᐉ Prayer on your knees in Orthodoxy

Answers on questions

Photo: Photobank Lori

Man is a spiritual and physical being at the same time, therefore both spirit and body participate in prayer.

Body prayer is the postures and movements that accompany the reading of the text of the prayer:

prayer pose
kneeling
raising hands
bows
sign of the cross

In Orthodoxy there is a charter on how to do it correctly and at what moments.

Work in prayer

Prayer does not happen without labor for the body. By forcing the body to make efforts (standing, bowing, kneeling), a Christian curbs his flesh and does not give freedom to passions.

The Holy Fathers considered difficult prayer, which tires the body, the first step to true prayer.

Without bodily fatigue it is impossible to ascend to God!

Orthodox Christians accompany prayer with the sign of the cross and bows .

The prostrate position is practiced only once a year - during the reading of prayers at Pentecost Vespers.

How to read prayers at home - standing or sitting?

, it is customary to read prayers both in church and at home . If it is difficult to stand (for example, if you are very tired or ill), then prayer while sitting is allowed. Even if you are lying at home and cannot get out of bed and sit down, this is not an obstacle to prayer

The main condition for performing prayer is reverence and concentration.

Prayer while standing

During prayer, you need to remember that you are standing before God. There is no place for frivolity in this situation. You need to stand in prayer

directly,
reverently
without shifting from foot to foot,
without making fussy movements.

During worship in the temple, you are allowed to sit at some points. This is possible during the reading of kathismas (passages from the Psalter) and proverbs (passages from the Old Testament) at the evening service.

It is not customary to sit during the Liturgy, but an exception is made for people who physically cannot stand for a long time.

However, during the service everyone must stand during the

Gospel readings
in the interval between the singing of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer
as the priest shouted “Blessed is the kingdom. »

Prayer on your knees at home

Kneeling prayer is performed at home, according to the special zeal of the believer. She expresses special humility and respect.

You can pray on your knees at home at any time,

except Sunday and the period from Easter to Pentecost.

You cannot kneel on the day after Holy Communion either.

- a person who has tasted the Body of Christ is sanctified; he should not make signs of repentance and thereby humiliate the Holy Gifts he has received.

On the need to prostrate in prayer, resting on your hands before your knees

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad, members of his family and all his companions!

And then:

Many Muslims want to know how to bow to the ground in prayer, should you put your hands first or your knees? And those asking such a question want to know the arguments of both sides. With the permission of Allah, we will try to examine this issue in detail and impartially.

Let's start with the fact that disagreements among scientists on this issue have existed for a long time. Some of them preferred that one should bow to the ground (sajdah), leaning on the knees before the hands, while others argued the opposite. Among them were those who could not give preference to any of the two opinions, such as Imam al-Nawawi. However, this does not mean that there is no truth and correct opinion in this matter. There is always truth and it is one, and numerous disagreements have nothing to do with it and cannot in any way hide it.

Moreover, every Muslim is obliged to improve his prayer, which is undoubtedly the greatest worship of the body, and must strive to make it as consistent as possible with the prayer of the prophet r, who commanded: “Pray as you saw me praying!” al-Bukhari 1/155, Muslim 1/295.

Arguments of the side that believes that when making a prostration, one should lower oneself to one’s hands before one’s knees

The most important argument of these scholars is the hadith narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah r said: “When one of you prostrates, let him not sink to the ground like a camel, but let him put his hands first and then his knees.” " . al-Bukhari in “at-Tarikh” 1/139, Abu Daud 840, an-Nasai in “at-Tatbik” 1090, Ahmad 2/381, ad-Darimi 1321, etc.

This hadith is the most important argument on this issue, since the prophet himself explains how to bow to the ground and that you should first lean on your hands.

This hadith is reliable, but various attempts to transfer it into the category of weak and unreliable messages do not stand up to criticism. For example, supporters of the opposite opinion cite the words of Imam al-Bukhari, who said: “I do not know whether Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hasan (the transmitter of this hadith) heard the hadiths from Abu al-Zinad or not.”

In fact, these words contain absolutely no indication that this hadith is weak, since the conditions for the reliability of the hadith that Imam al-Bukhari put forward are known to scholars, for he attributed direct contact between two transmitters to the condition for the reliability of the hadith. The majority of hadith scholars believed that it was enough that the transmitters could have met each other and lived at the same time, if the falsification of the hadith was not established. As for Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hasan, none of the imams accused him of falsifying hadiths (tadlis). See “Iruaul-Galil” 2/79.

Imam Ibn at-Tarkumani said that Imam an-Nasa'i called Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hasan a reliable narrator, and the words of al-Bukhari in no way refute the testimony of Imam an-Nasa'i regarding this narrator. Imam Ibn Hibban also called him reliable. Sheikh al-Mubarakfuri said: “The words of Imam al-Bukhari do not harm Muhammad in any way, for he is a reliable transmitter.” See “Tuhfatul-akhuazi” 1/135. Imam al-Shaukani said the same thing. See “Nailul-autar” 2/284.

So, with the help of Allah, we have made out that these words of Imam al-Bukhari do not in any way indicate the shortcoming of this hadith.

The next criticism of this hadith is the words of Imam ad-Daraqutni, who said: “No one except ad-Daraurdi narrated this hadith from Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hasan.”

This is also not a shortcoming of the hadith, firstly, because ad-Daraurdi is a reliable transmitter, whose hadith was accepted by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And secondly, because Imam ad-Daraqutni made a mistake when he said that this hadith from Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hasan was narrated only by ad-Daraurdi. Since it has been established that this hadith was also narrated from his words by 'Abdullah ibn Nafi', as mentioned by Hafiz al-Munziri. See “Nailul-autar” 2/286 and “Risala nahiy as-suhba 'ani-nnuzuli bi-rrukba” 45.

Thus, we see that this hadith does not have any valid and reasoned shortcomings that affect the degree of its reliability, and therefore the reliability of this hadith was confirmed by many imams, including Hafiz Ibn Sayyid an-Nas, al-Hazimi, Imam an -Nawawi, al-Zurqani, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Imam 'Abdul-Haqq, Hafiz al-Suyuty, Sheikh Ahmad Shakir, Sheikh al-Albani, Sheikh al-Mubarakfuri, Sheikh 'Abdul-Qadir al-Arnaut and Shu'ayb al- Arnaut. See "al-Majmu'" 3/421, "Bulyugul-maram" 97, "al-Jami' as-saghir" 2/239, "Sharh Sunan at-Tirmidhi" 2/58, "Tuhfatul-akhuazi" 1/ 135, “Tamamul-minna” 194, “Tahqiq Zad al-ma'ad” 1/216-221.

A further criticism of this hadith was its content (matn). Opponents of the opinion that when bowing to the ground it is necessary to kneel on your hands and only then to your knees, led by Sheikh Ibn al-Qayim, said that this hadith is inverted (maklyub), i.e. confused due to the error of the transmitter, for the words “let him not sink to the ground like a camel, and first put his hands and then his knees” are not comparable with each other, since at the beginning of the hadith it is ordered not to be like a camel, and then it is said to bow to the ground , leaning on your hands, and thereby act like a camel, which first lowers its front part to the ground. However, many scientists objected to them. So, for example, Sheikh 'Ali al-Qari said: “As for the words of Ibn al-Qayim that the hadith from Abu Huraira is maqlyub, this is a mistake, because if we open the door to such statements, then there will be no trust in any of this hadith , even if it is reliable.” See “Mirkatul-mafatih” 1/552.

The fact is that for the statement that this hadith is maqlyub, there are no acceptable grounds from the point of view of the science of hadith.

Proponents of the opinion about the need to bow to the ground, leaning on the knees before the hands, stated that the knees of a camel are not on the front legs, and that the hands mean the front legs, and the knees mean the back legs, which Ibn al-Qayyim also said. Also, speaking about the hadith from Abu Hurayrah: “When one of you bows to the ground, then let him not sink to the ground like a camel, but first put his hands and then his knees ,” he said: “These words are incomprehensible to experts Arabic language." See “Zadul-ma'ad” 1/218.

However, Ibn al-Qayim and those who, like him, believed that this was unknown to experts in the Arabic language, were mistaken in this. Great scholars of Arabic and many imams have argued that a camel's knees are on its front legs. So the great specialist in Arabic Ibn Manzur said: “The knees of a camel are on its front legs.” See “Lisanul-'Arab” 14/236.

Ibn Saida said: “All four-legged animals have knees on their front legs.” See al-Muhkam 7/16.

Al-Azhari, Fairuz Abadi and Imam Ibn Hazm also said: “The knees of a camel are what is on the front legs.” See. “Tahzib al-lyuga” 10/216, “al-Mukhalla” 4/129.

This understanding is also confirmed by an authentic hadith. In the famous story, when Suraqa ibn Malik was pursuing the Prophet r and his companion Abu Bakr, who were migrating (hijra), it is reported that every time Suraqa overtook them, the front legs of his horse fell into the sand. And Suraqa said: “And every time my horse’s legs sank into the sand up to the knees.” al-Bukhari 1/155.

The fact that a camel's knees are on its front legs was also believed by Abu Hurayrah, who said: “Let none of you fall on your knees, as a runaway camel does.” Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Saraqusti, who conveyed this message from Abu Hurayrah with an authentic isnad, said: “We are talking about prostration (in prayer).” See "Garibul-Hadis" 1/70.

Thus, we see that the camel’s knees are located precisely on the front legs, as reported from the companions of the Prophet r, experts in the Arabic language and great imams. Imam at-Tahawi, in explaining the hadith in question from Abu Hurayrah, said: “Some argue: “It is impossible for the prophet r to first forbid, when bowing to the ground, to descend to the ground like a camel, and the camel lowers itself on its front legs, and then complete his words by saying : . ” Because this hadith contains a command to do what was prohibited in the beginning.” However, we find that what is transmitted from the prophet r is clear and does not contain anything impossible, since the knees of a camel are on its front legs, like those of other four-legged animals. And human knees are on legs, unlike animals. And the prophet r forbade in this hadith to bow down to the ground the way a camel does, commanding that the hands be lowered to the ground before the knees. And by the grace of Allah, there is nothing unclear or contradictory in this hadith!” See “Mushkilyul-asar” and “Sharhu ma’anil-asar” 1/254.

Moreover, these words of the prophet r are also confirmed by his actions, for when bowing to the ground, he first lowered his hands to the ground, and then his knees. According to Nafi'a, it is reported that Ibn 'Umar, bowing to the ground, lowered himself to his hands before his knees, and he said: “The Prophet did the same.” al-Hakim 1/226, al-Bayhaqi 2/100, Ibn Khuzaima 627, ad-Darakutni 131.

The authenticity of this hadith was confirmed by the imams Ibn Khuzaim, al-Hakim, Hafiz al-Zahabi, Sheikh Shamsul-Haqq 'Azym Abadi, Sheikh al-Albani, Sheikh 'Abdul-Qadir al-Arnaut and Shu'ayb al-Arnaut. See "'Aunul-Ma'bud" 3/71, "Tamamul-Minna" 194, "Tahqiq Zad al-ma'ad" 1/216-221.

Imam al-Bayhaqi said: “This hadith is proof that when bowing to the ground, the prophet knelt on his hands before his knees.” See “Sunanul-kubra” 2/100.

Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Ata said: “I heard Abu Humaid al-Sa'idi, being among the ten companions of the Messenger of Allah r, among whom was also Abu Qatada, said: “I know better than any of you about the prayer of the prophet r." And he, describing how the prophet r performed the prayer, said, among other things: “Then he, bowing to the ground, fell to the ground, pulling his hands away from his body.” And all ten companions said: “You have spoken the truth, this is exactly what the prophet prayed.” Ibn Khuzaima 1/317, Ibn al-Jarud 1/192. Sheikh al-Albani called the hadith authentic.

Shaykh al-Albani said: “There is one forgotten Sunnah that I would like to draw attention to because of the importance of its application. We are talking about the hadith of Abu Humaid al-Sa'idi, in which it is reported that the Messenger of Allah r, while bowing to the ground, fell to the ground, pulling his hands away from his body. And if you, having learned about this, pay attention to the word “al-howi”, which means falling to the ground with your arms drawn away from your body, then it will become clear to you that this action cannot be performed except by lowering yourself to the ground first with your hands, and not knees.” See “Tamamul-minna” 195.

And if the prophet bowed to the ground, leaning on his knees, then why did he need to stretch his arms forward, thereby preparing to lean on them?!

Arguments of the side that believes that when making a prostration, one should kneel before hands

The most important argument of supporters that prostration should be made by kneeling down is the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujra, who said: “I saw how the Messenger of Allah, when bowing to the ground, rested on his knees before his hands.” Abu Daud 2/68, at-Tirmidhi 268, Ibn Majah 882.

Many scholars rely on this hadith, including Hanafis, Shafiites, Ibn al-Qayim, Ibn Baz, Ibn 'Usaymin and others.

However, it is necessary to find out how reliable this hadith is. Imam Abu 'Isa at-Tirmidhi, who cited this hadith, said: “The hadith is good, but strange, because besides Shurayk it is not known that anyone reported it.” See “Sunan at-Tirmidhi” 1/156. Imam ad-Darakutni said: “The hadiths of Shurayk, which no one else transmitted except him, are not considered reliable.” And if what only Shurayk conveyed was not considered reliable, then what can be said if he conveys a message that contradicts reliable hadiths?!

Ibrahim ibn Sa'd al-Jauhari said: “Shurayk made mistakes in 400 hadiths.” Imam Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan also called him a very weak transmitter. Sheikh al-Albani said: “Most scholars classified Shurayq as one of the transmitters who had a weak memory.” See “al-Irua” 2/76.

For this reason, this hadith was criticized and called weak by many imams, including Imam ad-Darakutni, an-Nasai, al-Bayhaqi, Imam Abu Bakr Ibn al-'Arabi, Sheikh al-Albani, Sheikh 'Abdul-Qadir al-Arnaut and Shu'ayb al-Arnaut. See "'Aridatul-Ahuazi" 2/68, in "Iruaul-G'alil" 2/78, "Tahqiq Zad al-Ma'ad" 1/216-221.

Also, supporters of the second opinion, including Imam al-Khattabi, believe that the command to lean on one’s hands during prostration was abolished, and cite as evidence the hadith of Mus'ab ibn Sa'd, who reported from the words of his father: “At first we did bow to the ground, resting on our hands before our knees, and then we were ordered to lean on our knees before our hands.” Ibn Khuzayma 628, al-Bayhaqi 1/100.

However, this hadith is even weaker than the first. So how can a weak hadith invalidate authentic reports? Hafiz Ibn Hajar said that Imam Ibn Khuzaimah stated that this hadith is abrogatory. This would be true if it were authentic, but in the chain of this hadith, Ibrahim ibn Isma'il and his father Isma'il ibn Yahya, who are weak transmitters. See “Fathul-Bari” 2/291.

Also in the chain of this hadith there is another problem, and this is Yahya ibn Salama, whom imams an-Nasai, Abu Hatim, Ibn Ma'in, al-Hazimi and others considered a weak transmitter. Therefore, this hadith was called weak by Imam an-Nawawi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Sheikh al-Albani, 'Abdul-Qadir al-Arnaut and Shu'ayb al-Arnaut. See al-Majmu' 3/422, al-Mishkat 1/282.

There are other reports that support this view, but they are so weak that there is no point in discussing them.

Also, supporters of this opinion relied on the hadith: “Let none of you prostrate like a camel . However, we discussed above that in another version of this hadith, the Messenger of Allah himself indicated how one should bow to the ground and what one should rely on first of all.

Answers to dubious arguments

Some say that even if there is weakness in the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujra, it is still strengthened by other hadiths that the Messenger of Allah prostrated on his knees.

This could be allowed, but only if the weakness of these hadiths was not so great, and if these hadiths did not contradict other reliable hadiths indicating the opposite. But even if we agree that Wail’s hadith is reliable, we should still act in accordance with the command of the prophet r, who said: “let him put his hands first, and then his knees . Imam al-Shaukani said: “This hadith from Abu Hurayrah should be given preference for the reason that it contains the words of the prophet r, while the hadith of Wail contains the actions of the prophet r. And, as you know, the words of the prophet r (in argumentation) are given preference over his deeds.” See “Nailul-autar” 2/283.

This was also pointed out by Sheikh Ahmad Shakir in his commentary to this hadith. See “Sharh Sunan at-Tirmidhi” 2/59.

The mistake of others was that they tried to combine both hadiths, calling for prostration while leaning on their knees and hands. Imam al-Shaukani said: “The researcher al-Mukbili tried to combine both hadiths and deviated from the truth in this, for none of the imams said anything like this before.” See “Nailul-autar” 2/284.

Those who thought that it was possible to act in accordance with both opinions were also mistaken, i.e. make a prostration leaning on both hands and knees, as Sheikh-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “If the person praying wishes, he can kneel before his hands, and if he wishes, he can fall on his hands before his knees. In any case, according to the unanimous opinion of scholars, his prayer is valid.” See “Majmu'ul-Fataawa” 22/449.

There is no doubt that prayer is valid, but the permissibility of doing both is doubtful. The fallacy of this opinion lies in the fact that one of the two actions is wrong, and is forbidden by the prophet, for it is likening a camel, which he forbade. Moreover, the prophet, having forbidden bowing to the ground like a camel, ordered it to be done leaning on his hands. Therefore, Imam Ibn Hazm said: “It is obligatory (fard) for every worshiper to lower himself on his hands while bowing to the ground. It is necessary!" See al-Muhalla 4/128.

Sheikh al-Albani also said the same. See “Tamamul-minna” 195.

Conclusion

Allah Almighty said: “If you argue about anything, then turn it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. This way the outcome will be better and more beautiful” (an-Nisa 4:59).

Maymun ibn Mihran said in relation to this verse: “To turn to Allah means to return to the Quran, and to turn to the Messenger means to return to the Sunnah.” See al-Ibana 1/74.

Thus, leaving behind addictions and blind imitation and turning to the Qur'an and Sunnah, as Allah commands, we will find an indication that prostration should be done leaning on the hands, which is confirmed by both the words and actions of the prophet r.

And this opinion was held by Imam Malik, and this is one of the well-known opinions of Imam Ahmad, as well as the majority of muhaddiths. Imam Ibn Abu Dawood said: “This is the opinion of the hadith experts.” See “Subulu-Ssalyam” 1/263.

Imam al-Auza'i said: “I found people who, when bowing to the ground, put their hands before their knees.” al-Maruazi in “al-Masail” 1/147, authentic isnad.

It should also be noted that one should not condemn those who bow to the ground, leaning on their knees before their hands, and calling this an innovation (al-bid'a), for this opinion has a basis, albeit weak, but still there. This issue should be wisely explained and conveyed without entering into conflict or argument. The main thing is that a Muslim should follow evidence, not his passions!

And in conclusion, we give praise to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

Literature

1. “Fathul-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari” by Ibn Hajar al-'Askalani.

2. “Zadul-ma'ad” bi tahqiq 'Abdul-Qadir al-Arnaut ua Shu'ayb al-Arnaut.

3. “Nailul-autar sharkh Muntak al-akhbar” Muhammad ash-Shaukani.

4. “Subulu-Ssalaam Sharkh Bulyug al-maram” Muhammad ibn Amir al-San'ani.

5. “Sunan at-Tirmizi” bi tahqiq Ahmad Shakir.

6. “Tuhfatul-Ahuazi, Sharh Jami' at-Tirmidhi” 'Abdur-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri.

7. “Tamimul-minna” by Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.

8. “Syfatu-sala an-nabiy” Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.

9. “Iruaul-gaalil” by Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.

10. “Risala nahiy as-suhba 'ani-nnuzuli bi-rrukba” by Abu Ishaq al-Huwaini.

And in conclusion, praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

The material was prepared by the editors of the website www.takwa.ws

(1024)

Kneeling at the liturgy in Orthodoxy

In an Orthodox church, prolonged kneeling during worship is performed only

on the feast of Pentecost,
at Great Vespers, which is served immediately after the Liturgy.

At this time, the priest reads several long prayers and himself, along with all the people, kneels.

At other times, prostrations may be performed at church services.

Kneeling is not allowed during the Liturgy. In Orthodox churches in Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania, under the influence of the Catholic Church, a local tradition arose of kneeling prayers. In essence, these are prostrations to the ground, for which believers kneel.

Bowing during prayer. What does prostration and bow to the waist mean in Orthodoxy?

During prayers, it is customary to bow to the ground and bow from the waist. This is a sign of reverence for God .

Usually the bow is made after the sign of the cross when pronouncing particularly significant, important words of prayer.

The prayer book always indicates when to bow.

How to bow to the ground correctly?

Prostration is a bow during which the believer kneels, touches the floor with his forehead and immediately rises .

In the Orthodox Church, prostrations should be made by kissing shrines (icons, relics, sacred relics):

two prostrations before applying and
one prostration after application.

On some days, the church cancels prostrations because they do not correspond to the meaning of the revered event. In these cases, bows to the ground are replaced by bows .

These are Sundays and polyeleos days, and bowing to the ground is especially strictly prohibited during the period from Easter to the Day of the Holy Spirit (Monday after Pentecost).

During the Sunday Liturgy in Orthodoxy, prostrations to the ground, according to the rule of Basil the Great, should not be made. Sometimes this rule is violated, and at the cry of the choir “One is Holy, One is Lord Jesus Christ. "one bow is made.

How to properly bow from the waist?

A bow from the waist is a bow from the waist when the believer strives to reach his hand to the floor without bending his knees .

Usually done immediately after the sign of the cross
A bow from the waist must be performed before entering the temple .

When is it permissible to prostrate?

In this matter, clergy recommend being guided by the traditions of a particular parish and general church rules. Thus, it is customary to bow to the ground in front of the shrouds of the Mother of God and Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion, the relics of saints, relics and icons that are classified as especially revered.

During Lent, the laity kneel 4 times while saying the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian “Lord and Master of my life...”. In other cases, it is recommended to follow the traditions accepted in a particular parish. If there is any doubt, it is best to seek advice from your local priest.

( 17 ratings, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Prayer gestures

The main prayer gesture in Orthodoxy, as in all Christianity, is the sign of the cross .

In addition to this, in church services, priests use the gesture of blessing .

About the sign of the cross in Orthodoxy: power, meaning and essence

Since apostolic times, it has been customary in the Church to sign oneself with the sign of the cross, or, as they also say, to be baptized .

The sign of the cross is a reminder of the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. By placing such a symbolic cross on ourselves, we invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Church teaches that the sign of the cross protects a Christian, because the power of the Cross of Christ conquers all evil.

How to make the sign of the cross?

The sign of the cross is performed slowly and always with the right hand .

First, fold your fingers :

the thumb, index and middle fingers are folded together,
the ring and little fingers remain bent.

folded in this way, you need to touch

first forehead, sanctifying your thoughts,
then the belly - for the sanctification of the heart and feelings,
then the right shoulder
and, finally, the left shoulder - to sanctify bodily health and actions.

This should be followed by a bow or bow .

You cannot bow before completing the sign of the cross.

Finger formations: two-fingered and three-fingered in Orthodoxy

For the sign of the cross in modern Orthodoxy, three fingers are used .

For this gesture

put the thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand together,
The little and ring fingers are pressed against the palm.

The folded three fingers symbolize the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the ring and little fingers remind of the dual nature of our Lord Jesus Christ - divine and human.

In ancient times, they used two fingers: the sign of the cross was made with the index and middle fingers extended, while the thumb, ring and little fingers were folded together.

The index and middle fingers symbolized the two natures of Christ, the thumb, ring and little fingers - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

After the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, three fingers began to be used in Orthodoxy. Because of this, an Old Believer split occurred. Only in the 19th century did the Church again allow baptism with two fingers and the use of other elements of the old rite, and some Old Believers were able to reunite with the Church. Their communities are called Edinoverie.

Nominal finger addition

There is another prayer gesture - the making of names.

It is used by the priest to bless the faithful during and outside of the service.

The name sign means the initials of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ICXC:

index finger extended
the middle one is slightly bent, forming the letter C,
the thumb and ring fingers are crossed with the letter X,
The little finger is also bent in the shape of the letter C.

Orthodox Life

It is often observed that different churches have their own traditions regarding bowing, which differ from the church tradition.
How to deal with this? How and when to bow is not an easy question. Few people study materiel and read the holy fathers in connection with this issue. As a rule, a new Christian at services simply repeats what experienced parishioners do, but are they always right? Is it necessary to kneel before communion? Is it possible to prostrate on Sunday? What if the soul asks for it? Archpriest Alexander Khvorost answers these and other questions.

Let's understand the definition of the concept

Bowing is an ancient phenomenon associated with the culture of human behavior and religious cult. It has been found everywhere since pagan times: in Ancient Rome, in eastern cultures and cults, in pre-Christian cults of the Slavs, as well as in world religions - Islam, Judaism and, of course, Christianity. Bowing can be part of not only religion, but also an element of the culture of communication between people - as, for example, in Japan, where they have become an expression of respect and a designation of the status of people greeting each other.

Bowing in Rus' was known back in the pre-Christian era. Touching the forehead to the ground served as a sign of receiving strength and grace from nature. And the custom of bowing to the ground before the princes appeared during the period of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. This tradition came from the east, where the ruler combined the functions of the political head and the high priest.

Bows in the Holy Scriptures

The custom of bowing is described in the Holy Scriptures. King Solomon prayed on his knees during the consecration of the Jerusalem Temple: “When Solomon had said all this prayer and petition to the Lord, then he rose from his knees from the altar of the Lord, and his hands were stretched out to heaven” (1 Kings 8:54). The holy prophet Daniel prayed on his knees three times a day during the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites: “When Daniel learned that such a decree had been signed, he went to his house; the windows of his upper room were open towards Jerusalem, and three times a day he knelt down and prayed to his God and praised Him, as he had done before” (Dan. 6:10). On his knees, the holy prophet Ezra prayed for his people: “And at the time of the evening sacrifice I rose from the place of my lamentation, and with my outer and lower garments torn, I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God” (Ezra 9:5) .

In the New Testament, our Savior prayed fervently on the Mount of Olives, kneeling: “And He Himself went away from them a stone's throw, and kneeled down, praying” (Luke 22:41). The holy first martyr Apostle Stephen on his knees offered up a prayer for his murderers: “And, kneeling down, he exclaimed in a loud voice: Lord! Do not impute this sin to them. And having said this, he slept” (Acts 7:60). The Apostle Peter prayed in the same way before the resurrection of Tabitha: “Peter sent everyone out and, kneeling down, prayed, and turning to the body, said: Tabitha! stand up. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up” (Acts 9:40).

A multifaceted phenomenon

In Orthodoxy, bowing is given a special place - both in divine services and in private prayer. A whole system of bows to the ground, bows from the waist and bowing of the head has been developed. The spiritual meaning of bowing is multifaceted. These are ascetic exercises that affect the body and soul of a person. Bowing in church expresses humility and admiration before God, respect and fear, recognition of His superiority and greatness before our sinfulness and imperfection. Bowing to the ground can also be considered an expression of love for God, a gesture of special reverence for Him. This is both a sacrifice and an expression of love, fear of God and gratitude - depending on what motivates a person.

Bowing the head is one of the forms of bowing. We bow our heads when:

the priest calls: “Let us bow our heads to the Lord” at the evening service and “bow our heads to the Lord” at the Divine Liturgy,
in response to the words of the priest “Peace to all,”
when they read the Holy Scriptures,
at the moment when the priest blesses with his hand, icon, Cross, Gospel, Holy Chalice.

Orthodox believers perform bows from the waist:

on all litanies after the words “Lord, have mercy” and “Give, Lord,”
with three times “Hallelujah”,
to “Be the name of the Lord.”
When saying the prayers “Come, let us bow” and “Trisagion”, three bows are made from the waist, and at the end of the prayers - one.

Prostrations are made:

during the period of Great Lent, starting from Wednesday of Cheese Week and up to Great Wednesday inclusive;
when worshiping shrines: the Cross - on the Cross-Worshipping Week of Lent, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, when carrying out the Cross on the Feast of the Carrying of the Venerable Trees of the Life-Giving Cross; Shroud - on the Feast of the Dormition and on the burial of the Shroud on Good Friday of Great Lent;
when venerating holy relics.

Prostrations are not performed:

on Saturdays and Sundays, starting with Vespers on Friday,
during the period from Easter to Holy Trinity Day,
for Christmastide - from January 7 to 17 according to the new style,
on all twelve and great holidays,
on the day of receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Prostrations and kneeling prayers

Things are very interesting with kneeling prayers, regarding which there are different opinions. It was not recommended to perform them even at the First and Sixth Ecumenical Councils - this is reflected in the 20th rule of the First and 90th of the Sixth. Priest Mikhail Zheltov, theologian and liturgist, member of the Synodal Liturgical Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church, believes that these prohibitions relate to kneeling litanies, during which in the ancient Church the people of God prayed for a long time on their knees. Nowadays, we pray this way on the day of the Most Holy Trinity. Apparently, in ancient times the people were stronger, their faith was stronger, so people prayed on their knees much more. By the way, the call “Wisdom, forgive” was precisely a call to get up from your knees; this is a literal translation of the Greek words “stand up straight.”

Thus, we can conclude that the Ecumenical Councils condemned long prayers on the knees on Sundays and holidays. However, this does not directly apply to prostrations, which a person can perform quickly. The Church does not strictly prohibit prostrations on Sundays. This is rather a recommendation associated with traditions and regulations.

Prostrations to the ground on Sundays - is it impossible or is it still possible?

Traditionally, bowing to the ground on Sundays and holidays is not allowed, therefore this rule should be adhered to out of respect for the Church and the tradition that has formed in it. The ban on bowing to the ground is not strict also because even the priest at the altar during the liturgy, according to modern tradition, makes several bows to the ground: at the entrance to the altar, at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, during the Eucharistic canon. I would like to note that bowing to the ground is not recommended because of concern for others, which is especially important if the temple is small and there are many parishioners. Then such bows are even technically difficult to perform. In such cases, it is better to bow to the ground on weekdays, when it is encouraged to do so even at the Divine Liturgy.

Why is there no point in bowing to the ground on Sunday? - because this is a day of joy, a prototype of the future resurrection, the new world that will come after the Second Coming. Then there will be no need to repent, this is a day of joy and freedom from everything that prevented us from living.

A special time for prostrations is the period of Great Lent, when believers are reminded of the need to perform them at services by the ringing of a special bell. However, if a person outside of fasting has a special need for intense prayer, expresses special reverence and respect for the shrine, he has the opportunity to bow to the ground on Sunday - the main thing is that this does not bother anyone. This can be done in the corner of the temple or behind a column - that is, secretly, and the Lord, seeing the secret, will reward him openly.

Don’t be a hypocrite, don’t lecture, and don’t bow for show

I categorically do not recommend bowing for show; this is hypocrisy and an abomination before God. The Lord has always exposed hypocrisy. You can deceive your neighbors, but you cannot deceive God. When parishioners throw themselves on the floor in a sudden fit of piety, that is vanity. You cannot lecture and demand from others that they bow to the ground - this is wrong, because a person may not be able to bow for health reasons. This kind of behavior only pushes people away. Everything must be done voluntarily and within one’s ability. No one demands to bow down under compulsion - after all, then this will not be an expression of either love or fear of God.

You cannot bow externally and mechanically. The bow should be filled with the meaning that we mentioned: love, gratitude, fear of God, and so on. When we bow, we must always remember who or what we are bowing to, where we are - after all, in the temple everything is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, we are in a holy place. There is no need to bow for show, without a soul, indifferently.

To summarize: bows have a special meaning. We have a complex system of different bows, which must be performed according to the rules, but there are exceptions to all the rules. The main thing is that in your life there should be no bows without faith, reverence and fear of God.

Why do Orthodox believers read prayers on their knees?

Prayer accompanies an Orthodox Christian throughout his life. A believer turns to God not only with requests, but also with gratitude for His daily mercies, health, and daily bread. The Orthodox Church teaches that we need to thank God even for the trials that He sends us, because in this way our soul is tempered and our faith is tested. Since people are earthly beings, the spiritual in us is inextricably linked with the physical.

That is why in liturgical regulations much attention is paid to the position of the body during prayer. In Christian practice, there have long been many prayer positions: people prayed with their hands raised to the sky, folded on their chests, and spread out on the ground in the form of a cross. Today in Orthodoxy there are several accepted postures for prayer: standing, with bows or bows to the ground, and prayer on your knees.

Repentant prayer on your knees

The need for kneeling prayers is controversial among Orthodox clergy and theologians because it is considered a tradition borrowed from Catholicism. During temple services, it is generally not customary for the laity to kneel. The exception is Lent, when the choir sings the hymns “Lord, I have cried,” and at this time everyone present, including the clergy, kneels. Orthodox priests always focus our attention on the fact that we should not confuse kneeling during prayer with prostrations to the ground. The first, according to the teachings of the holy fathers, is a sign of servility before God, which is unacceptable in Orthodoxy, because the Savior Himself exalted people and put them on the same level with Himself, taking on human form and calling the apostles friends. Prostrations to the ground are a sign of deep repentance and awareness of one’s own unworthiness before God, despite all His mercies towards us. In addition, the rejection of kneeling prayer in Orthodoxy is associated with the desire that even the external manifestations of our prayer life differ from Catholic ones.

Home prayer on your knees

Of course, you shouldn’t pay too much attention to posture during prayer, because our mental state still comes first when we turn to the Creator, the Mother of God, or the saints. The main and necessary condition for prayer is the combination of a repentant attitude and at the same time great gratitude to God for everything that He gives us. Sick people, pregnant women, and very young children can sit during prayer if their body requires it. And if we pray while traveling, at work, at school, or just walking down the street, then in this case the prayer posture does not matter at all.

Pentecost? - Hurray, on your knees!

Archpriest Alexy Sorokin, rector of the Vologda Church of the Holy Righteous Lazarus of the Four Days, talks with readers about the long-awaited prostrations that strict church regulations return to worship.

Kneeling prayers on the day of Holy Pentecost.
Photo: Pravoslavie.Ru - Pentecost is a huge celebration, the birthday of the Church: churches are decorated, everyone is happy, as at any birthday, even a human one.
But today is the most important birthday: the ship of our salvation - and you can probably say: the day of our spiritual birth. Then why does the strict, reasonable, calm and logical church charter, which, as has been tested over centuries and millennia, by definition not recommend anything unnecessary or unreasonable, so persistently prescribe kneeling prayers for Christians? It is unlikely that anyone will demand from the guests whom he invited to his own birthday, not genuflection, of course, but even some kind of apology. Why does the church charter insist on kneeling prayers? – In comparing the birthday of the Church with the birthday of a person lies the main “insidiousness” of this comparison in itself. We are accustomed to treating a birthday or another holiday as an event that “should make a person feel good.” In the Church, the meaning of the holiday includes, first of all, an edifying and instructive moment. To give something for thought, food and work of the soul, distracting from the hustle and bustle of ordinary everyday affairs. Yes, of course, in our tradition, the Easter holiday is associated with folk festivities, the Nativity of Christ is associated with congratulations and gifts - this is all clear. But, nevertheless, you need to try not to miss the inner content of the holiday itself, and this is the most important thing, isn’t it? And the day of Pentecost is not just a “memory” of the birthday of the Church, but it is, first of all, a person’s awareness of his place in the Church and what he has done to follow the path to salvation.

– Is this where the mystery of the strictness of the church charter, which seems at first glance complex, lies?

Oh, if only we were more attentive during services! What a treasure of Orthodoxy we possess!

– A person, seeing himself on the path of salvation as infirm, weak, sinful, asks that the Holy Spirit, given by God to His Church, does not leave us, strengthens us, heals us from our weaknesses and spiritual passions. This is what is said in the kneeling prayers. The contradiction you are talking about would be removed if people knew the text of the prayers read during Vespers of Holy Pentecost. If we open it and read carefully the text of the prayers, we will see the answer to this question and resolve many confusions. Here, look: “Most pure, undefiled, without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, unsearchable, unfailing, invincible, innumerable, gentle, Lord... Receive us, who fall before You and cry: we have sinned, we have been committed to You from the womb, from the womb of our mother, You are God our. But as if our days had disappeared in the vanity, we were exposed to Your help, deprived of any answer, but boldly in Your bounty, we call: do not remember the sins of our youth and ignorance, and cleanse us from our secrets, and do not reject us during old age, when our strength becomes impoverished. ours: do not leave us, before we can even return to the earth, grant us worthy to return to You, and grant us favor and grace. Measure our iniquities with Your bounties, set the abyss of Your bounties against the multitude of our sins. Look down from Thy holy height, O Lord, upon Thy people who are coming, and upon those who expect rich mercies from Thee. Visit us with Thy goodness, deliver us from the violence of the devil: establish our life with Thy holy and sacred laws. Assign a faithful guardian angel to Your people, gather everyone into Your Kingdom. Grant forgiveness to those who trust in You: forgive them and our sins. Purify us through the action of Your Holy Spirit: destroy the machinations of the enemy even against us.”

Oh, if only we were more attentive during services! What a treasure of Orthodoxy we possess!

Archpriest Alexy Sorokin

– So, the main meaning of the prayers at Pentecost Vespers is a person’s awareness of his unenviable spiritual state?

– Regarding Christians living on earth, yes: their main meaning is to recognize oneself as a person who has the possibility of salvation, who has been given such an opportunity and who has all the means for salvation. But due to our laziness, weakness, vanity, we neglect this and fall into such terrible traps that alienate us from God. And so, when a person sees this, honestly admits it, he asks the Lord to give him strength - and the Holy Spirit gives strength in the sacraments - to give him strength to fight sin. He gave us strength to follow the path of salvation, he gave us strength, strengthening our weak, crippled, sinful human rhythm of life, in order to remain a Christian in it always and everywhere, at all times of the day and night.

- It's clear. Then a question that probably worries many parishioners, and not only parishioners, but also clergy. Don't you think that the words of these prayers, like other prayers, often do not reach those who are praying or trying to pray? The words of the prayers are too incomprehensible, they are read too quietly, or, what is even worse, there is too much fuss and twigs that “must certainly be blessed,” and this, according to many, is the main meaning of today’s holiday. Doesn’t the ritual often overshadow the content? Much more attention is paid to the external - these very notorious branches - than to the internal, which is exactly what you were talking about.

It probably makes sense to print out the texts of these prayers and give them to parishioners so that they know them.

– Twigs are also necessary to show a person before his eyes the life-giving action of the Holy Spirit. A seemingly dead branch, which in autumn and winter looks completely lifeless, with the onset of spring begins to blossom, bloom, leaves come out and then fruits come out. This greenery of the trees reminds us of the life-giving effect of the Holy Spirit on the withered human soul. Although, of course, this is only an external reminder of internal work. And, of course, it can be very disappointing when the bustle in church distracts people from prayer. It is difficult to imagine if in some large cathedral, especially if there is no amplifying equipment, at the end of the temple someone would hear what a priest or bishop was reading there, kneeling in the royal doors. Therefore, it probably makes some sense to print out the texts of these prayers in Church Slavonic and give them to parishioners, especially regular parishioners who understand what spiritual life is, who sincerely follow it, experience and repent of their sins, and rejoice in the Church, so that they knew the texts of these prayers. After all, the Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is published, say, in a separate edition. We see that in churches many lay people kneel or stand, carefully following the priest’s reading, thereby compensating for all our human weaknesses - voice, diction, inattention, and something else. And in these publications there are certain kinds of explanations, and sometimes translations. That is, it would be good to provide such reference publications in order to better understand the meaning of prayers, and for the prayers of Holy Pentecost. This is a prayer read facing the people, out loud; there is nothing to hide from the people.

The prayers of Holy Pentecost are also prayers for the departed, for those who are no longer with us.

Moreover, there is another side to the content of the prayers of Holy Pentecost, and it is connected with prayer for the departed. Prayer for the departed and about the feeling of love and concern that the Church shows before God for those who are no longer with us, but have passed on to another world and can no longer do anything for their salvation there. Only we here on earth can help them in their posthumous fate. Now we will try to find those words that relate to the departed in the prayers of Holy Pentecost. These are very good words. Speaking about prayers, praising the mercy of God, His Providence and the path that the Lord accomplished for our salvation, the Church turns to Him with amazing words:

“...You are the ever-present glory, Lord, and the beloved Son of the Most High, ever-present Light from the ever-present Light, Sun of righteousness, hear us praying to You, and give rest to the souls of Your servants, the fathers and our brothers who have fallen before the dead, and other relatives in the flesh, and all your in faith, we create a memory of them now, for in You is the power of all, and in Your hand you contain all the ends of the earth. Master Almighty, Father God and Lord of mercy, the mortal and immortal race, and the Creator of all human nature, which is composed, and again resolved, life and death, every stay here, and every change there: measure the years of the living, and set the times of death , bring down to hell and raise up, bind in weakness, and release in strength, build the present needs, and manage the future usefully, cheering those wounded by the sting of death with the hopes of resurrection... And on this all-perfect and saving holiday, purification for prayer, for those held in hell being worthy to receive, give us great hope of weakening the contents from the defilements that I contain, and to receive consolation from You. Hear us humble ones, and Your servants praying to You, and give rest to the souls of Your servants, who have fallen before the dead, in a place of light, in a place of greenness, in a place of coolness: from there shall flee all sickness, sorrow and sighing, and rest their spirits in the villages of the righteous, and peace and vouchsafe them to be weakened: for they will not praise Thee in the dead, O Lord; those lower in hell will dare to bring confession to Thee, but we, while we live, will bless Thee and pray, and offer cleansing prayers and sacrifices to Thee for their souls.”

Kneeling prayers on the day of Holy Pentecost. Photo: Pravoslavie.Ru

As we see, there are words here that can also be applied to intercession for souls in hell.

– These prayers make sense when they are known, like any other prayers that a person reads in the temple, don’t they?

- Certainly. There is appropriate explanatory literature for people who want to learn about the rich treasure of Orthodox worship. After all, in fact, it is unreasonable to stand at the rich table, which belongs to you by right, which has been set for you and where you are invited every day, but, citing being busy, the incomprehensibility of the texts, or whatever else, stubbornly eat stale and moldy crusts.

– Practice shows that many parishioners – exactly the same ones you spoke about: diligent, conscious, constant – greet with great joy the return of kneeling prayers to liturgical life.

Each bow to the ground is a reminder of both the Fall and the rebirth of man through the Resurrection of Christ.

- Yes. Kneeling returns us to the usual rhythm of bowing rules accepted in church communication. However, we must remember: we are not on our knees all the time during the service. Even after Pentecost. When it comes to bowing, what does it mean? Its symbolic meaning is a reminder of man's restoration in Christ. We fall to our knees, showing our fall. Moral decline. But we get up from our knees, because Christ called us to get up from them. And this is the path of our whole life: we fall and get up, fall and get up. Therefore, bowing is included in the prayer rule of an Orthodox person, in the daily rule, and, if we look at the rule of morning and evening prayers, the rule for Communion: “And bow as much as you want.” That is, as many times as you feel your unworthiness, you make these bows and just as many times you hope for God’s mercy. Bowing is not only slavish worship, but also a moment associated with rebellion. By the way, remember: after all, “uprising” in Greek is “anastasis”, that is, resurrection: there is something to think about, and every day. Each bow to the ground is a reminder of both the Fall and the rebirth of man through the Resurrection of Christ. And the fact that we are on our knees at Pentecost is simply an understanding that we are without God - that’s who we are, and the Holy Spirit, Who descends during Pentecost, leads us to the path of salvation. If only we would not disturb Him with our sins.