An Exposition of the Prophet's Tradition in Sitting Posture from the Perspective of the Two Schools of Thought (Shia and Sunni)

The Prophet is an exemplar of good morals and a model of etiquette in speech and behavior for all of humanity, particularly Muslims. This has led the two schools, Shia and Sunni, to place serious emphasis on narrating and introducing the ethical traits of the Prophet in their authentic sources. This article examines the sitting posture of the Prophet as one of his behavioral models in reliable narrations of both Shia and Sunni traditions. The aim is to fully demonstrate the level of overlap of these traditions in the realm of ethical behavior. Exploration of the hadith sources of both schools reveals the existence of shared practices in various aspects, including sitting facing the qiblah, not stretching legs in the presence of others, creating space for companions and newcomers, sitting at the end of the gathering, sitting in a cross-legged or squatting posture, sitting on both knees, sitting in the Tawarruk style, not-leaning on the dining table, and more.