Question:
In prayer, is Rafʿ al-Yadayn (raising the hands) considered farḍ (obligatory) or sunnah? Please explain fully with Sharʿī evidence.
Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il, Ṣalāh Section, Vol. 1, p.179
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
- In the ḥadīth texts, Rafʿ al-Yadayn is not explicitly described with the terms “farḍ” (obligatory) or “sunnah.”
- However, authentic narrations clearly establish that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regularly practiced Rafʿ al-Yadayn in his prayer.
◈ The Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي»
“Pray as you have seen me praying.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb al-Adhān li’l-Musāfir)
This authentic command proves that we must follow the exact manner of the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer. Since he performed Rafʿ al-Yadayn, this action is firmly established as part of the Sunnah.
Conclusion
- Rafʿ al-Yadayn is not classified as a “farḍ” (obligatory) act.
- It is a confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, consistently established through authentic aḥādīth.
- Abandoning it does not nullify the prayer, but it makes the prayer incomplete and contrary to the prophetic way.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
