Derived from: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
What is the evidence for raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) beyond the opening Takbīr (Takbīr al-Ūlā)?
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands when beginning the prayer, when going into rukūʿ, when rising from rukūʿ, and when standing up after two rakʿāt. This practice is part of his blessed Sunnah and a beauty of prayer. After him, the Companions and leading scholars of Hadith continued this practice. The Prophet ﷺ never abandoned Rafʿ al-Yadayn during his lifetime; rather, he consistently acted upon it.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began the prayer, when he said the Takbīr for rukūʿ, and when he raised his head from rukūʿ. He did not do so between the prostrations."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 735, 736, 738; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390)
About this Hadith:
He saw Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith رضي الله عنه praying and noticed he raised his hands when saying the Takbīr, going into rukūʿ, and rising from rukūʿ. He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do the same.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 737; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 391)
Note:
Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith رضي الله عنه used to perform Rafʿ al-Yadayn even after the Prophet’s demise, confirming that it was an established Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ.
He observed the Prophet ﷺ performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn at the start of prayer, before rukūʿ, and after rising from rukūʿ, then placing his right hand over the left, and also observed this during winter, confirming continued practice.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 401; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 728 – Chain is ḥasan)
This eliminates the claim that the Prophet ﷺ abandoned Rafʿ al-Yadayn in the latter part of his life.
He prayed in front of ten Companions and raised his hands at the beginning, when going into rukūʿ, when rising from rukūʿ, and when standing after two rakʿāt.
All ten Companions unanimously declared:
"You have spoken the truth; this is how the Prophet ﷺ used to pray."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 5/424; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 730; Sunan at-Tirmidhī: 304 – Chain is authentic)
"This is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — whoever prays this way has truly prayed, and whoever abandons it has abandoned it."
(al-Muzakkiyāt li Abī Isḥāq, p. 65 – Chain is authentic)
◈ Rafʿ al-Yadayn is supported by continuous Prophetic practice, confirmed by the Companions, and upheld by the leading scholars of Hadith throughout Islamic history.
◈ The practice is established through authentic and multiple chains and is part of the perfect and complete way of the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer.
◈ Claims that the Prophet ﷺ abandoned it later in life are refuted by verified reports, including observation during winter months and the practice of the Companions after his death.
❖ Question:
What is the evidence for raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) beyond the opening Takbīr (Takbīr al-Ūlā)?
❖ Answer:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands when beginning the prayer, when going into rukūʿ, when rising from rukūʿ, and when standing up after two rakʿāt. This practice is part of his blessed Sunnah and a beauty of prayer. After him, the Companions and leading scholars of Hadith continued this practice. The Prophet ﷺ never abandoned Rafʿ al-Yadayn during his lifetime; rather, he consistently acted upon it.
✿ Authentic Ahadith and Scholarly Statements:
① Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began the prayer, when he said the Takbīr for rukūʿ, and when he raised his head from rukūʿ. He did not do so between the prostrations."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 735, 736, 738; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390)About this Hadith:
- Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī رحمه الله said:
"In my view, this Hadith is a proof upon the people. Whoever hears it must act upon it, as its chain has no defect."
He also said: "I have been acting upon it since childhood."
- Imām Abū Saʿīd ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd ad-Dārimī,
Imām Abū al-Ḥasan Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdūs,
Imām Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥākim, and
Imām al-Bayhaqī,
— all stated: "We also act upon it."
(al-Khilāfiyāt lil-Bayhaqī: 2/331 – Chain is authentic)
② Narration of Abū Qilābah (a Tābiʿī):
He saw Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith رضي الله عنه praying and noticed he raised his hands when saying the Takbīr, going into rukūʿ, and rising from rukūʿ. He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do the same.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 737; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 391)Note:
Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith رضي الله عنه used to perform Rafʿ al-Yadayn even after the Prophet’s demise, confirming that it was an established Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ.
③ Narration of Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه:
He observed the Prophet ﷺ performing Rafʿ al-Yadayn at the start of prayer, before rukūʿ, and after rising from rukūʿ, then placing his right hand over the left, and also observed this during winter, confirming continued practice.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 401; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 728 – Chain is ḥasan)This eliminates the claim that the Prophet ﷺ abandoned Rafʿ al-Yadayn in the latter part of his life.
④ Narration of Abū Ḥumayd as-Sāʿidī رضي الله عنه:
He prayed in front of ten Companions and raised his hands at the beginning, when going into rukūʿ, when rising from rukūʿ, and when standing after two rakʿāt.
All ten Companions unanimously declared:
"You have spoken the truth; this is how the Prophet ﷺ used to pray."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 5/424; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 730; Sunan at-Tirmidhī: 304 – Chain is authentic)- Imām at-Tirmidhī: "Hasan Ṣaḥīḥ."
- Declared authentic by:
- Imām Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī,
- Imām Ibn Khuzaymah,
- Imām Ibn al-Jārūd,
- Imām Ibn Ḥibbān,
- al-Khaṭṭābī,
- al-Nawawī,
- al-ʿAynī (Ḥanafī scholar).
(Khilāṣat al-Aḥkām: 1/353; Nukhbat al-Afkār: 4/150)
⑤ Statement of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله:
"This is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — whoever prays this way has truly prayed, and whoever abandons it has abandoned it."
(al-Muzakkiyāt li Abī Isḥāq, p. 65 – Chain is authentic)❖ Scholarly Verdicts:
- Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (d. 751 AH) said:
"This ḥadīth is ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) and accepted by the Ummah in both authenticity and practice. There is no valid defect in it. Any claim of a defect has no real basis, and we shall, with Allah’s help, expose the falsehood of such objections."
(Tahdhīb as-Sunan: 2/416)
- Imām Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā adh-Dhuhlī رحمه الله (d. 258 AH) stated:
"Whoever hears this ḥadīth and still does not raise his hands at rukūʿ and after rising from it, his prayer is deficient."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 1/298 – Chain is authentic)
✔ Summary:
◈ Rafʿ al-Yadayn is supported by continuous Prophetic practice, confirmed by the Companions, and upheld by the leading scholars of Hadith throughout Islamic history.
◈ The practice is established through authentic and multiple chains and is part of the perfect and complete way of the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer.
◈ Claims that the Prophet ﷺ abandoned it later in life are refuted by verified reports, including observation during winter months and the practice of the Companions after his death.
