الحمد لله رب العالمين والعاقبة للمتقين والصلوة والسلام على رسوله و على آله و صحبه اجمعين
اما بعد Prayer is the greatest worship of Allah Almighty, and when a servant stands in prayer:
فإنه يناجي ربه
he whispers to his Lord.
Therefore, no action should be done in prayer that is against respect; rather, prayer should be performed with such humility that shows piety and fear of Allah. Among all the limbs of a person, the chief of the limbs is the heart. As the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
«الاوان فى الجسد مضغة اذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله و اذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا و هي القلب»
There is a piece in the human body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupted or sick, the whole body is sick. Beware, it is the heart.
And the heart is located in the chest, and this is the place of piety, as mentioned in the hadith:
التقوى ههنا و يشير الى صدره ثلاث مرار –
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), pointing to his blessed chest, said three times that piety and fear are here.
Therefore, you place your hands on the blessed chest because this is a form of humility. And it befits a humble servant to stand before his Lord in such a state. Allama Sheikh Saadi Shirazi has expressed this secret and wisdom in poetry as follows:
Do not see that before the Lord of Glory,
One who praises does not place his hands on the chest.
And those who practice and advocate placing the hands below the navel have no evidence or proof in the hadith for this. Rather, it expresses disrespect because if someone places their hands below the navel and says greetings before a good or great person, he would consider it offensive and would be displeased. Moreover, it is completely inappropriate to present oneself before the ruler, the sovereign of kings, in such a manner. Instead, one should place their hands on the chest and present their honored organ (the heart) before Him. This was the usual practice and method of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). And in this brief booklet, some guidance is being written for the common people regarding this issue. It is hoped that for seekers of truth, this booklet and treatise will become a guiding light and an informative destination. اللهم آمين
Some ahadith have been narrated regarding this issue.
Hadith Number 1:
عن أبى حازم عن سهل بن سعد الساعدى قال كان الناس يؤمرون ان يضع الرجل يده اليمنى على ذراعه اليسرى فى الصلوة قال ابو حازم لا أعلمه إلا ينمى ذالك إلى النبى ﷺ
Abu Hazim narrates from Suhail bin Saad Saadi that the people (companions) were commanded that every worshipper in prayer (i.e., while standing) should place his right hand over his left wrist and arm. The narrator Abu Hazim (Sulmah bin Dinar) says that I know this to be a Marfu‘ Hadith, meaning it is a command from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Authenticity of the Hadith: The fact that this hadith is in Sahih Bukhari is sufficient because the hadiths in Sahih Bukhari have the highest level of authenticity among all hadiths; this is the consensus of the scholars of the Ummah
. Also, Imam Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it authentic in
, and Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim declared it authentic in
.
Explanation: This hadith is Marfu‘ as the narrator Abu Hazim clarified. Besides the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who else could have commanded the companions? Therefore, Hafiz Ibn Hajar in
(As-Salafiyyah) and Allama Ayni in
have established this hadith as Marfu‘. From this hadith, it is proven that the hands are to be folded on the chest because when the right hand is placed on the left arm (forearm or wrist), the hands cannot go below the chest. One should try folding the hands this way and experiment to understand the matter clearly.
Hadith Number 2
«عن وائل من حجر قال صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ فوضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى على صدره»
It is narrated from Wa’il bin Hujr رضي الله عنه that I prayed with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and he placed his blessed right hand over his blessed left hand on his blessed chest.
Authenticity of the Hadith: Imam Ibn Khuzaymah mentions at the beginning of his Sahih in his own style.
المختصر من المسند الصحيح عن النبى ﷺ بنقل العدل عن العدل موصولا اليه ﷺ من غير قطع فى اثناء الإسناد ولا جرح فى ناقلي الاخبار اللتي نذكرها بمشيئة الله تعالىٰ
This is a concise collection of authentic hadiths that reach the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم with an authentic and continuous chain of narration, with no narrator missing in between or any break in the chain, and none of the narrators are defective or weak.
From this, it is proven that this hadith is completely authentic and sound. Furthermore, regarding this hadith: Imam Nawawi has mentioned it in
and
; Hafiz Ibn Sayyid Al-Nas in
; Hafiz Shamsuddin Ibn Abdul Hadi Al-Maqdisi in
; Hafiz Zailai in
; Hafiz Ibn Hajar in
and
; and in
and
; and Allama Ayni Hanafi in
; Imam Ash-Shawkani in
; Allama Majduddin Al-Fayruzabadi in
; Allama Al-Murtada Az-Zubaidi Hanafi in
; and others have mentioned it. Allama Ibn Sayyid Al-Nas, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Allama Ayni, and Allama Ash-Shawkani have considered this hadith authentic. Similarly, Mulla Qaim Sindhi in the Risalah
and Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Sindhi Thatvi in
have also considered this hadith authentic. Moreover, Allama Ibn Najim Hanafi in
, Allama Abu Al-Hasan Al-Kabir Sindhi in
, Allama Muhammad Hayat Sindhi in
, and the great ancestor Allama Syed Abu Turab Rashda Rashdi Sahib Al-Khilafah in
have declared this hadith authentic. This hadith is clear in its meaning and indicates that the Sunnah and method of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم is to fold the hands on the chest during prayer.
Hadith Number 3
عن قبيصة بن هلب عن أبيه قال رأيت رسول الله ﷺ لا ينصرف عن يمينه و عن يساره و رأيته يضع هذه على صدره وصف يحيى اليمنى على اليسرى فوق المفصل
Qabeesah bin Hulb Tabi’i narrates from his father Hulb (may Allah be pleased with him) that I saw the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم turning to the right and left after prayer, and I saw him صلى الله عليه وسلم placing his right hand over his left hand on his chest during prayer.
Authenticity of the Hadith: The chain of this hadith is authentic. Imam Ibn Saeed Al-Nas has considered it authentic in
, Hafiz Ibn Hajar has considered it authentic in
, and Allama Naimwi has also considered its chain authentic in
. Allama Muhaddith Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri
writes:
و رواه هذا الحديث كلهم ثقات وإسناده متصل –
All the narrators in the chain of this hadith are trustworthy and reliable, and its chain is continuous.
Hadith Number 4
عن سفيان الثوري عن عاصم بن كليب عن ابيه عن وائل إنه رأى النبى ﷺ وضع يمينه على شماله ثم وضعهما على صدره
It is narrated from Wa’il رضي الله عنه that he saw the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم placing his right hand over his left hand on his chest.
Authenticity of the Hadith: This narration is considered Hasan by Jad Amjad Sahib
.
Hadith Number 5
طاؤس قال كان رسول الله ﷺ طاؤس يضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى ثم يشد بهما على صدره وهو فى الصلوة
Tawoos Yamani, a Tabi’i, narrates that when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was in prayer, he used to place his right hand over his left hand and fold them on his chest.
Authenticity of the Hadith: Imam Tawoos is a well-known Tabi’i, therefore this hadith is Mursal. The Mursal hadith is considered authentic and accepted among the Hanafis. The Hanafi scholar Imam Sarkhasi
writes:
فأما مراسيل القرن الثاني و الثالث حجة فى قول علمائنا –
That the Mursal narrations of the second and third centuries (i.e., the Tabi’in) are, according to our (Hanafi) scholars, proof and evidence.
Similarly, it is written in Noor al-Anwar p. 150, and Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Thatvi
writes that والمرسل مقبول عند الحنفية Mursal narrations are evidence and acceptable narrations among us Hanafis. Likewise, Allama Ibn al-Humam also
writes, and according to the Muhaddithin, Mursal narrations are accepted in the presence of other hadiths because here other connected hadiths have been reported, therefore this narration can also be considered evidence, and all the narrators in its chain are reliable and trustworthy, as Imam Bayhaqi has written
, and Allama Muhammad Hayat Sindhi has written
, and Sahib Khalafat has written
, and Allama Mubarakpuri has written
.
Hadith Number 6
عن وائل بن حجر قال حضرت رسول الله ﷺ إذا أوحين وحين نهض إلى المسجد فدخل المحراب رفع يديه بالتكبير ثم وضع يمينه على يسره على صدره
It is narrated from Wa’il bin Hujr that I came to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. When he rose towards the mosque, he then entered the mihrab and said Allahu Akbar while raising both hands, then placed his right hand over the left on his chest.
Authenticity of the Hadith: This narration was cited by Hafiz Ibn Hajar in
in (As-Salafiyyah)
, and he stated in his
that the hadiths he brings in this commentary will be authentic or good. Therefore, according to Hafiz Ibn Hajar’s research, this hadith is authentic or good. Also, Sahib Khalafat has declared this hadith reliable in
. Furthermore, Allama Zafar Ahmad Usmani Thanvi writes in
that the narrations Hafiz Ibn Hajar quotes in Fath al-Bari without any criticism are considered authentic or good by him.
Proof from the Holy Quran
Hadith Number 7
اخرج ابن ابي شيبة والبخاري في تاريخه وابن جرير و ابن المنذر وابن ابي حاتم والدار قطني في الافراد و ابو الشيخ والحاكم و ابن مردويه والبيهقي في سننه«On the authority of Ali ibn Abi Talib regarding the verse ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ﴾, he said: He placed his right hand on the middle of his left forearm, then placed both on his chest during prayer.»
It is narrated from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib, that while interpreting this Quranic verse ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ﴾
, he said that during prayer, the right hand should be placed on the middle of the left wrist and then both hands placed on the chest.
Authenticity of the Hadith: Jad Amjad has authenticated this hadith as Hasan in
.
Explanation: The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), was an expert in linguistics, therefore his interpretation is authoritative and binding for Muslims. Also, the famous linguistic book
mentions the same interpretation of وا نحر. Moreover, this interpretation is not narrated from only one companion but also from other companions, as will be evident from the forthcoming narrations. Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Hakim Al-Mustadrak
considers this interpretation better than other interpretations regarding these verses. Some Hanafi scholars have also accepted this interpretation. For example, Allama Qawam al-Din al-Sakka in
, Mulla al-Haddad al-Hindi who was from Nagpur in
, and Allama Akmal al-Din al-Baburqi al-Inayah in Hashiyah al-Hadliyah
, among others, state that this verse commands sacrifice, but this interpretation does not contradict that one; both interpretations are correct in their own place. Many issues can be derived from a single verse.
Hadith Number 8
اخرج ابو الشيخ والبيهقي فى سننه عن انس رضى الله عنه عن النبى ﷺ مثله
The same interpretation has been narrated from Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه, the servant of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, as mentioned in Hadith Number 7.
Hadith Number 9
اخرج ابن ابي حاتم و ابن شاهين فى سنة و ابن مردويه والبيهقي عن ابن عباس رضى الله عنهما ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَ انْحَرْ﴾ قال وضع اليمنى على الشمال عند النحر فى الصلوة
It is narrated from the Quranic commentator Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما that while explaining و انحر, he said that in prayer, the right hand should be placed over the left hand and tied near the chest.
Explanation: Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه holds a high rank among the Companions in terms of knowledge of Tafsir. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم made special prayers for him regarding the knowledge of Quran and Hadith (Al-Bukhari). His interpretation is a great proof regarding this issue.
Hadith Number 10
اخرج الطبرانى فى الكبير عقبة بن ابي عائشة قال رأيت عبدالله بن جابر البياضي صاحب رسول الله ﷺ يضع احدى يديه على ذراعه فى الصلوة و إسناده حسن قاله الهيثمي فى مجمع الزوائد
The Companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Abdullah ibn Jabir Al-Bayazi Al-Ansari, narrates from Uqbah ibn Abi Aisha that he saw him in prayer with one hand, that is the right hand, placed on his wrist and arm. The chain of narration of this hadith is Hasan (good).
Explanation: This hadith is Mauquf, meaning it is the action of a Companion, and this is the same hadith brought by Imam Al-Sakan with these additional words:
ان االنبي ﷺ كان يفعله –
that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do the same.
Therefore, this hadith will be considered Marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet ﷺ). By tying the hands in this manner, they remain on the chest as explained in the first hadith. From these ten narrations, it becomes clear as daylight that the Sunnah method is to fold the hands on the chest during prayer. It is also established that this was the practice of the noble Companions. Jarir Al-Dabbi narrates that he said:
رأيت عليا يمسك شماله بيمينه على الرسع فوق السترة
I saw Ali رضي الله عنه holding his left hand with his right hand and placing it above the navel.
Explanation: Allama Mubakpuri has declared this hadith authentic in
, and “above the navel” here means the chest, as is evident from other hadiths. The statement of Ali رضي الله عنه himself has also been mentioned earlier.
Writers of the Seerah (Prophetic biography) have also researched and written that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fold his hands on his chest. For example:
Number 1: Imam Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim
states:
ثم ان يمسك شماله بيمينه و يضعها عليها فوق المفصل ثم يضعهما على صدره
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after Takbir, used to hold the left hand with the right hand and place it on the wrist on the chest.
Number 2: Allama Sheikh Muhammad al-Din al-Fayruzabadi
states:
ثم يضع يمينه على يساره فوق صدره كذا
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after Takbir, used to place his right hand over his left hand on his chest; this is also narrated in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.
Number 3: And Allama Imad al-Din Yahya ibn Abi Bakr al-Amiri in Bahjat
states:
قبض بيمينه على ظهر يساره وجعلهما تحت صدره –
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after Takbir, used to place the right hand on the back of the left hand and keep both below the chest, that is near the chest.
4: Allama Sheikh Abdul Haq Dehlavi
states:
“Afterwards, the right hand was placed over the left hand near the chest, as established in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.”
After Takbir, the Prophet ﷺ used to place the right hand over the left hand near the chest, as proven in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.
Number 5: Allama Hafiz Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti
states:
كان يضع يده اليمنى على اليسرى ثم يشد بهما على صدره
That he used to place the right hand over the left hand and then fold them on the chest.
Number 6: Janab Jad Amjad Syed Abu Turab Rashidullah Shah al-Rashidi (the one with four flags) رحمه الله تعالى wrote in his
:
After that, the Prophet ﷺ used to place the right hand over the left hand on the chest, as also established in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah. There is no authentic narration proving that the hands were tied below the navel.
In summary: The blessed habit of the Prophet ﷺ was to fold his hands on the chest during prayer. Any Muslim who claims true love for him will certainly not fold his hands anywhere other than the chest because the Holy Quran states:
لقد كان لكم فى رسول الله أسوة حسنة لمن كان يرجوا الله واليوم الآخر وذكر الله كثيرا ـ
The example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is better for those among you who hope for Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.
And this demand of love for him is that he himself said:
من أحب سنتى فقد أحبني ومن أحبني كان معي فى الجنة –
Whoever loves my Sunnah and way has loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise.
Viewers: The blessed hadiths and the narrations of the Companions, as well as the books of Seerah, have made the matter absolutely clear after which…
Proof from Hanafi Scholars
Some statements are written to give:
(1) Allama Badr al-Din Ayni, in Umdat al-Qari
, acknowledges as follows:
واحتج الشافعي بحديث وائل بن حجر اخرج ابن خزيمة فى صحيحه قال صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ فوضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى على صدره ولم يذكر النووي غيره فى الخلاصة وكذلك الشيخ تقى الدين فى الإمام واحتج صاحب الهداية لأصحابنا فى ذلك بقوله ﷺ إن من السنة وضع اليمين على الشمال تححت السرة قلب هذا قول على ابن أبى طالب وإسناده الي النبى ﷺ غیر صحیح
Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, took evidence from the hadith of Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah in which it is mentioned that the hand is placed on the chest of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Imam Nawawi mentioned this hadith in Al-Khulasa and Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Din mentioned it in Kitab al-Imam, and the author of Hidayah presented this narration as evidence for us (the Hanafis) that the command and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is to place the hands below the navel, but this is not proven from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, rather it is the statement of Ali.
Viewers: This statement clearly indicates that Allama Ayni accepts the evidence of placing the hands on the chest from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, but does not accept the narration of placing the hands below the navel and says it is the statement of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. However, this statement is not proven from Ali either because this statement
(Zawa’id Abdullah bin Ahmad) contains a narrator Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Wasiti Abu Shaybah, who has been severely criticized. Imam Ahmad and Abu Hatim called him a denier of hadith, Imam Yahya bin Ma’in called him abandoned, and Imam Ibn Hibban said he used to alter narrations and chains and bring denier narrations from famous people. Taking evidence from his narration is forbidden, and many Imams such as Bukhari, Abu Zur’ah, Nasai, Abu Dawood, Ibn Sa’d, Ya’qub bin Sufyan, and others consider him weak
. Allama Ibn al-Ajmi mentioned him in his book Al-Kashf al-Hathith under the title of those accused of fabricating hadith. Therefore, no Muslim can trust the narration of such a person. Rather, Allama Zaili Hanafi in Nasb al-Rayah
and Allama Abdul Hai Lakhnawi Hanafi in Hidayah
quote Imam Nawawi that this narration is unanimously weak. Similarly, Sheikh Ibn al-Hummam
also quotes this.
(2) Allama Ibn Najim Bahar al-Raiq in Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq p. 320 vol. 1 says:
ولم يثبت حديث يوجب تعيين المحل الذى يكون فيه الوضع من البدن إلا حديث وائل المذكور –
No hadith reaches the level of authenticity that determines the place of placing hands in prayer except only one hadith narrated from Wa’il, may Allah be pleased with him, which is mentioned in hadith number 3 referring to Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.
(3) Similarly, Allama Aman Amir al-Hajj
says (Fath al-Ghafoor).
(4) Mulla al-Haddad Junpuri
(Al-Qalami) says:
وحجته حديث وائل: صليت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ووضع يده اليمنى لى يده اليسرى على صدره و اما حديث على رضي ، عنه إنه قال من السنة فى الصلاة وضع اليمنى على الشمال تحت السرة فضعيف متفق على تضعيفه كذا فى النووى قلت ومن الدليل على ضعفه أن عليا رضى الله عنه فسر قوله تعالىٰ ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَ انْحَرْ﴾ بأنه وضع اليمين على الشمال تحت الصدر وذالك إن تحت الصدر عرقا يقال له الناحراى وضع يدك علي الناجر كذا فى العوارف وهكذا ذكر فى المغنى أيضا فهذا التفسير عن على يرد ما روي عنه من حديث وائل على ما روينا قوله لان الوضع تحت السرة أقرب إلى التعظيم وهو المقصود قلت وهذا التعليل بمقابلة حديث وائل فيرد وحديث على لا يعارضه كما ذكرنا .
(Translation) Imam Shafi’i’s evidence is the hadith of Wa’il, may Allah be pleased with him (which was mentioned in hadith number 2), and the narration from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Sunnah way is to place the hands below the navel is unanimously weak. Another evidence for its weakness is that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, interpreted the verse ”وانحر“ as placing the hands on the chest, and Al-Nahar refers to the vein of the chest, so this interpretation was made which rejects that narration. It is obligatory to act upon the hadith of Wa’il, may Allah be pleased with him. Saying that placing the hands below the navel is an act of respect is wrong because it contradicts the hadith.
Viewers: These references are quoted from reliable Hanafi scholars, especially Ibn Amir al-Hajj who holds a close position with his teacher Ibn Hummam. From these statements, several important points are understood:
A: It is proven from authentic hadith to place the hands on the chest.
B: This hadith is obligatory to act upon.
C: Amir al-Mu’minin Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, interpreted the verse وانحر as placing the hands on the chest.
D: That is, hadith number 7 is confirmed and corrected.
E: This interpretation of the verse is correct and reliable because they did not object to it but rather established the issue with it. That is, the Quran also commands placing the hands on the chest.
Z: Placing the hands below the navel is not proven from any authentic narration.
H: Rather, the narration mentioned about it is not authentic.
Hanafi friends: Friends, take a lesson from these statements and abandon unproven practices and act upon the proven hadith because in it lies salvation in the Hereafter.
Open challenge:
Viewers: Rather, we openly challenge all Hanafis worldwide to present from any book of hadith, provided it is a proper hadith book with an authentic chain, a narration that clearly states that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, placed his hands below the navel in prayer, and a cash prize of one thousand rupees will be given for it. But, praise be to Allah, no such hadith with clear words exists in the books of hadith, and they will not be able to show it.
Neither dagger nor sword will be raised against them: These arms have been tested by me.
And the narration attributed to Ibn Abi Shaybah that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, placed his hands below the navel does not exist at all. By the grace of Allah, we have both the manuscript and printed copies of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, but this narration is not in either. The leader of the Hanafis, Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri in Fayz al-Bari
says this is indeed correct because he has seen many copies of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah but this narration is not in any of them.
Invitation: We again invite serious and awakened Hanafi friends to calmly study the books of hadith and consider which is the Prophetic method. Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, himself advised:
إذا صح الحديث فهو مذهبى –
Whenever an authentic hadith is established, that is my religion.
He also said:
اتركوا قولي بخبر رسول الله ﷺ
Abandon my opinion because of the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
Hanafi companions: From Imam Hummam’s statement, it is understood that his true following is to act upon hadith. Therefore, you have the right, if you claim true adherence to the Imam, to look at the above hadith which both muhaddithin and jurists have accepted as authentic and which clearly mention placing the hands on the chest, then act upon them. After that, evidence is presented from specially chosen individuals who are considered trustworthy by the general public.
For example:
(1) Mirza Mazhar Jan Janan, considered the leader of the Naqshbandi order and accepted by the sect, who died in 1195 AH. Nawab Siddiq Hasan Sahib in Abjad al-Uloom
writes about him:
وكان يرى الإشارة بالمسبحة ويضع يمينه على شماله تحت صدره ويقوى قراءة الفاتحة خلف الامام عام وفاته
When sitting in prayer, he would raise a finger to indicate and place his hands below the chest, i.e., near it, and in his year of death, he called Al-Fatiha for the successor of the Imam.
Similarly, Allama Syed Sharif Abdul Hai al-Husseini Hanafi mentioned this in Nuzhat al-Khawatir
.
(2) Allama Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Sindhi Kabir faced a trial regarding this issue. Allama Muhammad Abid Sindhi narrated this instructive incident in his book Tarajim al-Shuyukh. The Sheikh used to act upon hadith, would bow and straighten up from bowing, and when rising from two rak’ahs, he would raise his hands and place his hands on his chest in prayer. During his time, Sheikh Abu al-Tayyib Sindhi was a fanatic Hanafi who debated with Sheikh Abu al-Hasan but was defeated by his arguments. Eventually, he complained to the Qadi of Madinah, and Sheikh Abu al-Hasan was summoned. When the Qadi heard his arguments, he realized that the Sheikh was an Imam in all sciences and that the people of Madinah were his students. Therefore, the Qadi had no choice but to pray for him and release him. Every year, complaints were brought to new Qadis, and the Sheikh kept succeeding. Finally, a Qadi came who was strictly Hanafi and fanatic. Abu al-Tayyib complained to him, and the Qadi summoned the Sheikh and ordered him to place his hands below the navel and not raise his hands. The Sheikh clearly said:
” لا افعل ذالك“
I will not do this. On this basis, he was ordered to be imprisoned in a dark cell where a person could not even see his limbs and was subjected to urination and defecation for six days. Then the people of Madinah advised the Sheikh to obey the Qadi’s order and get released from prison. The Sheikh said:
لا أفعل شيئا لم يصح عندئ ولا أترك شيئا صح عندى من فعله ﷺ وحلف على ذالك –
I will not do what is not proven from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and I will not abandon what is proven. He swore an oath regarding this.
Then people went to intercede with the Qadi, who also swore that if he saw the Sheikh placing his hands on the chest again, he would imprison him. So people advised the Sheikh to pray while wrapping a cloth so the Qadi would not see him placing his hands on the chest. The Sheikh did so. After some time, someone informed the Sheikh while praying that the Qadi had died, so the Sheikh removed the cloth while praying.
Viewers: This is the demand of faith that every hardship is endured but the Sunnah is upheld. The Sheikh was a scholar with annotations on Sahih Sitta and Musnad Ahmad and others. He is considered a senior by Ahl al-Hadith and Hanafis. His incident is a lesson and a warning.
(3) Jadd Amjad Sahib al-Khilafah is widely respected in Sindh, and his high status and expertise in religion are accepted by all. He also placed his hands on the chest in prayer, as our respected father Syed Ihsanullah Rashdi (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in Maslak al-Insaf
. Moreover, his statement above confirms that the Sunnah way is to place the hands on the chest and placing the hands below the navel is not proven. Regarding this issue, he wrote a booklet in Arabic titled درج الدرر فى وضع الايدي على الصدر تصنيف, from which some excerpts are presented:
ان الصحيح الثابت من ساقي الكوثر عليه الصلوة والسلام إلى دوام الدهر فى الصلوة وهو وضع اليدين على الصدر وأما وضعهما تحت السرة فلم يرد فيه حديث مسند معتبر فضلا عن صحيح إن الأصل عند الشافعي الوضع على الصدر – فالظاهر منه إنه رجع بعد وصول الرواية . مروية عن مالك كما ذكره العيني
(1) From authentic hadith, it is proven that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, placed his hands on the chest in prayer, and there is no authentic hadith or even any narration with a reliable chain about placing the hands below the navel.
(2) Imam Shafi’i’s original school is to place the hands on the chest.
(3) Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, after receiving the hadith, also supports placing the hands on the chest.
(4) It is also narrated from Imam Malik to place the hands on the chest, as mentioned by Ayni Hanafi.
Viewers: From these three statements, it is understood that the correct school of the three Imams (Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal) is also to place the hands on the chest.
عند معارضة الآثار يجب الرجوع إلى المرفوع لقوله تعالى فإن تنازعتم فى شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسول والمرفوع لم يثبت فيه الوضع إلا على الصدور وعند الصدر لا تحت السرة –
(5) When the effect and statement contradict each other, it is obligatory to refer to the Marfu’ hadith for judgment because Allah, the Exalted, says (translation): If you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and His Messenger for judgment. In this matter, no Marfu’ hadith proves placing the hands below the navel; rather, only placing the hands on or near the chest is proven.
وأما وضعهما تحت السرة فلا تعظيم أصلا بل لو إنه موجب إساء لا يبعد لأن تحت السرة عورة
(6) Placing the hands below the navel is neither respectful nor polite; rather, if it is called disrespectful, it is not unlikely because below the navel is the private area.
قد ثبت من حديث وائل و هلب تعدد الواقعة واستفيد من ظاهر كان فى مرسل طاؤس المنجبر الاستمرار –
(7) The hadith of Wa’il bin Hujr (hadith number 2) and the hadith of Hilb (hadith number 3) prove that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, placing his hands on the chest is not a one-time event but happened multiple times. Although the narration of Tawus is mursal, it is strong due to supporting evidence. It contains the word “kan” meaning “he used to place his hands on the chest,” indicating continuity.
Viewers: Scholars consider “kan” as a past continuous verb like (kan yadribu) meaning “he used to strike,” so here (كان يضيع على صدره) means he used to place and keep his hands on the chest, indicating continuity.
قد ثبت هذا المعنى عن ابن عباس على وأنس –
(8) The meaning of the verse وانحر as placing the hands on the chest is proven from three companions:
Number 1: The famous commentator, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Number 2: The fourth Caliph, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Number 3: The servant of the Prophet, Anas ibn Malik.
Viewers: From Jadd Amjad’s statements, several points are understood:
Number 1: The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had his own practice and habit of placing the hands on the chest, not below the navel.
Number 2: It is only proven from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to place the hands on the chest.
Number 3: This was his continuous and habitual practice.
Number 4: There is no evidence from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, about placing the hands below the navel.
Number 5: The Quran also proves placing the hands on the chest.
Number 6: Placing the hands below the navel is disrespectful.
After seeing these statements of Jadd Amjad, no believer or any sensible person from your family or descendants will place their hands below the navel.
Finally, we pray to Allah Almighty and beseech Him to guide Muslims to the straight path and grant the ability to act upon the Prophetic Sunnah.
و آخر دعوانا ان الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على سيد المرسلين و على اهل طاعته اجمعين –
