How to keep the feet during Sajdah?

In this matter, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars, as to if one should keep the feet close together or apart.

First view:

That the feet should be apart during Sajdah. This is the view of the Jumhoor scholars. The proofs they have presented include that in the Sunnah it states that while in sajdah both knees and thighs should be apart. And they state that the feet are included in this.

In this aspect, they present the hadeeth from the Prophet ﷺ which is included by Abu Dawud in his Sunan (735) : In the Hadeeth that Abu Humaid رضي الله عنه narrated on how the Prophet ﷺ performed his prayer it is stated: (وإذا سجد فَرَّج بين فخذيه) ” And when he (the Prophet ﷺ) was in Sajdah his thighs were kept apart.”

Ash-Shawkaanee رحمه الله said: The statement in the hadeeth “he ﷺ kept his thighs apart” means that both thighs, both knees and the feet was kept apart.

As this is the famous view in the Shaafi’ee Madh-hab, it is common among us here as well.

Second view:

To keep both feet close together touching each other during sajdah. This is the view preferred by the biggest scholar of hadeeth who appeared in recent times Al-Imām ash-Sheikh Al-Albany رحمه الله as well as the view of the great scholar of Fiq’h ash-Sheikh ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله.

Those scholars who expressed this view has presented as evidence, the narration of the mother of the believers ‘Aaishah رضي الله عنها

(فقدت رسول الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وكان معي على فراشي ، فوجدته ساجداً ، راصّاً عقبيه ، مستقبلاً بأطراف أصابعه القبلة)

‘Aaishah said: “One night I couldn’t find the Prophet ﷺ, (she didn’t know where he was). He was in the bed with me before. And then I saw him in Sajdah. He had his feet close together. And the tip of his toes were pointing at the Qiblah.”

This narration is mentioned in the Saḥeeḥ by Ibn Khuzaimah (1/328), by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Saḥeeḥ (5/260), Al-Ḥākim in Mustadrak (1/325) and by Al-Bayhaqi in “As-Sunanu al-Kubree” (2/167). This hadeeth is an authentic narration. Ash-Shaikh Al-Albany رحمه الله authenticated this hadeeth in Sifatus-Salaaḥ (2/736). As this hadeeth has been declared as authentic, it is therefore a strong and clear evidence.

Therefore, it is Sunnah for the one in the position of sajdah during prayer to keep his/her feet closely together so that there is no space between both feet. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.