Qiyam: Standing Posture

Qiyam literally means to stand and stand up straight. In salah, it means to stand up with the hands tied and the head tilted down in complete submission and respect to Allah (swt).  Qiyam, which is a pillar of fardh (obligatory) and wajib (necessary) prayers, is the part of the salah that takes place in every rak'ah (unit) of the salah and in which a minimum amount of the Qur'an must be recited. 

The duration of the qiyam, which is the rukn (pillar) in which the Qur'an is recited, increases the virtue of the salah. When asked, “What is the best kind of salah?” the Prophet Muhammad (saw), who prolonged his qiyam when praying alone, (Sahih Muslim, Musafirun, 204) answered “The most excellent salah is that in which the duration of qiyam is longer.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Iqamat as-Salawat, 200) However, when leading people in congregational salah, he shortened the length of the qiyam and told the people who lead the salah to adjust the duration of their prayer in accordance with the elderly, weak and young people praying behind them. (Sahih Bukhari, Ilm, 28; Sahih Bukhari, Adhan, 65)