Authored by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Sahl bin Sa’d (رضي الله عنه) narrates that people were instructed (by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم) to place their right hand on their left forearm during prayer.[Bukhari: 1/102, Hadith 740; Muwatta Imam Malik: 1/159, Hadith 377, Chapter: Placing Hands One Over the Other in Prayer, and the narration of Ibn Al-Qasim: 409]
Benefits:
This hadith indicates that hands should be placed on the chest during prayer.
If you place your right hand on your left forearm, your hands will naturally rest on your chest. Another hadith states that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم placed his right hand on the back of his left hand, wrist, and forearm.[Sunan An-Nasa’i with Hashiyah As-Sindi: Vol. 1, p. 141, Hadith 890; Abu Dawood: Vol. 1, p. 112, Hadith 727]Ibn Khuzaymah [1/243, Hadith 48] and Ibn Hibban [Al-Ihsan: 2/202, Hadith 485] have authenticated this narration.
The confirmation of placing hands on the chest is also supported by another narration
"The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to place these (hands) on his chest..." [Musnad Ahmad: Vol. 5, p. 226, Hadith 22313; authenticated by Ibn Al-Jawzi: Vol. 1, p. 283, Hadith 477; in another version: Vol. 1, p. 338, and its chain is Hasan]
The narration in Sunan Abu Dawood [Hadith 756] and other collections mentioning placing hands below the navel is weak due to Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq Al-Kufi. Criticism of this individual is present within the same chapter of Sunan Abu Dawood.
◈ Al-Nawawi said:
"Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq is weak by consensus."
[Nasb Ar-Rayah by Zayla’i Al-Hanafi: 1/314]
◈ Nimawi stated:
"In this narration, there is Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq Al-Wasiti, who is weak."
[Hashiyah Athar As-Sunan: p. 330]
◈ For further criticism, see Al-Ayni Al-Hanafi’s Al-Binayah fi Sharh Al-Hidayah [2/208] and other books.
◈ It is written in the footnotes of Hidayah Awwalin [Vol. 1, p. 102, 17] that this narration is weak by consensus.
The claim that men should place hands below the navel and women on the chest is not supported by any authentic or weak hadith.
The differentiation in prayer postures, such as men raising their arms from the ground during prostration while women keep them close to the ground, is a fabrication of scholars. According to the teachings of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, the prayer posture from Takbir Tahrimah to Salam is the same for both men and women, with differences only in dress and modesty requirements. For Ahl-e-Hadith, any practice supported by explicit text is valid, and baseless or weak claims are rejected.
The narration attributed to Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه) about placing hands below the navel is extremely weak due to Saeed bin Zarbi.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated:
"He is a denier of hadith."[Taqrib At-Tahdhib: 2304][See Mukhtasar Al-Khilafiyat by Al-Bayhaqi: 1/342, authored by Ibn Farah Al-Ashbili, and Khilafiyat Manuscripts, p. 37, and books of Asma’ Ar-Rijal]
Some people cite the narration from Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah about placing hands below the navel.
However, these words do not exist in the original handwritten and printed copies of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah. Qasim bin Qutlubagha [Liar according to Al-Biqa’i / Ad-Daw’ Al-Lami’: 6/186] fabricated these words.
◈ Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi stated:
"I have seen three (manuscript) copies of Musannaf, and none of them contain the phrase ‘below the navel’."
[Fayd Al-Bari: 2/267]
According to the Hanbalis, both men and women should place hands below the navel.
[Al-Fiqh ‘Ala Al-Madhahib Al-Arba’ah: 1/251]
In the unreliable and dubious book Al-Mudawwanah of the Malikis, it is written that Imam Malik (رحمه الله) said:
"I do not know of any evidence for this in obligatory prayers." Imam Malik (رحمه الله) considered it Makrooh. If the standing in the Nawafil is prolonged, then there is no harm in placing hands to support oneself.[See Al-Mudawwanah: 1/76] This unreliable reference is refuted by the classification in Muwatta Imam Malik and the hadith narrated by Imam Malik (رحمه الله) from Sahl bin Sa’d (رضي الله عنه).
Those who pray without folding hands use a narration from Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir by At-Tabarani [20/74, Hadith 139], which includes the narrator Khusayb bin Hajdar who is a liar.
[See Majma’ Az-Zawa’id: 2/102]Therefore, this narration is fabricated and thus null and void.
Saeed bin Jubayr (تابعي) said that hands should be placed above the navel, i.e., on the chest, during prayer.
[Amali Abdur-Razzaq / Al-Fawa’id by Ibn Manda: 2/234, Hadith 1899, and its chain is authentic]
For further research on placing hands on the chest during prayer, refer to the author’s book "The Ruling and Position of Placing Hands in Prayer."
This book provides detailed responses to the objections of opponents. Alhamdulillah!
Evidence from Hadith
❀ عن سھل بن سعد قال : کان الناس یؤمرون أن یضع الرجل یدہ الیمنٰی علیٰ ذراعہ الیسریٰ فی الصلوٰۃ
Sahl bin Sa’d (رضي الله عنه) narrates that people were instructed (by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم) to place their right hand on their left forearm during prayer.[Bukhari: 1/102, Hadith 740; Muwatta Imam Malik: 1/159, Hadith 377, Chapter: Placing Hands One Over the Other in Prayer, and the narration of Ibn Al-Qasim: 409]
Benefits:
This hadith indicates that hands should be placed on the chest during prayer.
If you place your right hand on your left forearm, your hands will naturally rest on your chest. Another hadith states that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم placed his right hand on the back of his left hand, wrist, and forearm.[Sunan An-Nasa’i with Hashiyah As-Sindi: Vol. 1, p. 141, Hadith 890; Abu Dawood: Vol. 1, p. 112, Hadith 727]Ibn Khuzaymah [1/243, Hadith 48] and Ibn Hibban [Al-Ihsan: 2/202, Hadith 485] have authenticated this narration.
The confirmation of placing hands on the chest is also supported by another narration
:يضع هٰذه عليٰ صدره…. إلخ
"The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to place these (hands) on his chest..." [Musnad Ahmad: Vol. 5, p. 226, Hadith 22313; authenticated by Ibn Al-Jawzi: Vol. 1, p. 283, Hadith 477; in another version: Vol. 1, p. 338, and its chain is Hasan]
The narration in Sunan Abu Dawood [Hadith 756] and other collections mentioning placing hands below the navel is weak due to Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq Al-Kufi. Criticism of this individual is present within the same chapter of Sunan Abu Dawood.
◈ Al-Nawawi said:
"Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq is weak by consensus."
[Nasb Ar-Rayah by Zayla’i Al-Hanafi: 1/314]
◈ Nimawi stated:
"In this narration, there is Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq Al-Wasiti, who is weak."
[Hashiyah Athar As-Sunan: p. 330]
◈ For further criticism, see Al-Ayni Al-Hanafi’s Al-Binayah fi Sharh Al-Hidayah [2/208] and other books.
◈ It is written in the footnotes of Hidayah Awwalin [Vol. 1, p. 102, 17] that this narration is weak by consensus.
The claim that men should place hands below the navel and women on the chest is not supported by any authentic or weak hadith.
The differentiation in prayer postures, such as men raising their arms from the ground during prostration while women keep them close to the ground, is a fabrication of scholars. According to the teachings of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, the prayer posture from Takbir Tahrimah to Salam is the same for both men and women, with differences only in dress and modesty requirements. For Ahl-e-Hadith, any practice supported by explicit text is valid, and baseless or weak claims are rejected.
The narration attributed to Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه) about placing hands below the navel is extremely weak due to Saeed bin Zarbi.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated:
"He is a denier of hadith."[Taqrib At-Tahdhib: 2304][See Mukhtasar Al-Khilafiyat by Al-Bayhaqi: 1/342, authored by Ibn Farah Al-Ashbili, and Khilafiyat Manuscripts, p. 37, and books of Asma’ Ar-Rijal]
Some people cite the narration from Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah about placing hands below the navel.
However, these words do not exist in the original handwritten and printed copies of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah. Qasim bin Qutlubagha [Liar according to Al-Biqa’i / Ad-Daw’ Al-Lami’: 6/186] fabricated these words.
◈ Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi stated:
"I have seen three (manuscript) copies of Musannaf, and none of them contain the phrase ‘below the navel’."
[Fayd Al-Bari: 2/267]
According to the Hanbalis, both men and women should place hands below the navel.
[Al-Fiqh ‘Ala Al-Madhahib Al-Arba’ah: 1/251]
In the unreliable and dubious book Al-Mudawwanah of the Malikis, it is written that Imam Malik (رحمه الله) said:
"I do not know of any evidence for this in obligatory prayers." Imam Malik (رحمه الله) considered it Makrooh. If the standing in the Nawafil is prolonged, then there is no harm in placing hands to support oneself.[See Al-Mudawwanah: 1/76] This unreliable reference is refuted by the classification in Muwatta Imam Malik and the hadith narrated by Imam Malik (رحمه الله) from Sahl bin Sa’d (رضي الله عنه).
Those who pray without folding hands use a narration from Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir by At-Tabarani [20/74, Hadith 139], which includes the narrator Khusayb bin Hajdar who is a liar.
[See Majma’ Az-Zawa’id: 2/102]Therefore, this narration is fabricated and thus null and void.
Saeed bin Jubayr (تابعي) said that hands should be placed above the navel, i.e., on the chest, during prayer.
[Amali Abdur-Razzaq / Al-Fawa’id by Ibn Manda: 2/234, Hadith 1899, and its chain is authentic]
For further research on placing hands on the chest during prayer, refer to the author’s book "The Ruling and Position of Placing Hands in Prayer."
This book provides detailed responses to the objections of opponents. Alhamdulillah!