Qa’dah al-Akhirah: Last Sitting

Qa’dah al-akhirah is the sitting after the final sajdah of every salah.  Men spread the left foot and raise the right one in this sitting. (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Salah, 102) Women on the other hand spread their feet to the right and sit on their left sides.  Sitting for a duration in which one can recite the tashahhud, i.e. tahiyyah, is necessary for the salah's validity.  After emphasizing that all expressions of exaltedness and all worship is exclusively for Allah (swt) in the first part of the du'a, one prays that His mercy and blessings is upon the prophets; and that peace and well-being is upon all righteous servants. One continues with the sunnah du'as called Salli and Barik after testifying, in the final part of the tahiyyah, that Allah (swt) is the only god and that Muhammad (saw) is His servant and messenger.  (Sahih Bukhari, Adhan, 148; Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Da’awat, 64) Finally, he greets to the right and left by saying “as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah”  (Allah’s peace and mercy be upon you). Thus, the Muslim who performs salah ends his private communication with his Lord until the next meeting and returns to his daily work. (Sunan an-Nasai, Sahw, 70; Sunan abu Dawud, Salah, 183, 184)