Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Hazrat Laith bin Sa’d has opposed Imam Shu’bah in the chain of this hadith. Thus, Laith has narrated this hadith from the chain of Abdur-Rabbah from Sayyiduna Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) as a marfu’ narration, whereas Imam Shu’bah has narrated it from the chain of Abdur-Rabbah from Mutlib bin Abi Wada’ah. Therefore, if this hadith is established, then its words are: the prayer is two rak’ahs. These words are similar to the marfu’ narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): “The prayer of the night and day is in sets of two rak’ahs.” And in this hadith, there is further explanation and clarification: it mentions raising the hands while supplicating and saying “Allahumma, Allahumma.” And in Laith’s narration, it is stated: “Raise both your hands towards your Lord and turn their palms towards your face and say: O my Lord, O my Lord.” Also, raising the hands before the salam in tashahhud is not a sunnah of prayer. And this is evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the worshipper to raise the hands, supplicate, and ask from the Lord after saying salam from two rak’ahs. As for the hadith from which some people have taken evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered four rak’ahs before Zuhr with a single salam, it is narrated with such a (weak and feeble) chain that no scholar who is knowledgeable in the science of hadith takes evidence from such a narration.