Abu Dawud

725. Commentary:
That is, the act of saying «الله اكبر» and raising the hands would occur together. And there is flexibility in this matter: whether the utterance of the takbir and the raising of the hands happen simultaneously or one precedes the other, all are permissible.

888. Commentary:
➊ It is understood from this that during the standing (qiyam) of the prayer, the right hand should be placed over the left. This is the position of the majority of the scholars. The Malikis and the Shia are of the opinion that the hands should be left hanging, but they do not have a single piece of evidence for this—not even a weak or broken one.

➋ There are narrations from Hazrat Wa’il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (1/479), from Hazrat Qabeesah bin Hulb radi Allahu anhu in Musnad Ahmad (5/226), and from Hazrat Tawus rahimahullah in Sunan Abi Dawud [الصلاة ، حدیث : 759], that the hands should be placed on the chest. These narrations are authentic. The narration of Abu Dawud is mursal, which is considered valid evidence according to the Hanafis and Malikis. All narrations regarding placing the hands below the navel are weak; therefore, according to authentic ahadith, the hands should be placed on the chest. Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that this posture is like that of a beggar, and in this way, the worshipper is also protected from unnecessary movements, and it is closer to humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘). For details, see: [ذخیرة العقبٰی شرح سنن النسائي : 11؍135 ۔ 150 ، وسنن ابوداود (اردو) الصلاة ، حدیث : 759 ، طبع دارالسلام]

890. Commentary:

➊ This hadith shows that the right hand (palm) should be placed on the joint of the left hand in such a way that the front part of the palm (the fingers) is on the left wrist and the back part is on the back of the left hand's palm. This is when "hand" refers only to the palm. The arm from the hand to the elbow can also be meant. In that case, the tips of the fingers of the right hand will reach up to the left elbow. Although this method is also correct because in one narration there is mention of placing the forearm on the forearm, and the forearm extends up to the elbow. However, by acting upon the hadith of Wa'il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu, this hadith is also acted upon. Although there is no harm in adopting the (forearm) method either.

➋ In a hadith of Sahih Muslim, which has also been mentioned under number 888 in Sunan al-Nasa'i, there is also mention of grasping the left hand with the right. So there is no contradiction between the two narrations because it is possible to act upon both at different times—sometimes act upon one, and sometimes upon the other. Both ways are correct. In this way, both narrations will be acted upon. However, reconciling the two narrations in such a way that the middle three fingers of the right hand are placed on the left, and the little finger and thumb grasp the joint, is invalid because in this case, neither of the two methods mentioned in the hadith is being followed; rather, a new third form is being created for which there is no evidence, so doing so is not correct. The correct method is that sometimes the right hand is placed on the left, and sometimes the right grasps the left. Wallahu a‘lam.

➌ "The edge of the right elbow was placed on the thigh." By "edge" is meant the wrist-side edge of the elbow. That is, place the elbow at the root side of the thigh and stand it up, and lay the wrist on the thigh. However, this form is only possible in the posture of tawarruk (sitting on the ground instead of on the feet in the sitting posture, and taking the feet out from under the right shin). In the case of sitting on the feet, only the palms will be on the thighs and knees, and the arms will be like the string of a bow.

➍ In tashahhud, the left hand should be placed on the left knee in such a way that the fingers are on the knee and the palm is on the thigh, but the right hand should be kept closed. The method of closing in this hadith is that the two edge fingers are closed, the middle finger and thumb form a ring, and the finger of tashahhud is left open, as is done when pointing towards something.

➎ This hadith shows that moving the finger during tashahhud until the salam is Sunnah. «يُحَرِّكُ» is a present tense verb here, which indicates continuity, because «يَدْعُو بِهَا» is a circumstantial clause, meaning the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was moving the finger, and at the same time, he was supplicating with it. The renowned hadith scholar Shams al-Haqq Azimabadi rahimahullah says: «وفیه تحریكھا دائما ، اذ الدعاء بعد التشھد» "This hadith proves moving the finger throughout the tashahhud, because supplication is made after tashahhud (until the salam)." [عون المعبود ، الصلاة ، باب الإشارة فی التشھد ، حدیث : 898]

In one narration of Sunan Abi Dawud, the words «لَايُحَرِّكُهَا» are found. These words are rare and weak. In narrating these words from Muhammad bin ‘Ajlan, only Ziyad bin Sa‘d is alone. The other two trustworthy narrators from ‘Amir bin ‘Abdullah, besides Ibn ‘Ajlan, do not narrate these words, nor do the other four trustworthy students of Muhammad bin ‘Ajlan besides Ziyad narrate these words. This narration is present in Sahih Muslim, but this addition is not mentioned in it. For further details, see: [ضعیف سنن أبي داود (مفصل) للألباني ، حدیث : 175]

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has counted Muhammad bin ‘Ajlan among the third category of mudallis narrators in Tabaqat al-Mudallisin, and in these words, there is no explicit statement of hearing from ‘Amir bin ‘Abdullah by Ibn ‘Ajlan, therefore the words «لَا يُحَرِّكُهَا» are not established from a sahih hadith. The correct position is that it is also permissible to keep moving the finger during tashahhud. But this should be done from time to time, because in most narrations only pointing is mentioned, as in the narration of Sahih Muslim and others. The majority of the Companions radi Allahu anhum who described the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam method of prayer did not mention this. Wa'il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam do this on some occasions. From this, it is known that the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam usual practice was pointing, not moving. And the method of pointing is to make a ring of 53 and keep the finger raised from the beginning of the prescribed tashahhud until the end.

➏ Pointing and moving are two separate things. In the language, they have different meanings. Therefore, these are two different actions that are established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Sometimes he adopted one method, and sometimes the other. This reconciliation, insha’Allah, is closer to correctness. To combine both (pointing and moving) in a single tashahhud through reconciliation seems questionable, because the referents of both terms are two different things. Wallahu a‘lam.

➐ According to the Hanafis, the finger is raised at "la" and lowered at "illa." That is, raising is a sign of negation and lowering is a sign of affirmation. These are the meanings of "la" and "illa." According to the Shafi‘is, the finger is raised at "illa Allah" and then lowered, because in "illa Allah" there is affirmation of tawhid, so with the finger, tawhid of Allah is also expressed in action. However, neither of them has any evidence for raising and lowering the finger at this point, while the explanation of the correct mawquf has already been given above.

Fiqh al-Hadith
↰ Raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) is such a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for which neither its abandonment nor abrogation is established by any authentic hadith; rather, the Ummah has continued to act upon it.
↰ It should be noted that Sayyiduna Wa’il ibn Hujr radi Allahu anhu came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in 9 AH. [عمدة القاري از عيني حنفي : 274/5]
↰ After some time, he came again during the winter season and witnessed the raising of the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn). [سنن ابي داود : 727، وسنده حسن]

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Difference Between the Prayer of Men and Women
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Generally, the differences between the prayer of men and women that are mentioned in the books of Hanafi scholars—such as men raising their hands up to the ears and women only up to the shoulders, men folding their hands below the navel while standing and women on the chest, men keeping their thighs away from the stomach in prostration and women attaching their thighs to the stomach—are not mentioned in any authentic and explicit hadith.

Thus, Imam Shawkani rahimahullah says:
➊ «وَاعْلَمْ اَنَّ هٰذِهِ السُّنَّةَ تَشْتَرِكُ فِيْهَا الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ وَلَمْ يَرِدْ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَي الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَهُمَا فِيْهَا وَكَذَالَمْ يَرِدْ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَي الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ فِيْ مِقْدَارِ الرَّفْعِ رُوِيَ عَنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ اَنَّ الرَّجُلَ يَرْفَعُ اِلَي الْاُذُنَيْنِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ اِلَي الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ لِاَنَّهُ اَسْتَرُ لَهَاوَلَا دَلِيْلَ عَلٰي ذٰلِكَ كَمَاعَرَفْتَ» [نيل الأوطار 198/2]
“And know that raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) is a Sunnah in which both men and women are equal, and there is no hadith that indicates a difference between them in this regard, nor is there any hadith that indicates a difference in the extent to which the hands are raised between men and women. It is narrated from the Hanafis that men should raise their hands up to the ears and women up to the shoulders because it is more concealing for them, but they have no Shari‘ evidence for this.”

The commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani rahimahullah, and ‘Allamah Shams al-Haqq ‘Azimabadi rahimahullah say:
«لَمْ يَرِدْ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَي التَّفْرِقَهِ فِي الرَّفْعِ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ» [فتح الباري 222/2، عون المعبود 263/1]
“There is no hadith regarding a difference between men and women in raising the hands for takbir.”

➋ Men and women are equally commanded to fold their hands on the chest while standing. To give a separate ruling specifically for women that only they should fold their hands on the chest and men below the navel—regarding this, the Hanafis have no explicit and authentic hadith.

‘Allamah ‘Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri rahimahullah writes in his commentary on Tirmidhi:
«فاعلم ان مذهب الامام ابي حنيفة ان الرجل يضع اليدين فى الصلاة تحت السرة و المرأة تضعهما علي الصدر ولم يرو عنه ولا عن اصحابه شيء خلاف ذٰلك» [تحفة الأحوذي 213/1]
“So know that the position of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah is that men should fold their hands below the navel in prayer and women on the chest. No other statement contrary to this is narrated from Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and his companions.”

The hadith scholar of the era, ‘Allamah Nasir al-Din al-Albani rahimahullah, says:
«وضعهما علي الصدر الذى ثبت فى السنة وخلافه اما ضعيف او لا اصل له»“ [صفة صلاة النبى ص/ 88]
“And folding the hands on the chest is established from the Sunnah, and any practice contrary to this is either weak or baseless.”

➌ The practice of men keeping their thighs away from the stomach in prostration and women drawing themselves in during prostration is, according to Hanafi scholars, based on a mursal hadith, in which it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed by two women who were praying and said: ‘When you prostrate, let some part of your body touch the ground, for the command for women in this regard is not like that for men.’

‘Allamah Nasir al-Din al-Albani rahimahullah says:
«مُرْسَلٌ لَا حُجَّةَ فِيْهِ رَوَاهُ اَبُوْ دَاؤُدَ فِي الْمَرَاسِيْلِ» [صفة صلاة النبى ص/89]
“This narration is mursal, which is not a valid proof. Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah narrated it in ‘Marasil’ from Yazid ibn Abi Habib.”

But this narration is disconnected (munqati‘), and one of its narrators, ‘Salim’, is considered abandoned (matruk) by the hadith scholars.
‘Allamah Ibn al-Turkamani al-Hanafi has written in detail about this narration. [الجوهر النقي على السنن الكبري للبيهقي 2/ 223]
Hanafi scholars present another narration regarding this, which is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “When a woman prostrates, she should attach her stomach to her thighs, so that it is more concealing for her.” [بيهقي فى السنن الكبريٰ 222/2، 223]
Regarding this narration, Imam Bayhaqi rahimahullah himself has explicitly stated that it is not correct to use such a weak narration as evidence.

Another report is also presented from Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma:
«اِنَّهُ كَانَ يَأْمُرُ نِسَاءَهُ يَتَرَبَّعْنَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ» [مسائل أحمد لابنه عبدالله ص/71]
“He used to command his womenfolk to sit in the four-legged position (i.e., with thighs attached) in prayer.”
But in its chain of narration, the narrator ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar al-‘Umari is weak. [تقريب التهذيب 182]

Thus, it is clear that the prevalent method of women’s prostration among the Hanafis is not established from any authentic hadith, but rather, there are several narrations from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam contrary to this method, a few of which are quoted here:
➊ «لَايَنْبَسِطْ اَحَدُكُمْ ذِرَعَيْهِ اِنْبِسَاطَ الْكَلْبِ» [بخاري، كتاب الأذان : باب لايفترش زراعيه فى السجود 822]
“None of you should spread his arms like a dog while in prostration.”
➋ «اِعْتَدِلُوْا فِي السُّجُودِ، وَلَا يَفْتَرِشُ أَحَدُكُمْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ افْتِرَاشَ الْكَلْبِ» [أبوداؤد، كتاب الصلاة : باب صفة السجود 897]
“Perform prostration calmly, and none of you should spread his arms like a dog while in prostration.”

In short, actions resembling those of animals are prohibited in prayer.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah says: “The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade resembling animals in prayer. Thus, sitting as a camel sits, looking around like a fox, sprawling like wild beasts, squatting like a dog, pecking like a crow, or raising the hands at the time of salam like the tail of a mischievous horse—all these actions are prohibited.” [زاد المعاد1/ 116]

Thus, it is established that the original Sunnah method of prostration is the one practiced by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself, and it is narrated in the books of hadith as follows:
«إِذَا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ غَيْرَ مُفْتَرِشٍ وَلَا قَابِضِهِمَا» [بخاري، كتاب الأذان : باب سنة الجلوس فى التشهد 828]
“When he would prostrate, he would neither spread his hands on the ground nor attach them to his sides.”

In every place in the Noble Qur’an where the command for prayer is mentioned, not a single place does Allah Ta‘ala mention any difference in the method of prayer between men and women. Secondly, there is no authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that mentions a difference in the form of prayer. Thirdly, from the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, all the Mothers of the Believers, the female Companions, and the women who acted upon the Prophetic hadiths, their method of prayer was the same as that of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Thus, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated with an authentic chain regarding Umm al-Darda’ radi Allahu anha:
«انهاكانت تجلس فى صلاتها جلسة الرجل و كانت فقيهة» [التاريخ الصغير للبخاري 90]
“She used to sit in prayer like men, and she was a jurist.”

Fourthly, the command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is general:
“Pray as you have seen me pray.” [بخاري : 6008]
Women are also included in the generality of this command.

Fifthly, among the righteous predecessors (salaf salihin)—the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Companions, the Followers, the Followers of the Followers, the hadith scholars, and the pious of the Ummah—there is not a single one who, with evidence, claims that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made a distinction between the prayer of men and women.
Rather, it is narrated with an authentic chain from Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i, the teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah:
«تَفْعَلُ الْمَرْأَةُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ كَمَا يَفْعَلُ الرَّجُلُ» [ابن أبى شيبة 2/75/1]
“In prayer, a woman should do exactly as a man does.”

Those scholars who have stated that for women, raising the hands up to the shoulders for takbir, folding the hands on the chest while standing, and drawing close to the ground in prostration is more concealing, have done so on the basis of faulty analogy (qiyas fasid), because when the Qur’an and Sunnah are silent on this matter, what right does any scholar have to add to the religion by his own whim? However, apart from the form and manner of prayer, there are a few things in which the prayer of men and women differs:
➊ It is necessary for women to cover their heads with a scarf and also cover their feet. Without this, the prayer of an adult woman is not accepted, as is mentioned in the Prophetic hadith:
«لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةَ الْحَائِضٍ إِلَّا بِخِمَارٍ» [ابن ماجه، كتاب الطهارة : باب إذاحاضت الجارة لم تصل إلابخمار 655، أبوداؤد 641، أحمد 150/6]
“Allah Ta‘ala does not accept the prayer of an adult woman without a scarf.”
But for men, it is necessary in every case to keep the garment above the ankles, as is mentioned in an authentic hadith:
«مَا أَسْفَلَ مِنَ الْكَعْبَيْنِ مِنَ الْإِزَارِ فَفِي النَّارِ» [بخاري، كتاب اللباس : باب ما أسفل من الكعبين فهو فى النار 5787]
“The part of the lower garment that is below the ankles is in the Fire.”

➋ When a woman leads other women in prayer, she should stand in the middle of the first row with them, and not step forward like men.
Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah rahimahullah has narrated in his Musannaf, and Imam Hakim rahimahullah from Sayyiduna ‘Ata’ rahimahullah:
«عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا اَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَؤُمُّ النِّسَاءَ فَتَقُوْمُ مَعَهُنَّ فِي الصَّفِّ» [دارقطني 404/1]
“Sayyidah ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha used to lead women in prayer and would stand with them in the row.”
And in the narration of Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha it is mentioned:
«انها امت النساء فقامت و سطهن» For further details, see: [عون المعبود2/ 212]
“She led women in prayer and stood among them.”

➌ If the imam makes a mistake in prayer, men should say ‘Subhan Allah’ to alert him, and women should clap, as is mentioned in an authentic hadith:
«التَّسْبِيْحُ لِلرِّجَالِ وَالتَّصْفِيْقُ لِلنِّسَاءِ» [بخاري، كتاب العمل فى الصلاة : بَابُ التَّصْفِيقُ لِلنِّسَاءِ 1203]
“For men, it is to say ‘Subhan Allah’, and for women, it is to clap.”

➍ A man is never excused from prayer under any circumstances, but a woman does not have to make up missed prayers during menstruation, as this issue is established from authentic hadiths.

➎ Similarly, the last row of women is better than their first row, and the first row of men is better than their last row. [مسلم، كتاب الصلاة : باب تسوية الصفوف وإقامتها وفضل الأول فالأول 440]

All these issues are correct in their own place, but the differences established from the Qur’an and Sunnah cannot be used as evidence for those that are not established. These distinctions are self-invented by the Hanafi scholars and have no connection to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From this hadith, it is established to place the right hand over the left, that is, to fold the hands. However, it is not explicitly established where the hands should be placed. If the hands are folded at the level of the elbows, then they come well above the navel and below the chest, and this is, in fact, a natural and instinctive way. Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has titled a chapter accordingly, and this is the position of the Shafi'is. The Malikis, generally, contrary to the narration of the Muwatta, do not fold their hands. The Hanafis deduce from the narration of Ali radi Allahu anhu regarding folding the hands below the navel, but according to the hadith scholars, that narration is weak, and the explanation of Ali radi Allahu anhu regarding the verse ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ﴾ is contrary to this. Even though the statement itself is weak, if the mursal narration of Wa'il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu and Tawoos radi Allahu anhu, as well as the interpretive statements of various Companions, are taken into account, then the correct view is that the hands should be folded above the chest.

The narration from Wa'il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu in Ibn Khuzaymah rahimahullah is: "He placed his right hand over his left on his chest," and in Musnad Ahmad, there is the narration of Qabeesah bin Hulb: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would place his hand on his chest." And Wa'il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu accepted Islam in the last period of the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

728. Commentary:
«برانس» is the plural of «برنس». «برنس» is every garment which has a hood attached to it, whether it is a cloak (jubba), a shirt (qamis), or a raincoat. Some have said it refers to a long hood which people used to wear in the early days of Islam. [لغات الحديث، علامه وحيد الزمان]

Explanation:
The Positions of the Right Hand in Tashahhud:
➊ Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma narrates:
“When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would sit in Tashahhud, he would place his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. He would gesture with his index finger, and during this, he would place his thumb on his middle finger.” [صحیح مسلم 13/579]

➋ Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma narrates:
“When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would sit in Tashahhud, he would place his right hand on his right knee, and his left hand on his left knee. He would also form the figure of 53 and gesture with the index finger.” [صحیح مسلم : 115/580]
↰ The Arabs used to count on their fingers in a particular way. In this method, when forming the number 53, the hand takes on a specific shape: the three fingers other than the thumb and index finger are folded, the index finger is extended, and the tip of the thumb is placed at the base of the index finger.

➌ Sayyiduna Wa’il ibn Hujr radi Allahu anhu narrates:
«رأيت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قد حلق بالابهام والوسطى، ورفع التى تليهما، يدعو بها فى التشهد.»
“I saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Tashahhud joining his thumb and middle finger to form a circle, and he was raising the finger next to the thumb (the index finger) and supplicating with it.” [سنن أبى داؤد : 957، سنن النسائي : 1266، سنن ابن ماجه :، 912 واللفظ لهٔ، وسندهٔ صحيح]
↰ It is evident that several positions of the right thumb in Tashahhud are transmitted from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. All these forms are permissible, and any of them may be adopted. However, in all these ahadith, the mention of gesturing with the index finger is consistently present.

957. Commentary:
Two translations have been made of the words of the hadith «وحد مرفقه الايمن على فخذه اليمني». One is: "He placed the bone of his elbow on his thigh," as will be mentioned in the upcoming hadith [991]. Numeir Abu Malik al-Khuzai radi Allahu anhu narrates that he saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had placed his right wrist on his right thigh... The hadith scholar of our era, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah, inclines towards this interpretation, whereas Ibn Arslan and Sindhi, among others, take it to mean that the elbow is to be kept raised above the thigh.

724. Commentary:
From this it is understood that performing the raising of the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) in such a manner that the thumbs reach the level of the ears is not correct. This is because this has not been mentioned in any authentic hadith.

Scholarly Appraisal of the Claim of Abrogation of Raf‘ al-Yadayn

Ten evidences and references are presented here to refute the claim of abrogation of Raf‘ al-Yadayn (raising the hands in prayer):

➊ The abandonment or abrogation of Raf‘ al-Yadayn is not authentically and acceptably established from the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in any single rak‘ah of any prayer throughout his entire life.

Note: In this regard, the narration of Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (a mudallis) from ‘Asim bin Kulayb is weak due to his «عن», i.e., tadlis. For details, see [نور العينين اور الحديث حضرو: ص 67].

➋ The abrogation or abandonment of Raf‘ al-Yadayn is not authentically and acceptably established from any single Companion either.

Note: Abandonment of Raf‘ al-Yadayn is not established from any of the three Companions: Sayyiduna ‘Umar, Sayyiduna ‘Ali, and Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhum). See my book: [نور العينين فى اثبات رفع اليدين].

Now, references from the scholars of the Deobandi school are presented:

➌ ‘Abd al-Hayy Lakhnawi declared the claim of abrogation to be baseless. See: [التعليق الممجد ص 91].

➍ Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi said:

«وليعلم أن الرفع متواتر إسنادًا وعملاً لا يشك فيه ولم ينسخ ولا حرف منه»

And it should be known that Raf‘ al-Yadayn, in terms of chain of transmission and in terms of practice, is mutawatir (conveyed by mass transmission); there is no doubt in this, it has not been abrogated, and not even a single letter of it has been abrogated.
[نيل الفرقدين ص 22]

It should be remembered that this statement is presented as an obligatory argument; it is incorrect to refute us based on the views of Anwar Shah Sahib and others regarding the abandonment of Raf‘ al-Yadayn.

➎ Abu’l-Hasan Sindhi Hanafi denied the abrogation of Raf‘ al-Yadayn. See: [شرح سنن ابن ماجه ج 1 ص 282 تحت ح 858].

➏ Badr ‘Alam Mirathi also said the same, that Raf‘ al-Yadayn is not abrogated. [البدر الساري 2/ 255].

➐ Shah Waliullah Dehlawi said regarding Raf‘ al-Yadayn: “And the one who performs Raf‘ al-Yadayn, in my view, is better than the one who does not perform Raf‘ al-Yadayn...” [حجة الله البالغه اردو ج 1 ص 361، عربي ج 2 ص 10].

It is evident that Shah Waliullah did not consider Raf‘ al-Yadayn to be abrogated.

Sarfaraz Khan Safdar addressed a Barelvi and wrote:

“O Mufti Sahib, do you accept Shah Waliullah (rahimahullah) as a Muslim, a scholar of religion, and your elder? If so, then you must accept the statement of Shah Sahib (rahimahullah), and if you do not accept his statement, then it is necessary for you to present the correct interpretation of his words, because just as he is our elder, he is also your elder...” [بابِ جنت بجواب راهِ جنت ص 49]

➑ Sufi ‘Abd al-Hamid Swati said: “Not performing Raf‘ al-Yadayn when going into and rising from bowing (ruku‘) is better, but if one does it, it is permissible.” [نمازمسنون ص 349]

It is evident that Sufi ‘Abd al-Hamid did not consider Raf‘ al-Yadayn to be abrogated.

As for his statement that abandoning Raf‘ al-Yadayn is better, there is no authentic evidence for this; therefore, the claim of it being better is rejected.

➒ Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi was asked: “Is Raf‘ al-Yadayn in prayer permissible or not?”

He replied: “It is permissible, just as not raising the hands is also permissible...” [امداد الفتاويٰ ج1ص 148، سوال نمبر 208]

It is evident that Thanawi did not consider Raf‘ al-Yadayn to be abrogated, otherwise he would never have issued a fatwa of permissibility.

➓ Regarding Raf‘ al-Yadayn and its abandonment:
Muhammad Manzur Nu‘mani Deobandi said: “There is no difference regarding the permissibility and authenticity of both methods.” [معارف الحديث ج 3 ص 265]

It is submitted that abandonment is not established, so how can it be permissible? However, from this statement it is clear that, according to Nu‘mani, Raf‘ al-Yadayn is not abrogated.

For the original article, see:
Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, also known as Tawdhih al-Ahkam (vol. 3, pp. 250–259)
Tahqiqi wa ‘Ilmi Maqalat (vol. 4, pp. 482–488) by Shaykh Hafiz Zubair ‘Ali Zai rahimahullah

723. Commentary:
In this hadith, the words «واذا رفع رأسه من السجود ايضا رفع يديه» "that is, raising the hands in prostrations" are rare (shaadh). As Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah himself has stated. Furthermore, this narration is also found in Sahih Muslim: Hadith: 390, Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi: 672, Ma’rifat al-Sunan wa al-Athar: 1/543, and Musnad Ahmad: 4/316. In these as well, these words are not present. In Sahih Ibn Hibban: 5/173 (Hadith: 1862), the narration is also reported through the route of ‘Abd al-Warith ibn Sa‘d from Muhammad ibn Jahawah, and in that too, there is no mention of raising the hands between the prostrations.

Investigation of the Narration about Not Raising the Hands in Salah in Samarkandi’s “Tuhfat al-Fuqaha”

Introduction: Chains of transmission (isnad) are part of the religion (din), and if there were no chain, anyone would say whatever came to his heart.

The famous trustworthy Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak al-Marwazi rahimahullah said:

«الْإِسْنَادُ مِنَ الدِّينِ، وَلَوْلَا الْإِسْنَادُ لَقَالَ مَنْ شَاءَ مَا شَاءَ»

Chains of transmission are part of the religion (din), and if there were no chain, anyone would say whatever came to his heart.

[صحيح مسلم، ترقيم دارالسلام: 32، ماهنامه منهاج القرآن لاهور ج 20 شماره: 11، نومبر 2006ء ص 22]

From this golden statement, it is clear that any statement without a chain is rejected.

The founder of Idara Minhaj-ul-Quran, Muhammad Tahir al-Qadri, in his explanation of this, “states”:

“So, the narration of hadith, the science of hadith, the science of tafsir, and the entire religion is based on chains of transmission. Nothing was accepted without a chain.”

[ماهنامه منهاج القرآن ج 20 شماره: 11 ص 23]

After this introduction, I submit that ‘Ala’ al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Ahmad al-Samarkandi wrote in his book “Tuhfat al-Fuqaha”:

«والصحيح مذهبنا لما روي عن ابن عباس أنه قال: إن العشرة الذين بشر لهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالجنة ما كانوا يرفعون أيديهم إلا لإ فتتاح الصلٰوة. قال السمرقندي: وخلاف هٰؤلاء الصحابة قبيح»

“And the correct view is our (Hanafi) school, because of what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) that he said: Verily, the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not raise their hands except at the beginning of the prayer.” Samarkandi said: “And opposing these Companions is an evil act.”

[ج 1 ص 132، 133، دوسرا نسخه ص 66، 67]

After Samarkandi, almost the same wording was quoted by ‘Ala’ al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Mas‘ud al-Kasani (d. 587 AH) in “Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘ fi Tartib al-Shara’i‘” (vol. 1, p. 207), and Badr al-Din Mahmud ibn Ahmad al-‘Ayni (d. 855 AH) referenced it from “Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘” in his book “Umdat al-Qari” (vol. 5, p. 272). Mulla Kasani indicated at the beginning of “Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘” that he compiled his book from his teacher Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Ahmad al-Samarkandi. [ج 1 ص 2]

It is thus clear that the basis of this narration is the aforementioned Samarkandi. Samarkandi passed away in 553 AH. See [معجم المؤلفين ج 3 ص 67 ت 11750]

That is, he was born in the fifth or sixth century AH. Faqir Muhammad Jhelumi, the blind follower, mentioned him in “Hadiqat al-Shasham” (the section on the jurists and scholars of the sixth century). [حدائق الحنفيه ص 267]

From the aforementioned Samarkandi back to Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, who passed away centuries earlier in 68 AH, there is no chain or reference at all. Therefore, this narration is rejected due to being without chain and reference.

Important Warning: One should not deceive the simple-minded public by saying about such a chainless and reference-less narration, “Akhrajahu al-Samarkandi fi Tuhfat al-Fuqaha,” etc.—that Samarkandi has produced it in “Tuhfat al-Fuqaha,” etc. People will think that Samarkandi must be a great hadith scholar who has narrated this report with his chain in his book “Tuhfat al-Fuqaha.” In reality, it is not even established that Samarkandi was a hadith scholar; rather, he was a blind-following jurist who wrote this narration without any chain or reference, using the vague wording «رُوي». Now, who among the public has the time to open the original book and investigate!

Generally, for an unestablished or weak narration, expressions of uncertainty such as «رُوِيَ» are used. See: [مقدمة ابن الصلاح مع شرح العراقي ص 136 نوع 22]

Therefore, if a narration has no chain at all, and then some people present it with expressions like «رُوي», such a narration is fabricated, baseless, and rejected.

This chainless and reference-less narration presented by Samarkandi and Kasani is also rejected in terms of its text, the principles of narration, and the principles of critical analysis.

First Evidence: Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah rahimahullah (d. 235 AH) said:

«حدثنا هشيم قال: أخبرنا أبو جمرة قال: رأيت ابن عباس يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلٰوة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع»

“Hushaym narrated to us, he said: Abu Jamrah informed us, he said: I saw Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) raising his hands at the beginning of the prayer, when bowing (ruku‘), and when rising from bowing.”

[مصنف ابن ابي شيبه ج 1 ص 235 ح 2431]

The chain of this narration is hasan li-dhatih or sahih.

It is thus clear that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu himself used to raise his hands before and after bowing (ruku‘), so it is impossible that he would have narrated anything contrary to raising the hands. Whoever claims otherwise must bring evidence.

Second Evidence: The first Companion among the ten given glad tidings of Paradise, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu, used to raise his hands before and after bowing (ruku‘). See Imam al-Bayhaqi’s “al-Sunan al-Kubra” [ج 2 ص 73] «وقال: رواته ثقات» Its narrators are trustworthy (reliable).

Note: The chain of this narration is absolutely sahih, and the criticism of some people upon it is rejected. See my book “Nur al-‘Aynayn fi Mas’alah Raf‘ al-Yadayn” [ص 119 تا 121]

Third Evidence: Raising the hands before and after bowing (ruku‘) is also narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab radi Allahu anhu. See “Nasb al-Rayah” [ج 1 ص 416], “Musnad al-Faruq” by Ibn Kathir [ج 1 ص 165، 166], and “Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi” by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas [قلمي ج 2 ص 217], and its chain is hasan. Also see “Nur al-‘Aynayn” [ص 195 تا 204]. The chain of this narration is hasan, and with supporting narrations, it is sahih li-ghayrih.

Fourth Evidence: It is absolutely not established from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu, Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu, or any of the other ten given glad tidings of Paradise, that they abandoned, prohibited, or considered abrogated the raising of the hands before and after bowing (ruku‘).

Note: Tahir al-Qadri has written three narrations about the abandonment of raising the hands from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu, Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu, and Sayyiduna ‘Ali radi Allahu anhu. [المنهاج السوي طبع چهارم ص 228، 229 ح 258، 260، 261]
All three of these narrations are weak according to the principles of hadith. See: [نورالعينين ص 231، 234، 236]

In the first of these narrations, the narrator Muhammad ibn Jabir has been criticized by Imam al-Daraqutni and Imam al-Bayhaqi themselves. The great Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah, said about this narration: «هٰذا حديث منكر» “This hadith is munkar.” [المسائل: رواية عبدالله بن احمد ج1ص 242 ت 327]

Until now, we have not received any reply to the referenced criticism and objection in “Monthly al-Hadith Hazro” and “Nur al-‘Aynayn.” Alhamdulillah.

Summary of the Investigation: The narration in question cited by Muhammad Tahir al-Qadri is baseless, false, and rejected due to being without chain and reference. «وما علينا إلا البلاغ»
. . . For the original article, see . . .

‘Ilmiyyah, known as “Tawdih al-Ahkam” (vol. 1, pp. 363–366) by Shaykh Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai rahimahullah

1056. Commentary: The discussion on raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) has already been covered in detail in hadiths 1025, 1026, and 1027. It is definitely a Sunnah.

1103. Commentary: At the beginning of the prayer, raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) can be done either up to the level of the ears or up to the level of the shoulders. Similarly, in prostration (sujud), the hands can be placed either at the level of the ears or at the level of the shoulders, and also in accordance with the reconciliation (tatbiq) that has already been mentioned regarding raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn).

1160. Commentary:

➊ Wail bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu came for the first time after the Battle of Tabuk in 9 AH and accepted Islam. Then, according to this narration, he came again the following year, that is, in 10 AH. This was during Ramadan or Shawwal. There are about six or seven months until the death of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Thus, until this period before his death, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum used to perform the raising of the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn). When was it abrogated? Clarify, and you will be rewarded.

➋ While reciting the tashahhud, one should gesture with the index finger, and this finger should remain raised until the salutation (salam) is completed. And at times, in some prayers, it can also be continuously moved throughout the entire tashahhud until the salam. The details of this have already been mentioned under hadith number 890 and its benefits and issues.

1264. Commentary: In this narration, the general manner of sitting is described, whereas in the previous narration, the specific manner of sitting during the tashahhud of salam is mentioned. And this is the principle: that one acts upon the detailed narration, and the ambiguous is interpreted in light of the detailed.

1266. Commentary: For details, see Hadith: 890.

Fiqh al-Hadith
↰ It should be noted that Sayyiduna Wa’il bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the 9th year of Hijrah. [عمدة القاري از عيني حنفي : 274/5]
↰ Raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) is such a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for which neither its abandonment nor abrogation is established by any authentic hadith; rather, the Ummah has continued to act upon it.

727. Commentary:
➊ Wail bin Hujr radi Allahu anhu accepted Islam in the 9th year of Hijrah. He came again the following year during the winter season. This was the last winter of the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and on this occasion as well, he saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the noble Companions performing the raising of the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn).
➋ In the standing position (qiyam), both placing one hand over the other or holding it are permissible ways of folding the hands.

Benefit:
In this hadith, there is evidence for raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) in prayer: at the beginning of the prayer, when going into bowing (ruku‘), and when rising from bowing, one should perform raf‘ al-yadayn. This hadith also proves that it is permissible to raise the hands even from within a cloak (chadar).