Source: Fatawa Muhammadiyah, Vol. 1, Page 327
From the time prayer was made obligatory until the last prayer of the Prophet ﷺ’s life, is there any proof of him praying without Raf‘ al-Yadayn? Please guide us in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith.
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Based solely on the Qur’an and Sunnah, to the best of my limited knowledge and study, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform a single prayer—whether obligatory or voluntary—without Raf‘ al-Yadayn. The narrations which suggest that Raf‘ al-Yadayn was not done are all weak and cannot be used as evidence.
➊ Narration of Abdullah bin Umar (RA):
((عن عبداللہ بن عمر... رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ...))
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab Raf‘ al-Yadayn, Vol. 1, p. 102)
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he stood for prayer, he raised his hands up to the level of his shoulders. He would do the same when bowing for rukū‘ and when raising his head from rukū‘, saying Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah. But he did not do so in sujood.”
➋ Narration of Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (RA):
Hazrat Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (RA) said in front of ten Companions (RA):
“I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ better than any of you.”
Then he demonstrated the prayer, showing that the Prophet ﷺ performed Raf‘ al-Yadayn at the beginning of the prayer, when bowing for rukū‘, and when raising his head from rukū‘.
All ten Companions (RA) confirmed: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in this way.”
(Abu Dawud, Bukhari)
➌ Narration of Malik bin Huwairith (RA):
((عن أبي قلابَة... رأى مالِكَ بْنَ الحُوَيْرِثِ... وَحَدَّثَ أنَّ رسول الله ﷺ صَنَعَ هَكَذَا))
(Agreed Upon – Bukhari & Muslim; Nayl al-Awtar, Vol. 2, p. 205)
Abu Qilabah said: “I saw Malik bin Huwairith (RA) praying. He raised his hands at the beginning of the prayer, when intending to bow, and when raising his head from rukū‘. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do the same.”
➍ Narration of Wa’il bin Hujr (RA):
Wa’il bin Hujr (RA) said:
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raise his hands when beginning the prayer, then again when bowing, and again when he said Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah.”
(Musnad Ahmad)
These four authentic Ahadith are clear proof that the Prophet ﷺ always performed Raf‘ al-Yadayn when going into rukū‘ and when rising from it.
✔ Not a single authentic narration exists of him leaving Raf‘ al-Yadayn.
✔ The narration of Ibn Mas‘ud (RA) about leaving it has been declared weak by Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Ibn Mubarak, Imam Bukhari, Imam Ali bin Madini, and other experts.
✔ The Sunnah of Raf‘ al-Yadayn is mutawatir (mass-transmitted).
✔ The narrations affirming Raf‘ al-Yadayn are greater in number, stronger in chain, and more authentic.
✔ Imam al-Bayhaqi records that the Prophet ﷺ continued Raf‘ al-Yadayn until the very end of his blessed life.
✔ Even scholars such as Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi Hanafi) acknowledged the tawatur of Raf‘ al-Yadayn.
✔ Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi and Allama Abdul Hayy Lucknawi (both Hanafi) considered the Ahadith of Raf‘ al-Yadayn to be stronger and more reliable.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
❀ Question
From the time prayer was made obligatory until the last prayer of the Prophet ﷺ’s life, is there any proof of him praying without Raf‘ al-Yadayn? Please guide us in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith.
❀ Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Based solely on the Qur’an and Sunnah, to the best of my limited knowledge and study, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform a single prayer—whether obligatory or voluntary—without Raf‘ al-Yadayn. The narrations which suggest that Raf‘ al-Yadayn was not done are all weak and cannot be used as evidence.
✿ Evidences from Authentic Ahadith
➊ Narration of Abdullah bin Umar (RA):
((عن عبداللہ بن عمر... رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ...))
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab Raf‘ al-Yadayn, Vol. 1, p. 102)
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he stood for prayer, he raised his hands up to the level of his shoulders. He would do the same when bowing for rukū‘ and when raising his head from rukū‘, saying Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah. But he did not do so in sujood.”
➋ Narration of Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (RA):
Hazrat Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (RA) said in front of ten Companions (RA):
“I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ better than any of you.”
Then he demonstrated the prayer, showing that the Prophet ﷺ performed Raf‘ al-Yadayn at the beginning of the prayer, when bowing for rukū‘, and when raising his head from rukū‘.
All ten Companions (RA) confirmed: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in this way.”
(Abu Dawud, Bukhari)
➌ Narration of Malik bin Huwairith (RA):
((عن أبي قلابَة... رأى مالِكَ بْنَ الحُوَيْرِثِ... وَحَدَّثَ أنَّ رسول الله ﷺ صَنَعَ هَكَذَا))
(Agreed Upon – Bukhari & Muslim; Nayl al-Awtar, Vol. 2, p. 205)
Abu Qilabah said: “I saw Malik bin Huwairith (RA) praying. He raised his hands at the beginning of the prayer, when intending to bow, and when raising his head from rukū‘. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do the same.”
➍ Narration of Wa’il bin Hujr (RA):
Wa’il bin Hujr (RA) said:
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raise his hands when beginning the prayer, then again when bowing, and again when he said Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah.”
(Musnad Ahmad)
✿ Summary
These four authentic Ahadith are clear proof that the Prophet ﷺ always performed Raf‘ al-Yadayn when going into rukū‘ and when rising from it.
✔ Not a single authentic narration exists of him leaving Raf‘ al-Yadayn.
✔ The narration of Ibn Mas‘ud (RA) about leaving it has been declared weak by Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Ibn Mubarak, Imam Bukhari, Imam Ali bin Madini, and other experts.
✔ The Sunnah of Raf‘ al-Yadayn is mutawatir (mass-transmitted).
✔ The narrations affirming Raf‘ al-Yadayn are greater in number, stronger in chain, and more authentic.
✔ Imam al-Bayhaqi records that the Prophet ﷺ continued Raf‘ al-Yadayn until the very end of his blessed life.
✔ Even scholars such as Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi Hanafi) acknowledged the tawatur of Raf‘ al-Yadayn.
✔ Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi and Allama Abdul Hayy Lucknawi (both Hanafi) considered the Ahadith of Raf‘ al-Yadayn to be stronger and more reliable.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
