Written by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
❀ عن سھل بن سعد قال : کان الناس یؤمرون أن یضع الرجل یدہ الیمنٰی علیٰ ذراعہ الیسریٰ فی الصلوٰۃ
Sahl bin Sa’d (RA) said: The people were ordered that a man should place his right hand on his left forearm during prayer.
[Al-Bukhari 1/102 Hadith 740, Muwatta Imam Malik 1/159 Hadith 377, narration of Ibn al-Qasim, Tahqiq: 409]
Points of Benefit:
① From this Hadith it is understood that hands should be placed on the chest during prayer.
If a person places his right hand on his left forearm, naturally both hands will rest on the chest.
In another Hadith it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ placed his right hand on the back of his left palm, wrist, and forearm.
[Al-Nasa’i 1/141 Hadith 890, Abu Dawood 1/112 Hadith 727]
— Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah [1/243 Hadith 48] and Ibn Hibban [Al-Ihsan 2/202 Hadith 485].
❀ يضع هٰذه عليٰ صدره…. إلخ
Confirmation of placing hands on the chest also comes from the narration: “He ﷺ would place them (hands) on his chest...”
[Musnad Ahmad 5/226 Hadith 22313, Tahqiq Ibn al-Jawzi 1/283 Hadith 477 — Hasan chain]
? The narration about placing hands below the navel (in Abu Dawood Hadith 756 etc.) is weak because of ‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Kufi.
— Imam Nawawi said: “‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq is weak by consensus.” [Nasb al-Rayah 1/314]
— Naimawi said: “In it is ‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Wasiti, and he is weak.” [Hashiyah Athar al-Sunan, Hadith 330]
— Al-Ayni Hanafi also declared it weak [Al-Binayah fi Sharh al-Hidayah 2/208].
— Hidayah Awwalin [1/102, 17] also mentions this narration is weak by consensus.
③ The ruling that men place hands below the navel and women on the chest is not established by any authentic or even weak Hadith.
The differences taught by some (men lifting arms in sujood, women pressing them to the ground, etc.) are fabrications of Ahl al-Ra’y.
The Prophet ﷺ taught one form of prayer for both men and women — the only difference is in clothing and covering.
④ The narration attributed to Anas (RA) about “below the navel” is very weak due to Sa‘eed bin Zurbī.
—Ibn Hajar said: “Munkar al-Hadith.” [Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb no. 2304]
⑤ Some quote Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah for “below the navel,” but the original manuscripts do not contain these words.
The addition was fabricated by Qasim bin Qutlubgha (declared a liar by al-Biqa‘i).
— Anwar Shah Kashmiri said: “I have seen three manuscripts of the Musannaf, and not one contained the wording ‘below the navel.’” [Fayd al-Bari 2/267]
⑥ According to Hanbalis, both men and women should tie hands below the navel. [Al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba‘a 1/251]
⑦ In the unreliable Maliki book al-Mudawwanah, it is written that Imam Malik disliked folding hands in obligatory prayers but allowed it in voluntary prayers if standing long.
This claim is refuted by Muwatta Imam Malik itself, where Imam Malik narrated the Hadith of Sahl bin Sa’d (RA) about placing the hands.
⑧ Those who pray with hands left at the sides cite a narration in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani [20/74 Hadith 139], but one of its narrators is Khadib bin Hajdar, a liar.
— Hence, the narration is fabricated (mawdu‘).
⑨ Sa‘eed bin Jubayr (Tabi‘i) said:
“In prayer, hands should be placed above the navel (on the chest).”
[Amali ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Al-Fawa’id Ibn Mandah 2/234 Hadith 1899 — Authentic chain]
❀ عن سھل بن سعد قال : کان الناس یؤمرون أن یضع الرجل یدہ الیمنٰی علیٰ ذراعہ الیسریٰ فی الصلوٰۃ
Sahl bin Sa’d (RA) said: The people were ordered that a man should place his right hand on his left forearm during prayer.
[Al-Bukhari 1/102 Hadith 740, Muwatta Imam Malik 1/159 Hadith 377, narration of Ibn al-Qasim, Tahqiq: 409]
Points of Benefit:
① From this Hadith it is understood that hands should be placed on the chest during prayer.
If a person places his right hand on his left forearm, naturally both hands will rest on the chest.
In another Hadith it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ placed his right hand on the back of his left palm, wrist, and forearm.
[Al-Nasa’i 1/141 Hadith 890, Abu Dawood 1/112 Hadith 727]
— Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah [1/243 Hadith 48] and Ibn Hibban [Al-Ihsan 2/202 Hadith 485].
❀ يضع هٰذه عليٰ صدره…. إلخ
Confirmation of placing hands on the chest also comes from the narration: “He ﷺ would place them (hands) on his chest...”
[Musnad Ahmad 5/226 Hadith 22313, Tahqiq Ibn al-Jawzi 1/283 Hadith 477 — Hasan chain]
? The narration about placing hands below the navel (in Abu Dawood Hadith 756 etc.) is weak because of ‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Kufi.
— Imam Nawawi said: “‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq is weak by consensus.” [Nasb al-Rayah 1/314]
— Naimawi said: “In it is ‘Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq al-Wasiti, and he is weak.” [Hashiyah Athar al-Sunan, Hadith 330]
— Al-Ayni Hanafi also declared it weak [Al-Binayah fi Sharh al-Hidayah 2/208].
— Hidayah Awwalin [1/102, 17] also mentions this narration is weak by consensus.
③ The ruling that men place hands below the navel and women on the chest is not established by any authentic or even weak Hadith.
The differences taught by some (men lifting arms in sujood, women pressing them to the ground, etc.) are fabrications of Ahl al-Ra’y.
The Prophet ﷺ taught one form of prayer for both men and women — the only difference is in clothing and covering.
④ The narration attributed to Anas (RA) about “below the navel” is very weak due to Sa‘eed bin Zurbī.
—Ibn Hajar said: “Munkar al-Hadith.” [Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb no. 2304]
⑤ Some quote Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah for “below the navel,” but the original manuscripts do not contain these words.
The addition was fabricated by Qasim bin Qutlubgha (declared a liar by al-Biqa‘i).
— Anwar Shah Kashmiri said: “I have seen three manuscripts of the Musannaf, and not one contained the wording ‘below the navel.’” [Fayd al-Bari 2/267]
⑥ According to Hanbalis, both men and women should tie hands below the navel. [Al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba‘a 1/251]
⑦ In the unreliable Maliki book al-Mudawwanah, it is written that Imam Malik disliked folding hands in obligatory prayers but allowed it in voluntary prayers if standing long.
This claim is refuted by Muwatta Imam Malik itself, where Imam Malik narrated the Hadith of Sahl bin Sa’d (RA) about placing the hands.
⑧ Those who pray with hands left at the sides cite a narration in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani [20/74 Hadith 139], but one of its narrators is Khadib bin Hajdar, a liar.
— Hence, the narration is fabricated (mawdu‘).
⑨ Sa‘eed bin Jubayr (Tabi‘i) said:
“In prayer, hands should be placed above the navel (on the chest).”
[Amali ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Al-Fawa’id Ibn Mandah 2/234 Hadith 1899 — Authentic chain]
