The Issue of Rafʿ al-Yadayn and the Position of Saudi Scholars: A Scholarly and Research-Based Review
Compiled by: Tawheed.com
❶ Clarification of the Issue of Rafʿ al-Yadayn
Rafʿ al-Yadayn refers to raising the hands in Salah — during Takbīr al-Taḥrīmah, when going into Rukūʿ, and upon rising from Rukūʿ. This has been a subject of discussion among various Muslim groups. Some assert that this practice is limited to the opening Takbīr only, while others maintain that it is a Sunnah to raise the hands throughout the prayer at specific positions. The discussion below presents a comprehensive review with special focus on the fatwas and evidences of Saudi scholars.
❷ Proof of Rafʿ al-Yadayn in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Some believe that Rafʿ al-Yadayn is not mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. However, a narration from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما in Hadith No. 735 clearly states:
❝I saw the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began prayer, and when he bowed and when he rose from Rukūʿ…❞
📖 [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 735]
Similarly, the narration of Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه confirms:
❝He saw the Prophet ﷺ raise his hands when entering prayer, again while bowing, and again upon rising from Rukūʿ.❞
📖 [Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 722; Musnad Aḥmad: 4/316]
These narrations are authentic and cited by leading ḥadīth scholars who considered Rafʿ al-Yadayn to be an established Sunnah.
❸ Is There Any Hadith Prohibiting Rafʿ al-Yadayn Later in the Prayer?
Some narrations mention that the Prophet ﷺ discouraged excessive hand movement in prayer. For instance, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim reports:
❝Why do some people raise their hands in prayer like the waving of horse tails?❞
📖 [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 430]
However, as clarified in Saudi fatwas — this refers to unnecessary or excessive movements that disturb khushūʿ (devotion), not the act of raising hands at legislated points during prayer.
📚 [Al-Lajnah ad-Dāʾimah, Fatwa No. 209]
Hence, no authentic narration exists — in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī or any other reliable source — that prohibits Rafʿ al-Yadayn at specific positions in Salah.
❹ Narrations Mentioning Rafʿ Only at the Opening Takbīr and Their Authenticity
Some cite narrations attributed to ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib, and others, suggesting the Prophet ﷺ only raised his hands at the start of prayer. However, ḥadīth scholars have noted:
- These narrations are weak,
- Or shādh (irregular and contradicted by stronger reports),
- Or they differ in interpretation.
Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله states:
❝Most routes for the narration attributed to Ibn Masʿūd are unreliable, whereas repeated, sound reports from Ibn ʿUmar, Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr, and others affirm the practice of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.❞
📚 [binbaz.org.sa – Fatwa No. 7195]
Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله also extensively refuted these weak narrations in Ṣifat Ṣalāt an-Nabiyy ﷺ, emphasizing the authenticity of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
📘 [Ṣifat Ṣalāt an-Nabiyy ﷺ, p. 130, Maktabat al-Maʿārif, Riyadh]
❺ Is Rafʿ al-Yadayn Abrogated (Mansūkh)?
Some claim that this practice was abrogated, but:
- No explicit or authentic evidence supports this.
- Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما, who narrated Rafʿ al-Yadayn, and many others, continued practicing it.
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn رحمه الله said:
❝Whoever claims that Rafʿ al-Yadayn is abrogated, let him bring proof. He has none.❞
📘 [Majmūʿ Fatāwā Ibn ʿUthaymīn, vol. 13, p. 260]
Imām Nawawī رحمه الله and others also assert that a clear text is required to prove abrogation, which does not exist in this case.
📚 [Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by Nawawī]
❻ Context of the Ḥadīth of Jābir ibn Samurah رضي الله عنه
The hadith wherein the Prophet ﷺ prohibits raising hands like horse tails is often misunderstood.
As explained by Saudi scholars, this prohibition refers to continuous, unnecessary flailing — not the single, legislated raising of hands at appropriate points like Rukūʿ.
📚 [Fatāwā Ibn Bāz; Al-Lajnah ad-Dāʾimah, Fatwa No. 3462]
❼ Practice of the Salaf and Early Imāms
The Salaf (pious predecessors) and the early Imāms widely regarded Rafʿ al-Yadayn as Sunnah:
- Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله emphasized it strongly.
- Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله issued fatwas affirming Rafʿ at each Rukūʿ and rise.
- Imām Mālik رحمه الله had varied narrations, but many of his students favored it.
- Contemporary Saudi scholars — such as Ibn Bāz, Ibn ʿUthaymīn, Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān, and Āl ash-Shaykh — all affirm this as a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
In al-Fiqh al-Muyassar (a standard Saudi fiqh manual), it is stated:
❝Raising the hands during Rukūʿ and upon rising is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and neglecting it is not the preferred option.❞
📘 [Al-Fiqh al-Muyassar, vol. 1, p. 190]
❽ Summary and Conclusion
✿ Rafʿ al-Yadayn is affirmed in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other authentic collections.
✿ There is no valid proof for its abrogation or later prohibition.
✿ Narrations opposing it are weak or contradicted by stronger reports.
✿ Saudi scholars and the majority of muḥaddithīn unanimously hold that it is a Sunnah to raise the hands when going into and rising from Rukūʿ.
✿ The Prophet ﷺ only prohibited unnecessary movement, not prescribed actions.
✿ Therefore, Rafʿ al-Yadayn is a proven Sunnah, and its abandonment lacks scholarly support.
May Allah grant us the ability to follow the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ in our acts of worship. Āmīn.
