Fabricated Narrations Regarding Raising Hands and Their Scholarly Review
Some individuals present a strange and baseless argument for abandoning the raising of hands (raf’ al-yadain), claiming:
“Hypocrites used to hide idols in their sleeves and armpits, and raising hands was done to knock down those idols, but later it was abandoned.”
This claim is merely a fabricated story, with no real basis or evidence found in the books of hadith. It is just a tale circulating among ignorant people. Below are facts clarifying the weakness of this claim:
Scholarly Weaknesses of This Tale
➊ There were idols in Mecca, but congregational prayer was not obligatory
Congregational prayer became obligatory in Medina, whereas there were no idols in Medina.
The question arises: which idols were the hypocrites hiding under their armpits when coming to the mosque in Medina?
➋ Contradiction in knowledge of the unseen
Ignorant people believe this tale and at the same time consider the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to be the Knower of the unseen.
If the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was all-knowing of the unseen, he would have known without raising his hands who brought the idol into the mosque.
➌ The necessity of a specific time for raising hands?
If the purpose was only to break the idol, this could have been done during the Takbeer Tahreemah or during bowing and prostration.
Then there would be no justification left for the separate Sunnah of raising hands.
➍ The “strategy” of the hypocrites?
The question also arises: why did the hypocrites carry the idols under their arms instead of in their pockets? This claim is also irrational logically.
➎ Mention of punishment?
If indeed the idols fell during the raising of hands, the question arises:
“What punishment did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) give to those hypocrites?”
But nowhere is there any mention of such punishment.
Conclusion:
“This story is actually a fabricated tale that has no connection whatsoever with reality.”
Another argument against abandoning raising hands and its scholarly refutation
Some people also present this narration as evidence:
“Sayyiduna Ibn Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him, says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to raise his hands and then stopped.”
Weakness of this narration:
This narration is mursal and weak.
Denial of abrogation in raising the hands
Research shows that no abrogation occurred regarding the issue of raising the hands. The following conditions are necessary for abrogation:
Conditions of abrogation:
➊ There must be a conflict between two hadiths.
➋ Both hadiths must be authentic.
➌ They should not have a common meaning.
➍ It must be established through evidence which hadith is earlier and which is later.
But regarding raising the hands:
◈ The number of hadiths commanding raising the hands is greater and their chains are the most authentic.
◈ The hadiths that do not command it are weak and have weak chains, and there are criticisms by muhaddithin on them.
Therefore:
◈ It is not permissible to abrogate an authentic hadith with a weak narration.
◈ A common meaning cannot be derived from rejected and accepted narrations.
Evidence that raising the hands has not been abrogated
➊ Narration of the Companions
In the final period of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (9 AH, 10 AH), the Companions narrated the practice of raising the hands (Raf’ al-Yadain).
➋ Continuance of Raising Hands after the Prophetic Era
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, continued the practice of raising the hands even after the Prophetic era.
➌ Difference among the Four Imams
It is said that all four Imams are correct, but three of them are in favor of raising the hands.
➍ Consensus of the Muhaddithin
The Muhaddithin who narrated the hadiths about raising the hands through various authentic chains of narration never wrote that raising the hands is abrogated.
It is established that:
“Raising the hands is not abrogated according to the Companions, Tabi‘in, jurists, and Muhaddithin, rather it is a Prophetic Sunnah.”
Conclusion:
Abandoning the Sunnah is opposing the Sunnah.
Whoever abandons the Sunnah and prefers the practice of any sect and deliberately leaves raising the hands, his claim of love for the Messenger is not befitting.
May Allah guide us all. Ameen.
Narration of Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, and commentary on it
A narration is presented:
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنهم, and these people did not raise their hands except at the beginning of the prayer.”
The ruling of the Muhaddithin on this narration:
Imam Darqutni writes: Its narrator Muhammad bin Jabir is weak.
Allama Ibn Jawzi and Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah have declared this narration fabricated (mawdu‘).
Meaning, this statement is not authentically attributed to Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه but was fabricated by some unknown person and falsely attributed to him.
Conclusion and Summary
The hadiths about raising the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) are narrated abundantly and with the most authentic chains.
The narrations about not raising the hands are either unclear in meaning or weak in chain.
Imam Bukhari رحمه الله says:
“According to the scholars, it is not established from even a single companion that they did not raise their hands.”
