Argument for abandoning the raising of hands (Raf’ al-Yadain) from the Hadith of Abu Humayd Sa’idi (RA) found in Sahih al-Bukhari

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد:

Prayer is the greatest symbol of the religion of Islam. The Holy Prophet ﷺ performed prayer throughout his life in front of his noble companions, and they passed it on to the Ummah. Within prayer, there are certain actions over which there is disagreement among the Ummah, one important issue being:

“Raf’ al-Yadain” meaning raising the hands (at the opening, before bowing, and after bowing)

❖ Those who omit raising the hands (who only raise their hands at Takbir al-Tahrimah) generally rely on one hadith, narrated by Hazrat Abu Humayd al-Sa’idiؓ in Sahih Bukhari. This narration mentions only the opening raising of the hands, and does not mention raising the hands before or after bowing; therefore, it is concluded that raising the hands was not done.

In this article, we will prove that:

1. This narration in Sahih Bukhari does not indicate the abandonment of raising the hands.
2. The same gathering of companions’ narration is present in Sunan Abi Dawood and others, which explicitly mentions raising the hands before and after Ruku.
3. The narrators who are objected to have been declared trustworthy and reliable by the majority of the Muhaddithin.
4. There is evidence for raising the hands in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Arba’ah, and other hadith books.
5. The Companions and Imams of Hadith also practiced this and considered it a Sunnah until the death of the Prophet ﷺ.

▣ Opponents’ Position

They argue on the following grounds:

1. In Sahih Bukhari, there is a hadith of Hazrat Abu Humayd Al-Sa’idi رضي الله عنه:

قَالَ أَبُو حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيُّ:

”أَنَا كُنْتُ أَحْفَظَكُمْ لِصَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، رَأَيْتُهُ إِذَا كَبَّرَ جَعَلَ يَدَيْهِ حِذَاءَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ، وَإِذَا رَكَعَ أَمْكَنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنْ رُكْبَتَيْهِ، ثُمَّ هَصَرَ ظَهْرَهُ، فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ اسْتَوَى حَتَّى يَعُودَ كُلُّ فَقَارٍ مَكَانَهُ، فَإِذَا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ غَيْرَ مُفْتَرِشٍ وَلاَ قَابِضِهِمَا…“

Translation: Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the best among you all. I saw that when you ﷺ said Takbir, you raised your hands up to the level of your shoulders, then when you went into Ruku, you placed your hands on your knees and kept your back straight, then when you raised your head from Ruku, you stood completely straight until every bone was in its place, then when you prostrated, you placed your hands on the ground neither spread out nor folded…

❖ This narration only mentions raising the hands at Takbir al-Tahrima; it does not mention raising the hands before or after Ruku.

1. Their statement is: “The absence of mention = evidence of abandonment” (Principle: Silence in the context of explanation is clarification).
2. The narration in Sunan Abi Dawood which mentions raising the hands before and after Ruku includes a narrator named Abdul Humayd bin Ja’far, who is considered weak by them.

Therefore, they conclude:

• Raising the hands is only at Takbir al-Tahrima, not at other times.

▣ Argument of the Opponents

Opponents say:

• Since in the narration of Sahih Bukhari, raising the hands is mentioned only at the time of Takbir al-Tahrima and not before or after Ruku, therefore this is evidence of omission.
• They bring a fundamental rule: Silence in the context of explanation is an explanation (meaning, if it is necessary to mention something at a certain place and it is not mentioned there, then that is evidence of omission).

➊ Absence of Mention ≠ Evidence of Omission

There is a principle in the science of Hadith jurisprudence:

عدمُ الذِّكر ليس ذِكرَ العدم The absence of mention of something is not evidence of its non-existence.

Example: In Sahih Bukhari (803), in the detailed narration of the prayer of Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA), there is no mention of the opening raising of the hands, only the Takbirs are mentioned:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ:

Translation: Abu Huraira (RA) used to say Takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary, in Ramadan or outside Ramadan…

❖ Nowhere here is there any mention of the opening raising of the hands. If silence is evidence of omission, then should it be said that the Prophet ﷺ did not raise his hands at the opening? (May Allah protect us) Even the opponents themselves do not accept this.

➋ The Affirmative Takes Precedence Over the Negative

It is a rule of Hadith and jurisprudence principles:

”كان يُكَبِّرُ في كل صلاةٍ من المكتوبة وغيرِها…“

المُثبِتُ مقدَّمٌ على النافيThat is, when one narration affirms something and another does not mention it (or negates it), the affirmative narration is preferred; because the one affirming has more knowledge.

The same situation applies here:

• There is silence in the narration of Sahih Bukhari.
• Whereas in Sunan Abi Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah, etc., there is explicit affirmation that raising the hands was done before and after Ruku.

Therefore, the affirmative narration will be taken, and the silent narration cannot be used as evidence to abandon it.

➌ Combining is preferable to preferring one over the other

The principle of the Muhaddithin is:

إذا تعارض المثبت والنافي، فالجمع بينهما أولىWhen affirmation and negation appear to be contradictory, combining them is better than preferring one.

In this issue, combining is quite easy:

• In one narration of Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him), only the opening raising of the hands is mentioned briefly.
• In another narration (Abi Dawood, etc.), the complete details are mentioned.

Thus, both narrations are combined and no contradiction remains.

➍ This principle is even broken in Abu Humayd’s own hadith

In the narration of Sahih Bukhari:

• Only the first Takbir (opening Takbir) is mentioned.
• The other Takbirs of Ruku and Sujood are not mentioned.

Should it be assumed from this that the Prophet ﷺ only said the first Takbeer and performed the rest of the prayer without Takbeer? Certainly not!

Similarly, the mention of only the opening Rafi’ al-Yadain does not mean that Rafi’ al-Yadain was not performed at other places.

▣ The Hadith of Hazrat Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi رضي الله عنه in Sunan Abi Dawood

The same gathering of the Sahabah in which ten Sahabah رضي الله عنهم were sitting (including Abu Qatadah رضي الله عنه) has been mentioned in complete detail by Sunan Abi Dawood:

قَالَ أَبُو حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيُّ:

”أَنَا أَعْلَمُكُمْ بِصَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ…

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ…

ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ فَيَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَرْكَعُ…

ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ فَيَقُولُ: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ مُعْتَدِلًا…

ثُمَّ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ كَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ…“

Translation: Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the best among you all. When the Prophet ﷺ stood for prayer, he would raise both hands up to the shoulders and say Takbir. Then when he bowed for Ruku, he would bring his hands down from the raised position to the shoulders and then bow. When he raised his head from Ruku and said: Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah, he would again raise both hands up to the shoulders. Then when he stood after two Rak’ahs, he would again raise his hands up to the shoulders, as he did at the beginning of the prayer…

❖ This narration clearly mentions raising the hands at four places:

1. At the beginning of the prayer (Takbir al-Ihram)
2. Before bowing (Ruku)
3. When rising from Ruku
4. Standing after two Rak’ahs

▣ Statements of the Muhaddithin on the authenticity of this narration

This narration is not only in Abu Dawood but also in:

• Tirmidhi: ”حسن صحیح“ (ترمذی: 304)
• Ibn Khuzaymah: ”صحیح“
  Reference: (Ibn Khuzaymah: 587, 588)
• Ibn Hibban
  Reference: (Al-Ihsan: 1864)
• Imam Bukhari mentioned it in his dedicated book on raising the hands
• Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Khattabi, Diya al-Maqdisi, Bayhaqi, Hakim, Abu Nu’aym, Abu Awana also declared it authentic.

✦ Answer: Authentication of Abdul Hamid bin Ja’far

A few hadith scholars have made slight criticism of this narrator, but the majority have declared him trustworthy.

• Yahya bin Ma’in: ثقة
  Reference: (Tarikh al-Darimi: 263)
• Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal: ثقة ليس به بأس
  Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil: 6/10)
• Ibn Sa’d: وكان ثقة كثير الحديث
  Reference: (Tabaqat: 10/400)
• Ibn Hibban: أحد الثقات المتقنين
  Reference: (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 5/184)
• Al-Dhahabi: الإمام المحدِّث الثقة
  Reference: (Siyar A’lam al-Nubala: 20/7)
• Ali bin al-Madini: وكان عندنا ثقة
• An-Nasa’i: ليس به بأس
• Saji: ثقة صدوق
• Abu Hatim: محله الصدق

➤ That is, the majority have declared him trustworthy; the statements of a few are not credible against this majority.

▣ Muhammad bin Amr bin Ata (Narrator)

• Abu Zur’ah, Abu Hatim, An-Nasa’i: ثقة
• Ibn Sa’d: وكان ثقة له أحاديث
• Ibn Hibban: کتاب الثقات میں ذکر
• Al-Dhahabi: أحد الثقات (سیر اعلام النبلاء: 5/225)
• Ibn Hajar: ثقة
  Reference: (Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 6187)
• Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah all have declared his narration authentic.

❖ Therefore, the claim that Muhammad bin Amr bin Ata did not hear from Abu Hamid (may Allah be pleased with him) is incorrect. Sahih Bukhari (828) explicitly states that he was present in the gathering of the Companions and heard the hadith directly from Abu Hamid (may Allah be pleased with him).

▣ Sahih Bukhari Narration (803) – Abundance of Takbirs

In Sahih Bukhari, there is a detailed mention of the prayer of Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA):

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ:

Translation: Abu Huraira (RA) used to say Takbeer in every prayer (obligatory or voluntary, Ramadan or non-Ramadan): at the time of standing, when going into Ruku, when rising from Ruku he would say “Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah” and recite “Rabbana wa laka al-hamd,” then when going into prostration, then when rising from prostration, then when going into the second prostration, then when rising from the second prostration, then when standing up after two Rak’ahs. He did this in every Rak’ah until he completed the prayer. Then he said: By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Among you, I am the closest in resemblance to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and your prayer was like this until his death.

▣ Deduction from this Hadith

“كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ فِي كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ مِنَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا فِي رَمَضَانَ وَغَيْرِهِ، فَيُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَقُومُ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْكَعُ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَهْوِي سَاجِدًا، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَسْجُدُ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَقُومُ مِنَ الْجُلُوسِ فِي الِاثْنَتَيْنِ، وَيَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لَأُشْبِهُكُمْ صَلَاةً بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ”.

1. In this narration, the takbirs of each unit were counted, but there is no mention of the opening raising of the hands. ➤ If silence is considered abandonment, then it would prove the abandonment of the opening raising of the hands (which is false).
2. In other authentic narrations from the same Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه, there is mention of raising the hands:

   Part of raising the hands according to Bukhari: Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه himself used to raise his hands (at the opening, before bowing, and after).

3. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (694, 695): Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه said that the Prophet ﷺ used to raise his hands at these places.
4. At the end of this hadith, Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه swore and said:

   “إِنْ كَانَتْ هَذِهِ لَصَلاَتَهُ حَتَّى فَارَقَ الدُّنْيَا” Translation: “This was the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until he passed away.”

❖ Meaning, the Prophet ﷺ continued raising the hands until his death.

▣ An Important Addition

In the narration of Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, these words are also present:

ولا يفعله حين يرفع رأسه من السجود

Translation: “The Prophet ﷺ did not raise his hands when rising from prostration.”

➤ From this, it is understood that raising the hands was only at four places:

1. At the beginning of the prayer
2. Before bowing (ruku)
3. After bowing (ruku)
4. When standing after two units (rak’ahs)

▣ Assembly of Hazrat Abu Humaid Al-Sa’idi (Confirmation by Ten Companions)

As mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawood (730):

قَالُوا: صَدَقْتَ، هَكَذَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Translation: When Abu Humaid Al-Sa’idi described the prayer of the Prophet ﷺ, the present companions (including Abu Qatada and ten companions) said: “You have spoken the truth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray exactly like this.”

➤ From this, it is understood that this practice was not an individual statement of one companion, but there was confirmation by the group of companions.

▣ Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه

It is authentically established with a sound chain from Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه:

”كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلَاةَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ… وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ… وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ…“

Translation: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began the prayer, he would raise his hands; when he intended to bow, he would raise his hands; and when he raised his head from bowing, he would also raise his hands.

▣ Hazrat Malik bin Huwayrith رضي الله عنه

Hazrat Malik bin Huwayrith رضي الله عنه narrates:

”رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كَبَّرَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا أُذُنَيْهِ، وَإِذَا رَكَعَ، وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ“

Translation: I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he said Takbeer, he would raise his hands up to his ears, both at the time of bowing and when raising his head from bowing.

▣ Hazrat Ali Al-Murtaza رضي الله عنه

Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه said:

”إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَإِذَا رَكَعَ، وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ“

Translation: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would begin the prayer, he would raise his hands at the time of Takbir, during Ruku, and when raising his head from Ruku.

▣ Hazrat Wail bin Hujr رضي الله عنه

In the narration of Hazrat Wail bin Hujr رضي الله عنه, three occasions are also mentioned:

”صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَكَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ… ثُمَّ رَكَعَ، فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ… ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ، فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ“

Translation: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said Takbir and raised his hands, then he went into Ruku and raised his hands, then when he raised his head from Ruku, he raised his hands again.

▣ Decision of Muhadditheen and Imams

1. Imam Bukhari رضي الله عنه
   Reference: (Part on Raising Hands: 102)

   → Collected evidences of raising hands and said that it is Sunnah.

2. Imam Shafi’i رضي الله عنه: “This practice is mutawatir from the Prophet ﷺ.”
   Reference: (Al-Umm: 1/97)
3. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah رضي الله عنه: “Raising the hands is the Sunnah method of prayer, and the Prophet ﷺ’s practice on it is mutawatir.”
   Reference: (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa: 22/453)
4. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رضي الله عنه: “The Prophet ﷺ continued to raise his hands until his passing.”
   Reference: (Zad al-Ma’ad: 1/218)

1️⃣ Objection: In Sahih Bukhari (828), only the opening raising of hands is mentioned, not before or after Ruku → therefore it is evidence for abandoning it.
Answer:

• Silence is not evidence of abandonment (Fundamental rule: عدم الذکر ≠ ذکر العدم).
• In Bukhari (803), there is no mention of the opening raising of hands in Abu Huraira’s prayer; should it be accepted that hands were not raised at the opening? Certainly not!
• In Sunan Abi Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, there is explicit affirmation that raising of hands was done before and after bowing.

2️⃣ Objection: The narration includes Abdul Hamid bin Ja’far, who is weak. Answer:

• The majority of hadith scholars (Ahmad, Yahya bin Ma’in, Ibn Sa’d, Ibn Hibban, Dhahabi, Ibn Hajar, etc.) have declared Abdul Hamid trustworthy.
• Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, Imam Bukhari (in the section on raising hands), Imam Bayhaqi, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim all considered this narration authentic.
• The criticism of a few individuals is not acceptable against the consensus of the majority.

3️⃣ Objection: Muhammad bin Amr bin Ata did not hear from Abu Hamid. Answer:

• In Bukhari (828), it is explicitly stated that he was present in the gathering of the Companions and heard the hadith from Abu Hamid.
• In Abu Dawood’s narration, the clear words are: “سمعت أبا حميد” (I heard from Abu Hamid).
• Therefore, the claim of discontinuity is false.

4️⃣ Objection: The narration is confused. Answer:

• The original chain (Abdul Hamid ← Muhammad bin Amr ← Abu Hamidؓ) is authentic.
• Weak chains (from a man/Abbas bin Suhail, etc.) do not cause confusion but rather support the original narration.
• Muhaddithin have declared this narration authentic, therefore the claim of confusion is rejected.

▣ Final Conclusion

1. It is established with multiple chains in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, and other books that:

   The Prophet ﷺ used to raise his hands at the beginning.

2. He did so before bowing (ruku).
3. He did so when rising from bowing.
4. And he did so when standing after two rak’ahs.
5. Hazrat Ibn Umarؓ, Hazrat Malik bin Huwayrithؓ, Hazrat Aliؓ, Hazrat Wa’il bin Hujrؓ, Hazrat Abu Hurairahؓ, and Hazrat Abu Hamidؓ all narrated and performed the raising of hands.
6. A large group of the Companions confirmed this by consensus:“صَدَقْتَ، هَكَذَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ”
   Reference: (Abu Dawood: 730)
7. Muhaddithin and Imams (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Khattabi, etc.) have declared raising the hands as a confirmed Sunnah and stated that this practice continued until the passing of the Prophet ﷺ.

✦ Summary of the Discourse

❖ It has been proven in the light of authentic and explicit evidences that:

• Raising the hands is not limited to the opening Takbeer only but is also Sunnah before and after Ruku.
• There is no authentic evidence for abandoning the raising of hands.
• This was the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ until his death, and the Companions (RA) also confirmed it.