Placing the right hand on the left in prayer

It is narrated from Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him), the father of Abd al-Jabbar, that he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): when he (peace and blessings be upon him) began the prayer, he said the takbir.
Abu Uthman said: Hammam described it thus: he raised his hands up to the level of his ears, then wrapped them in his garment. Then he placed his right hand on his left hand, and when he intended to bow, he brought his hands out of the cloth, raised them and then said the takbir. When he said 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah has heard the one who praises Him), he raised his hands then as well, and when he prostrated, he prostrated between his two palms.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood in the prayer, he would grasp his left hand with his right hand. (The narrator said:) And I saw Alqamah doing the same.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I thought to myself: I will certainly watch the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to see how he (peace and blessings be upon him) performs the prayer. I looked at him (peace and blessings be upon him): he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up, said the takbir and raised his hands up to his ears, then placed his right hand on the back of his left palm, the wrist and the forearm.

(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) that the people used to be commanded "to place the right hand on the left forearm in the prayer (while standing)."
(b) Abu Hazim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I know only that he attributed this (to the Prophet), or he said a word like it.
(c) Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it in his Sahih from al-Qa'nabi, and said that Abu Hazim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I know nothing except that he traced it back to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is transmitted from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was praying and had placed his left hand on his right hand, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him, and he placed his right hand on his left hand.

(a) Qabisah bin Hulb narrates from his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the prayer with his right hand placed on his left hand.
(b) Hulb's name is Yazid bin Qunafah. It is transmitted from al-Harith bin Ghudayf al-Kindi and Shaddad bin Shurahbil al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both) that they saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) doing this.

(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We, the community of Prophets, have been commanded with three things: 1. Hastening to break the fast. 2. Delaying the pre-dawn meal (suhur). 3. Placing the right hand on the left hand in the prayer."
(b) It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that three things are part of prophethood; then she mentioned these same things.
Only Abd al-Majid narrated it (this way); it is otherwise known only through Talhah bin Amr, who is not strong, from Ata', from Ibn Abbas, and once from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). But the correct version is the one from Muhammad bin Aban al-Ansari, from Aishah, as her own words.

It is narrated from the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Three things are part of prophethood: hastening to break the fast, delaying the pre-dawn meal (suhur), and placing the right hand on the left hand in the prayer."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that what is meant by "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice" [Surah al-Kawthar: 2] is placing the right hand on the left hand in the prayer.

(a) It is transmitted from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), in the explanation of "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice" [Surah al-Kawthar: 2], that what is meant is placing one's right hand on the middle of the forearm, on the chest.
(b) Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: What is meant is placing them on the edge of the wrist.

Ghazwan bin Jarir narrates from his father that he used to spend most of his time with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He said that when Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stood for prayer, he would say the takbir and place his right hand upon the wrist of his left hand, then he would remain in that position until he bowed (that is, he remained in that position until he performed ruku'), only scratching his body or adjusting his garment when there was a need. When he gave the salam, he would give the salam to his right side, saying 'As-salamu alaykum', then he would give the salam to his left side, then he would move his lips. We did not know what he was reciting. Then he would say: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, la na'budu illa iyyah' (There is no god but Allah, He is alone and has no partner; there is no power to do good and no strength to avoid evil except from Him; we worship none but Him). Then he would turn his face towards the people.
He did not mind whether he turned away from the right side or from the left side (that is, sometimes he turned from the right side and sometimes from the left side).
This chain is hasan (good).

It is narrated from Zur'ah bin Abd al-Rahman that he said: I heard Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: "Keeping the feet straight in prayer and placing the hand upon the hand is Sunnah."