The place of folding the hands in prayer
➊ Hadrat Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when he began the prayer, after the takbir: ثم وضع يده اليمني على اليسري “Then he placed his right hand over his left hand.”
➋ Hadrat Qabisa bin Halb (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from his father that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to lead us in prayer.
فيا حذ شماله بيمينه
“And he ﷺ would hold his left hand with his right.”
(The majority of the Companions and the Tabi’un) After the takbir of commencement (takbir tahrimah), it is recommended (masnun) for the worshipper to place his right hand over his left.
(Malik) He holds the view of letting the hands hang loose (it should be noted that this view is shadh).
Three methods of folding the hands are narrated
In the narration from Hadrat Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him), it is stated that:
ثم وضع يده اليمنى على ظهر كفه اليسرى والرسغ والساعد
Then he ﷺ placed his right hand on the back of his left hand, on the wrist, and on the forearm. (That is, sometimes he would place the hand on the hand, sometimes on the wrist, and sometimes on the forearm.)
The place for folding the hands
Although there is a difference of opinion among the scholars in this matter, the preponderant and correct view is that the hands should be folded on the chest, and the evidences for it are as follows:
➊ Hadrat Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that:
صليت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فوضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى على صدره
“I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he placed his right hand over his left hand upon his chest.”
➋ Hadrat Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that:
كان الناس يؤمرون أن يضع الرجل اليد اليمني على زراعه اليسرى فى الصلاة
“People were commanded that a man should place his right hand upon his left forearm in prayer.”
It should be noted that when the right hand is placed on the left forearm (up to the elbow), both hands will automatically come to rest on the chest.
➌ Imam Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى ثم يشد بينهما على صدره وهو فى الصلاة
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would place his right hand on his left hand, then tie them upon his chest, while he was in prayer.”
(Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him)) Although this hadith is mursal, it is a proof here according to all scholars, because it is also narrated through other chains that are connected (mawsul).
(Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him)) A man should fold his hands below the navel, and a woman should fold them on the chest in prayer.
(Malik (may Allah have mercy on him)) Three narrations are reported from him:
① The hands should be left open (this is the most well-known).
② The hands should be placed below the chest and above the navel.
③ There is a choice between folding and letting them hang.
(Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him)) Three narrations are reported from him:
① The hands should be placed below the chest and above the navel.
② They should be placed on the chest.
③ They should be placed below the navel.
(Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him)) Three narrations are also reported from him:
① The hands should be folded below the navel.
② They should be folded somewhat below the chest.
③ There is a choice between the two.
The evidence of those who hold that the hands are folded below the navel is this hadith:
From Hadrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) it is narrated that:
من السنة وضع الأكف على الأكف تحت السرة
“Folding the hands upon the hands below the navel is sunnah.”
(The preponderant view) On this issue, the most authentic narration is that from Hadrat Wa’il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) (which is in صحيح ابن خزيمة and contains the words علي صدره).
