Derived from: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
What is the authenticity of the narration that mentions raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) at seven specific occasions?
A narration is attributed to Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما in which it is stated:
"The hands should be raised at seven places: when standing for prayer, upon seeing the Kaʿbah, at Ṣafā and Marwah, at ʿArafāt, at Muzdalifah, and near the Jamārāt."
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/235–236)
① The chain is weak (ḍaʿīf).
❖ Imām Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn رحمه الله:
"ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib became mukhtaṭiṭ (confused)."
(al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl by Ibn Abī Ḥātim: 6/334)
❖ Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Imām Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī, and Imām ad-Dāraquṭnī also considered him mukhtaṭiṭ.
(al-ʿIlal: 5/186, 8/288)
❖ Imām Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī further clarified:
"Whatever Ibn Faḍl narrated from ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib contains errors and disorder."
(al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl: 6/334)
This is a mufassal jarḥ (detailed criticism), which renders the chain weak (ḍaʿīf) and unfit for establishing rulings.
This narration does not mention raising the hands during Qunūt of Witr or ʿEid prayers. If this narration were reliable, how would one justify the Rafʿ al-Yadayn in those acts?
② Abū Ḥamzah (ʿImrān ibn Abī ʿAṭāʾ al-Qaṣṣāb, a narrator regarded as trustworthy by the majority), said:
"I saw Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما raise his hands when beginning the prayer, when going into rukūʿ, and when rising from rukūʿ."
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 1/239 – Chain is ḥasan)
① Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما himself practiced Rafʿ al-Yadayn in prayer, which opposes the claim in the earlier weak narration.
② His continued practice after the death of the Prophet ﷺ is a clear indication that Rafʿ al-Yadayn was not abrogated.
◈ The narration stating “Raise the hands at seven places” is not authentic due to a weak chain involving confused narrators.
◈ Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما himself practiced Rafʿ al-Yadayn in all the known places within Ṣalāh, which confirms the invalidity of any supposed restriction to only seven places.
◈ The narration lacks reference to commonly known instances of Rafʿ al-Yadayn like Witr Qunūt and ʿEid prayers, further weakening its claim.
◈ Therefore, this narration cannot be used as a valid evidence to limit or define the occasions of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
❖ Question:
What is the authenticity of the narration that mentions raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) at seven specific occasions?
❖ Answer:
A narration is attributed to Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما in which it is stated:
"The hands should be raised at seven places: when standing for prayer, upon seeing the Kaʿbah, at Ṣafā and Marwah, at ʿArafāt, at Muzdalifah, and near the Jamārāt."
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/235–236)✿ Analysis of the Chain (Isnād):
① The chain is weak (ḍaʿīf).
- The narrator ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib (who is usually considered ḥasan al-ḥadīth) became “mukhtaṭiṭ” (confused due to old age) in his later life.
- The narrator Ibn Faḍl (who transmits this report from ʿAṭāʾ) narrated from him after his memory had deteriorated, thus making the report unreliable.
Scholarly Comments on ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib's Weakness:
❖ Imām Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn رحمه الله:
"ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib became mukhtaṭiṭ (confused)."
(al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl by Ibn Abī Ḥātim: 6/334)❖ Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Imām Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī, and Imām ad-Dāraquṭnī also considered him mukhtaṭiṭ.
(al-ʿIlal: 5/186, 8/288)❖ Imām Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī further clarified:
"Whatever Ibn Faḍl narrated from ʿAṭāʾ ibn as-Sāʾib contains errors and disorder."
(al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl: 6/334)This is a mufassal jarḥ (detailed criticism), which renders the chain weak (ḍaʿīf) and unfit for establishing rulings.
Additional Note:
This narration does not mention raising the hands during Qunūt of Witr or ʿEid prayers. If this narration were reliable, how would one justify the Rafʿ al-Yadayn in those acts?
✿ Contradictory Practice of Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:
② Abū Ḥamzah (ʿImrān ibn Abī ʿAṭāʾ al-Qaṣṣāb, a narrator regarded as trustworthy by the majority), said:
"I saw Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما raise his hands when beginning the prayer, when going into rukūʿ, and when rising from rukūʿ."
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 1/239 – Chain is ḥasan)✔ Two Key Points Derived:
① Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما himself practiced Rafʿ al-Yadayn in prayer, which opposes the claim in the earlier weak narration.
② His continued practice after the death of the Prophet ﷺ is a clear indication that Rafʿ al-Yadayn was not abrogated.
✿ Additional Note on the Marfūʿ Version:
- A marfūʿ (Prophetic) version of this narration also exists, but its chain is also weak.
- It includes Ibn Abī Laylā, who is regarded as ḍaʿīf in memory (ḍaʿīf al-ḥifẓ) by the majority of Hadith scholars.
✔ Summary:
◈ The narration stating “Raise the hands at seven places” is not authentic due to a weak chain involving confused narrators.
◈ Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما himself practiced Rafʿ al-Yadayn in all the known places within Ṣalāh, which confirms the invalidity of any supposed restriction to only seven places.
◈ The narration lacks reference to commonly known instances of Rafʿ al-Yadayn like Witr Qunūt and ʿEid prayers, further weakening its claim.
◈ Therefore, this narration cannot be used as a valid evidence to limit or define the occasions of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
