✦ Attaining Rewards Through Rafʿ al-Yadayn in Prayer
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Volume 1, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Page 347
Question:
Does performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn (raising the hands) during Ṣalāh lead to the acquisition of good deeds?
❖ Scholarly Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd:
Yes — performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn in prayer is a source of divine reward and spiritual elevation, as clearly indicated by the following narration:
✿ Statement of a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ
ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir رضي الله عنه said:
“إنه يُكتب في كل إشارة يُشيرها الرجل بيده في الصلاة، بكل إصبع حسنة أو درجة”
Translation:
“For every (legitimate) gesture a person makes with his hands during prayer, a reward or a rank is recorded for every finger.”
📝 Source References:
◈ Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr by al-Ṭabarānī (17/297, Ḥadīth 819)
◈ Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid (2/103)
◈ Maʿrifat al-Sunan wa al-Āthār by al-Bayhaqī (Vol. –, p. 225, Manuscript)
✔ Al-Bayhaqī said: “Its isnād is ḥasan.”
✔ Likewise verified by commentators of Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid
✿ For Detailed Research
Refer to:
📘 Nūr al-ʿAyn, pp. 181–186
A detailed section examining this narration and its implications regarding the virtue of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
✿ Is There Reward for Not Doing Rafʿ al-Yadayn?
❌ Nowhere in the authentic Sunnah is it mentioned that abandoning Rafʿ al-Yadayn earns a reward or elevation in rank.
➡ In contrast, the act of performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn — being Sunnah and accompanied by clear narrations — brings with it reward and spiritual merit.
✅ Conclusion
✔ Performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn in prayer is not only a Sunnah established by authentic ḥadīths, but also a means of earning good deeds and raising one’s rank.
❌ No virtue is reported for abandoning it.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
