Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … This is the complete wording of the hadith: ((Whenever the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would say the opening takbir (takbir al-tahrimah) for prayer, he would raise his hands up to near his ears, then he would not repeat it (i.e., he would not raise his hands again)). The Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, when he would say the opening takbir at the start of prayer, would raise his hands up to near his ears, then he would not return to it (i.e., he would not raise his hands again).

Commentary: … This hadith is weak; in its chain is the narrator Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, whom the majority have declared weak.

(1) … Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says: “Da‘if al-hadith, kana hadithuhu mawdu‘,” meaning: He is weak in hadith, as if his hadith is fabricated (invented). (al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil: 9/263)

(2) … Ashraf Ali Thanwi Deobandi writes: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is weak. (Nashr al-Tib by Thanwi: 244)

(3) … Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi writes: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is poor in memory. (al-‘Arf al-Shadhi: 1/162)

(4) … Muhammad Ilyas Faisal Deobandi, in another hadith, writes: Zayla‘i (Hanafi) says that in its chain is Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, and he is weak. (Namaz-e-Payghambar: 85)

(5) … Imam Ibn Turkmani Hanafi and Imam Ibn Humam Hanafi have also acknowledged the weakness of Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad. (al-Jawhar al-Naqi: 1/387, 2/208, 4/268; Fath al-Qadir by Ibn al-Humam: 2/114, 6/515)

(6) … Imam ‘Ayni Hanafi says that Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is weak. (‘Umdat al-Qari: 2/220)

(7) … ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Qurashi al-Hanafi (696–775 AH) writes: “Wa qad da‘afa al-huffaz hadha al-hadith min ajl Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad wa ankaruhu ‘alayhi bisababihi, minhum Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah.” Meaning: The hadith scholars (muhaddithin) have declared this hadith weak due to Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, and for this reason they have rejected it; among these scholars is Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah. (al-Hawi fi Bayan Athar al-Tahawi: 1/448, 449) Further, regarding Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, he writes: “Ahmad said: He was not a memorizer; in another narration: His hadith is not that (strong); Ibn Ma‘in said: Weak in hadith; al-‘Ajli said: In his later years he would be prompted; Abu Zur‘ah said: His hadith is written but not used as proof; Abu Hatim said: Not strong; al-Jawzajani said: I heard them declare his hadith weak.” (ibid.) It is also established that the words “la ya‘ud” are not proven.

(8) … Muhammad Ayyub Mazahiri Deobandi writes: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is weak, in old age his memory deteriorated, he would accept prompting, and he was a Shi‘a. (Tarajim al-Ahbar min Rijal Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar: 4/242)

(9) … The Barelwi Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelwi quotes: “Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad wa kana yulaqqan,” meaning: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad would accept prompting. (Fatawa Ridawiyyah: 2/440)

(10) … In Busiri’s Zawa’id: 2/549, it is written: “Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, Imam Muslim narrated from him in follow-ups, and the majority declared him weak.” Meaning: Imam Muslim narrated from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad in supporting narrations, but the majority have declared him weak.

(11) … Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is a mudallis (one who practices tadlis). (Tabaqat al-Mudallisin by Ibn Hajar: 48; Asma’ al-Mudallisin by al-Suyuti: 107)

Important Note: … The hadith scholars are agreed that the statement “lam ya‘ud” is an inserted (mudraj) statement from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad. (al-Mudraj ila al-Mudraj by al-Suyuti: 16; al-Talkhis al-Habir by Ibn Hajar: 1/121) Imam Shu‘bah, Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, Khalid Tahhan, and other hadith masters narrated this hadith without these words. Imam al-Daraqutni said: The narration is correct without the addition of these words; since Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad suffered confusion in his later years, when these words were prompted to him, he accepted the prompting. Moreover, Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad himself would deny this addition. ‘Ali ibn ‘Asim narrated the version with the addition, then he says: I went to Kufa and was told that Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad was alive, so I met him and heard this hadith from him, but the additional words were not present. I said: Ibn Abi Layla narrated this hadith from you with the words “lam ya‘ud” as well, but Yazid said: I do not remember those words. I repeated my question, but he kept saying: I do not remember those words. (al-Daraqutni)

Conclusion: … The narrator Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is weak according to the majority and is also a mudallis. The hadith masters are agreed on the weakness of this hadith and the insertion of the words “thumma la ya‘ud.” Therefore, to use such a narration as proof is sheer deception and fraud. When the Hanafi scholars themselves have declared the narrator Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad to be weak in this manner, then why do the Hanafis not clarify this weakness when including this hadith in their books? Is this not academic dishonesty? The rest of the evidences for not raising the hands (in prayer) are of the same nature, whereas the evidences for raising the hands are extremely clear and authentic.