Our Master Jabir bin Samrah, may Allah be pleased with him, Hadith and the Gesture of Salam in Tashahhud
It is narrated from Tamim bin Tarfah, may Allah have mercy on him, that Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to us and said: What is the matter that I see you raising your hands as if they were the tails of unruly horses? Be calm in prayer! Then he went outside and saw that we were scattered in different circles, so he said: What is the reason that I see you separated? Then he came again and said: Why do you not form rows as the angels form rows before their Lord? He (peace be upon him) said: They complete the first rows and stand closely together in the rows.
It is narrated from Ubaidullah bin Al-Qabtiyah, may Allah have mercy on him, that (Sayyiduna) Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When we prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, we would say “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,” “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,” and Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, would gesture to the right and left with his hand, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Why do you gesture with your hands as if they were the tails of unruly horses? It is sufficient for each person among you to place his hand on his thigh and then greet his brother on the right and left.
It is also narrated from Ibn Al-Qabtiyah, may Allah have mercy on him, that Jabir bin Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him (i.e., behind him), and at the time of salam, we would say “As-Salamu Alaikum” “As-Salamu Alaikum” with our hands. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw us and said: What is wrong with you that you gesture with your hands as if they were the tails of unruly horses? When any of you turns in salam, let him face his companion and not gesture with his hand.
In the second narration of Tamim bin Tarfah, it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came to his companions and said: What is the reason that I see you separated? And those companions were sitting.
The narration from the same companion by both students (Tamim bin Tarfah and Ubaidullah bin Al-Qabtiyah) is the same hadith, and deriving the issue of abandoning raising hands from it is wrong for several reasons. For example:
➊ During the era of hadith compilation, none of the great muhaddithin narrated this hadith as evidence for abandoning raising hands, and compared to them, some jurists of Ahl al-Ra’y have no credibility.
➋ The great muhaddithin have mentioned this hadith regarding the salam at the time of tashahhud.
For example:
◈ Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him
”باب السلام فى الصلوة“
◈ Abu Dawood, may Allah have mercy on him
”باب فى السلام“
◈ An-Nasa’i, may Allah have mercy on him
”باب السلام بالأيدي فى الصلوة“
”باب موضع اليدين عند السلام“
” باب السلام باليدين“
”السلام بالأيدي فى الصلوة“
” السلام باليدين“
◈ Ibn Khuzaymah, may Allah have mercy on him
”باب الزجر عن الإشارة باليد يمينا وشمالا عند السلام من الصلوة“
”باب نية المصلي بالسلام من عن يمينه إذا سلم عن يمينه ومن عن شماله إذا سلم عن يساره“
◈ Abd al-Razzaq, may Allah have mercy on him
” باب التسليم“
◈ Abu Awana Ya’qub bin Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him
بيان الدليل على أن التسليمة الواحدة غير كافية فى جماعة من تسليم التشهد حتى يسلم تسليمتين … إلخ
◈ Bayhaqi
” باب كراهة الإيماء باليد عند التسليم من الصلاة“
◈ Baghawi
”باب التسليم فى الصلاة“
◈ Abu Nu’aym al-Asbahani
” باب الكراهية أن يضرب الرجل بيديه عن يمينه وعن شماله فى الصلاة“
◈ Abd al-Haqq al-Ashbili
باب كيفية السلام من الصلاة وكم يسلم؟
Besides them, some Hanafi scholars have also compiled chapters on this hadith. For example:
◈ Tahawi
باب السلام فى الصلاة كيف هو؟
◈ Ibn Farqad Shaybani
باب التشهد والسلام والصلاة على النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
➌ The great muhaddithin and eminent scholars have explicitly stated that this hadith is not related to raising hands but rather to the salam at the time of tashahhud. For example:
① The Commander of the Faithful in Hadith, Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him (died 256 AH), said:
فإنما كان هذا فى التشهد لا فى القيام، كان يسلم بعضهم على بعض صلى الله فنهى النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم عن رفع الأيدي فى التشهد ولا يحتج بهذا من له حظ من العلم، هذا معروف مشهور لا اختلاف فيه
This narration is only about tashahhud, not about standing. Some people used to greet others in prayer by gesturing with their hands, so the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade raising hands during tashahhud. Whoever has even a little knowledge does not take this narration as evidence for abandoning raising hands. This is well-known among all hadith scholars without any disagreement.
② In explaining this hadith, Hafiz Ibn Hibban said through his classification:
بأن القوم إنما أمروا بالسكون فى الصلوة عند الإشارة بالتسليم دون رفع اليدين عند الركوع
That people were commanded to be calm during the gesture of salam, not forbidden to raise hands during ruku’.
③ Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr Andalusi (died 463 AH) said:
وقد احتج بعض المتأخرين للكوفيين ومن ذهب مذهبهم فى رفع اليدين بما حدثنا … وهذا لا حجة فيه لأن الذى نهاهم عنه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم غير الذى كان يفعله لأنه محال أن ينهاهم عما سن لهم وإنما رأى أقواما يعبثون بأيديهم ويرفعونها فى غير مواضع الرفع فنها هم عن ذلك.
Some later scholars took this hadith as evidence against the Kufis and their co-religionists regarding raising hands, which we have explained… (Then he mentioned the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah with the chain of Tamim bin Tarfah and said:) There is no evidence for them because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade them from an act which he himself did not perform. It is impossible that he would forbid them from an act which he himself allowed. He saw some people doing useless gestures with their hands and raising hands at other places without raising hands at ruku’, so he forbade them from that.
④ Allama Nawawi said:
وأما حديث جابر بن سمرة فاحتجاجهم به من أعجب الأشياء وأقبح أنواع الجهالة بالسنة لأن الحديث لم يرد فى رفع الأيدي فى الركوع والرفع منه ولكنهم كانوا يرفعون أيديهم فى حالة السلام من الصلاة ويشيرون بها إلى الجانبين يريدون بذلك السلام على من عن الجانبين، وهذا لا خلاف فيه بين أهل الحديث ومن له أدنى اختلاط بأهل الحديث
As for the hadith of Jabir bin Samurah, it is very strange for people to take it as evidence, and it is among the worst kinds of ignorance of the Sunnah, because this hadith is not related to raising hands before or after ruku’, but the companions used to raise their hands at the time of salam in prayer and gesture to both sides intending to greet their close companions on both sides. There is no disagreement among the muhaddithin and those who have even a slight connection with the hadith scholars about this.
⑤ Ibn Sayyid al-Nas al-Yamari (died 734 AH) said:
وأما حديث جابر بن سمرة فلا تعلق له برفع اليدين فى التكبير ولكنه ذكر للرد على قوم كانوا يرفعون أيديهم فى حالة السلام من الصلوة ويشيرون بها إلى الجانبين مسلمين على من حولهم فنهوا عن ذلك ….
As for the hadith of Jabir bin Samurah, it has no relation to raising hands at the time of takbir, but it was mentioned in response to those who raised their hands at the time of salam in prayer and gestured to their companions on both sides, so they were forbidden from that.
⑥ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulqan (died 804 AH) said:
من أقبح الجهالات لسنة سيدنا رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم لأنه لم يرد فى رفع الأيدي فى الركوع والرفع منه وإنما كانوا يرفعون أيديهم فى حالة السلام من الصلوة… وهذا لا (اختلاف) فيه بين أهل الحديث ومن له أدنى اختلاط بأهله
Taking evidence from this hadith is extreme ignorance which has been attributed to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, because this hadith is not about raising hands before or after ruku’. They used to gesture with their hands at the time of salam… There is no disagreement among the muhaddithin and anyone with even a slight connection to hadith accepts that it is wrong to use this hadith against raising hands before and after ruku’.
⑦ Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said:
ولا دليل فيه على منع الرفع على الهيئة المخصوصة فى الموضع المخصوص وهو الركوع والرفع منه، لأنه مختصر من حديث طويل
There is no evidence in this hadith for forbidding raising hands at specific times, i.e., before and after ruku’, because this is an abridgment of a long hadith.
⑧ Ali bin Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi (died 792 AH) said:
وما استدل به من حديث جابر بن سمرة رضى الله عنه لا يقوي وأيضا فلا نسلم أن الأمر بالسكون فى الصلوة بنا فى الرفع عند الركوع والرفع منه لأن الأمر بالسكون ليس المراد منه ترك الحركة فى الصلوة مطلقا بل الحركة المنافية للصلاة بدليل شرع الحركة للركوع والسجود ورفع اليدين عند تكبيرة الافتتاح وتكبيرة القنوت وتكبيرات العيدين فإن قيل: خرج ذلك بدليل، قيل: وكذلك خرج الرفع عند الركوع والرفع منه بدليل فعلم أن المراد منه الإشارة بالسلام باليد والله أعلم
And the evidence derived from the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah is not strong… We also do not accept that the command of calmness in prayer negates raising hands before and after ruku’, because the command of calmness does not mean abandoning movement altogether but forbidding movements contrary to prayer. The evidence is that movement is prescribed (indeed necessary) for ruku’ and sujood, raising hands is done at the opening takbir, qunoot takbir, and the takbirs of the two Eids. If it is said that these are excluded from the evidence of this hadith, then it will be said that raising hands before and after ruku’ is also excluded from this hadith. Thus, it is understood that this hadith refers to gesturing with the hand at the time of salam. And Allah knows best.
⑨ Ibn al-Jawzi (died 597 AH) said:
وقد احتج بعض أصحاب أبى حنيفة بهذا الحديث فى منعهم رفع اليدين فى الركوع وعند الرفع منه وليس لهم فيه حجة لأنه قد روي مفسرا بعد حديثين
Some followers of Abu Hanifah (i.e., some Hanafis) took this hadith as evidence for forbidding raising hands before ruku’ and when rising from ruku’, but there is no evidence for them because after these two hadiths (in Sahih Muslim) there is a detailed explanation narrated.
⑩ Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, after narrating the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah, said in its explanation:
وأحق الناس باتباع هذا: هم أهل الحديث. من ظن أن نهيه عن رفع الأيدي هو النهي عن رفعها إلى منكبه حين الركوع وحين الرفع منه وحمله على ذلك فقد غلط
The people most deserving of following what is established from this hadith are the muhaddithin and those who act upon hadith (the general public of muhaddithin). Whoever thinks that the prohibition of raising hands in this hadith refers to raising hands before and after ruku’ and interprets it as such has erred.
After that, Ibn Taymiyyah explained that an unruly horse moves its tail right and left, which is a movement without calmness. As for raising hands before and after ruku’, it is established by the Shariah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and there is consensus among Muslims on it, so how can it be forbidden by this hadith?
⋆ Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Umar bin Ibrahim al-Qurtubi (died 656 AH) said in the explanation of this hadith:
كانوا يشيرون عند السلام من الصلاة بأيديهم يمينا وشمالا وتشبيه أيديهم بأذناب الخيل الشمس تشبيه واقع، فإنها تحرك أذنابها يمينا وشمالا. فلما رأهم على تلك الحالة أمرهم بالسكون فى الصلاة وهذا دليل على أبى حنيفة فى أن حكم الصلاة باق على المصلي إلى أن يسلم، ويلزم منه: أنه إن أحدث فى تلك الحالة – أعني فى حالة الجلوس الأخير للسلام ـ أعاد الصلاة
They used to gesture with their hands to the right and left at the time of salam in prayer, and likening their hands to the tails of unruly horses is true because those horses move their tails right and left. So when you saw them in this state, you were commanded to be calm in prayer. This is evidence against Abu Hanifah’s view that the prayer continues until the salam is completed, and this hadith also implies that if ablution breaks at the last tashahhud during salam, the prayer must be repeated.
➍ Many Hanafi and Hanafi-affiliated scholars have also explicitly stated by their sayings or actions that this hadith relates to salam and tashahhud, not to raising hands before and after ruku’. For example:
① The statement of Ali bin Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, has already been mentioned under point 3, subpoint 8.
② Abu al-Hasan Muhammad bin Abdul Hadi al-Sindhi (died 1138 AH) said in the explanation of the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah:
وبهذه الرواية تبين أن الحديث مسوق للنهي عن رفع الأيدي عند السلام اشارة إلى الجانبين ولا دلالة فيه على النهي عن الرفع عند الركوع وعند الرفع منه
It is clear from this narration that it refers to forbidding raising hands and gesturing to both sides at the time of salam, and it is not evidence for forbidding raising hands before and after ruku’.
③ Mahmood Hasan Deobandi said:
Answering with the narration of Adhanab Khail is not just. Because it is about salam, and the companions said that we used to gesture with the hand at the time of salam in prayer, and the Prophet forbade it.
Another reference for the same statement: Al-Ward al-Shadhi ‘ala Jami’ al-Tirmidhi
④ Athar Fa’li Thanawi Deobandi said:
In the hadith of Muslim مالي اراكم رافعي ايديكم الخ, Maulana Muhammad Ya’qub Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, said that it refers to raising hands at the time of salam, and this is more beneficial for the Hanafis because at the time of salam there is “min wujuh dakhil” and “min wujuh kharij”…
Note: The philosophy of Ya’qub Nanotwi mentioned afterward is rejected because it contradicts authentic and mutawatir hadiths.
⑤ Muhammad Taqi Usmani Deobandi said about the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah:
But the fair thing is that the Hanafi argument from this hadith is doubtful and weak because the clarification about the time of salam in Ibn Al-Qabtiyah’s narration makes it apparent and obvious that the hadith of Hazrat Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates only to raising hands at salam. Both hadiths should not be considered separate when the narrator is the same and the texts are nearly identical. The reality is that it is one hadith related to raising hands at salam. Ibn Al-Qabtiyah’s method is detailed, and the other is brief and concise, so the latter should be interpreted according to the former. Perhaps this is why Shah Sahib Noorullah Kashmiri Deobandi did not mention this hadith among the Hanafi evidences.
Shah Sahib refers to Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi, and the mentioned text points to his book “Nil al-Farqadayn.”
⑥ Maghltai Hanafi said: وأما استدلال بعض الحنفية بحديث جابر بن سمرة من عند مسلم: مالى أراكم رافعي أيديكم كأنها أذناب شمس، فليس بصحيح لأنهم إنما كان ذلك حالة السلام فيما ذكره البخاري وغيره
As for some Hanafis taking the hadith of Jabir bin Samurah from Sahih Muslim as evidence: “What is wrong that I see you raising your hands as the tails of unruly horses,” this is not correct because it concerns the state of salam as mentioned by Bukhari and others.
According to my knowledge, the third edition of Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah by Maghltai is available in the library of Idarat al-Ulum al-Athariyyah (Faisalabad), and the first print was in 2008 (first edition). The fourth edition was first published in 1999 (1419 AH) by Maktabah Nizar Mustafa al-Baz (Makkah, Riyadh) with research by Kamil ‘Uwaidah.
⑦ Tahawi Hanafi did not mention this hadith among the evidences for abandoning raising hands. See Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar (
باب التكبير للركوع والتكبير للسجود والرفع من الركوع هل مع ذلك رفع أم لا؟)
Rather, he mentioned it in the chapter on salam in prayer. See the same topic in point 2, subpoint 11.
It is clear that according to Tahawi, presenting this hadith in the issue of abandoning raising hands is not correct.
⑧ Muhammad Abid bin Ahmad Ali al-Sindhi said: أما حديث: مالي أراكم رافعي أيديكم إلخ فلا يليق الاستدلال بهذا الحديث فى نفي الرفع فافهم
As for the hadith: “What is wrong that I see you raising your hands…” it is not appropriate to use this hadith as evidence against raising hands, so understand this matter.
For Muhammad Abid Sindhi’s Hanafi affiliation, see Hada’iq al-Hanafiyyah
⑨ Amir Ali Hanafi said: أجمع المحدثون على هذا التأويل والسلام من تتمة الصلوة، نازع بعض الناس فيه فقال: بل هذا النهي عن رفع اليدين فى الصلاة عند الركوع والرفع منه … إلخ
There is consensus among the muhaddithin that salam is the conclusion of prayer. Some people disputed and said that this hadith forbids raising hands before and after ruku’, etc.
Some have denied Amir Ali’s Hanafi affiliation, but Sher Muhammad Deobandi (deceased) said:
Hazrat Maulana Sayyid Amir Ali Hanafi says…
(Muhammad Idris Zafar Sahib said:) Muhammad Hasan Qalandarani Barelvi said:
“Hazrat Allama Maulana Amir Ali Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, is the translator of Fatawa Alamgiri and the translator of Tafsir Mawahib al-Rahman.”
⑩ Abid al-Rahman Siddiqi Kandhlawi (Taqlidi) who considers raising hands abrogated said in the explanation of the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah: (Benefit) that there is no need to raise hands at the time of salam. The translator says that these hadiths also contradict the current custom that when greeting at meetings, hands are necessarily raised.
Summary of the references mentioned in this topic:
The muhaddithin and Hanafi scholars who mentioned this hadith in the chapters of salam and tashahhud include:
Shafi’i, Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Khuzaymah, Abd al-Razzaq, Abu Awana, Bayhaqi, Baghawi, Abu Nu’aym al-Asbahani, Abd al-Haqq al-Ashbili, Tahawi Hanafi, and Ibn Farqad Shaybani Hanafi. See point 2.
The following great muhaddithin and eminent scholars explicitly stated that this hadith relates to salam at tashahhud, not to raising hands:
Bukhari, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Abdul Barr, Nawawi, Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, Ibn al-Mulqan, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Ali bin Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, Ibn al-Jawzi, and Ibn Taymiyyah. See point 3.
Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Umar al-Qurtubi also considered this hadith related to salam at tashahhud.
The following Hanafi and Hanafi-affiliated scholars have explicitly stated or indicated from their statements that this hadith relates to salam and not to raising hands:
Ali bin Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi, Abu al-Hasan Muhammad bin Abdul Hadi al-Sindhi, Mahmood Hasan Deobandi, Muhammad Ya’qub Nanotwi, Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Maghltai Hanafi, Tahawi, Muhammad Abid Sindhi, Amir Ali Hanafi, and Abid al-Rahman Siddiqi Kandhlawi (Taqlidi). See point 4.
Against the majority of these muhaddithin and non-muhaddithin scholars, Kaduri (
paragraph: 2223), Zaili, ‘Ayni, and some later scholars of the Taqlid sect presenting this hadith against raising hands is wrong and rejected.
➎ The proof of raising hands before and after ruku’ from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is established by authentic and mutawatir hadiths, and there is no authentic hadith proving that he gestured with his hands to both sides at the time of salam in tashahhud, nor did he liken his action to the tails of unruly horses. Therefore, those who dare to make such a comparison are committing disrespect towards the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
➏ It is not proven at all from Imam Abu Hanifah that he used the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah as evidence for abandoning raising hands, so those who use this hadith as evidence against Imam Abu Hanifah are rebels and opponents of him.
➐ None of the chains of the hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah explicitly mention raising hands before and after ruku’, so presenting an unexplained narration against an explained one is wrong.
➑ Some of the Taqlid sect insist that this hadith proves the prohibition of every raising of hands in prayer, so it is asked why do you raise hands at the opening takbir, the witr takbir, and the takbirs of the two Eids? If these occasions are excluded by evidence, then the raising of hands before and after ruku’ is also excluded by certain definite and correct evidences, so why do you not accept that?
➒ Until the era of Khair al-Qurun (up to 300 AH), no trustworthy and truthful Sunni scholar used this hadith as evidence for abandoning raising hands, so what is the status of some scholars and some Taqlid sect members of the later era who do so against the consensus of Khair al-Qurun?!
➓ The tails of unruly horses move right and left in a rebellious manner, not up and down, as proven by the explanations of Qurtubi and Ibn Taymiyyah, and this can still be observed by watching unruly horses. Therefore, presenting this hadith against raising hands before and after ruku’ is logically false.
⓫ In Musnad Ahmad, in the narration of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah, it is mentioned that وهم قعود and they were sitting.
Raising hands before and after ruku’ occurs in the standing position, not in the sitting position (i.e., tashahhud), so the argument of the Taqlid sect from this hadith is fundamentally false and rejected.
وما علينا إلا البلاغ
(21 September 2010)
