◈ Eid Takbeerat and the Practice of Raising Hands (Raf‘ al-Yadayn): A Comprehensive Analysis from Qur’an, Hadith, and Opinions of the Salaf ◈
✿ Written by: Abu al-Asqa‘ Qari Usama bin Abd al-Salam ✿
Allah the Exalted says:
﴿وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 185)
Translation: "And so that you glorify Allah for having guided you, and so that you may be grateful."
This verse generally alludes to the proclamation of Takbeerat, which includes the Takbeerat recited during the two Eids.
عن وائل بن حجر قال: رأيت النبي ﷺ إذا كبر رفع يديه
(Musnad Ahmad: 18384, Sunan Abu Dawud: 723)
Translation: "Wa’il bin Hujr رضي الله عنه narrates: I saw the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands whenever he said the Takbeer."
This Hadith supports the general practice of raising hands during Takbeer.
عن عبد الله بن عمر قال: كان النبي ﷺ يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيدين
(Sunan al-Daraqutni: 1714, al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat of Tabarani: 5795)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet ﷺ would raise his hands with every Takbeer during the two Eid prayers."
عن عبد الله بن عباس قال: كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من تكبيرات العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5685)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه narrated: He would raise his hands with every Takbeer of the Eid prayer."
These narrations prove that the Prophet ﷺ and the noble Companions practiced Raf‘ al-Yadayn during the additional Takbeerat of the Eid prayers.
كان عبد الله بن عمر يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيدين
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/82)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه used to raise his hands with every Takbeer in Eid prayers."
كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من تكبيرات العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5685)
أن أبا هريرة كان يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة
(Sunan al-Daraqutni: 2/49)
Translation: "Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه would raise his hands with every Takbeer."
These reports indicate that this practice was well-established and commonly followed among the Companions.
كانوا يرفعون أيديهم مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5687)
Translation: "The Tabi‘in used to raise their hands with every Takbeer in the Eid prayer."
كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من العيد
(Sunan al-Bayhaqi: 3/290)
These narrations affirm that the practice of Raf‘ al-Yadayn was also followed by the Tabi‘in and their successors.
يرفع المصلي يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Kitab al-Umm: 1/125)
Translation: "The worshipper should raise his hands with every Takbeer in the Eid prayer."
السنة أن يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: 5/25)
Translation: "It is Sunnah to raise the hands with every Takbeer during Eid."
يرفع المصلي يديه في تكبيرات العيد كما كان الصحابة يفعلون
(Majmu‘ al-Fatawa: 22/43)
Translation: "The worshipper should raise his hands during the Eid Takbeerat, just as the Companions used to do."
رفع اليدين في تكبيرات العيد من السنة الثابتة
(Zad al-Ma‘ad: 1/443)
Translation: "Raising hands during the Eid Takbeerat is among the established Sunnahs."
Raising the hands (Raf‘ al-Yadayn) during the additional Takbeerat of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha is a Sunnah because:
① This practice is authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ.
② It was practiced by eminent Companions such as Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنهم.
③ It was the practice of the Tabi‘in and Taba‘ Tabi‘in, like Hasan al-Basri and Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib رحمهم الله.
④ Major scholars up to the 8th century Hijri, such as Imam al-Shafi‘i, Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn al-Qayyim, affirmed it as Sunnah.
Thus, performing Raf‘ al-Yadayn in the additional Takbeerat of Eid is acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions.
✿ Written by: Abu al-Asqa‘ Qari Usama bin Abd al-Salam ✿
❶ In the Light of the Noble Qur’an
Allah the Exalted says:
﴿وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 185)
Translation: "And so that you glorify Allah for having guided you, and so that you may be grateful."
This verse generally alludes to the proclamation of Takbeerat, which includes the Takbeerat recited during the two Eids.
❷ Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ
(a) General Hadith Regarding Raf‘ al-Yadayn
عن وائل بن حجر قال: رأيت النبي ﷺ إذا كبر رفع يديه
(Musnad Ahmad: 18384, Sunan Abu Dawud: 723)
Translation: "Wa’il bin Hujr رضي الله عنه narrates: I saw the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands whenever he said the Takbeer."
This Hadith supports the general practice of raising hands during Takbeer.
(b) Hadiths on Raf‘ al-Yadayn Specifically in Eid Takbeerat
عن عبد الله بن عمر قال: كان النبي ﷺ يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيدين
(Sunan al-Daraqutni: 1714, al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat of Tabarani: 5795)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet ﷺ would raise his hands with every Takbeer during the two Eid prayers."
عن عبد الله بن عباس قال: كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من تكبيرات العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5685)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه narrated: He would raise his hands with every Takbeer of the Eid prayer."
These narrations prove that the Prophet ﷺ and the noble Companions practiced Raf‘ al-Yadayn during the additional Takbeerat of the Eid prayers.
❸ Reports from the Noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم)
(a) Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه
كان عبد الله بن عمر يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيدين
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/82)
Translation: "Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه used to raise his hands with every Takbeer in Eid prayers."
(b) Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه
كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من تكبيرات العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5685)
(c) Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه
أن أبا هريرة كان يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة
(Sunan al-Daraqutni: 2/49)
Translation: "Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه would raise his hands with every Takbeer."
These reports indicate that this practice was well-established and commonly followed among the Companions.
❹ Views of the Tabi‘in and Taba‘ Tabi‘in
(a) Imam Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib رحمه الله
كانوا يرفعون أيديهم مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq: 5687)
Translation: "The Tabi‘in used to raise their hands with every Takbeer in the Eid prayer."
(b) Imam Hasan al-Basri رحمه الله
كان يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة من العيد
(Sunan al-Bayhaqi: 3/290)
These narrations affirm that the practice of Raf‘ al-Yadayn was also followed by the Tabi‘in and their successors.
❺ Opinions of the Fuqaha till the 8th Century Hijri
(a) Imam al-Shafi‘i رحمه الله (d. 204 AH)
يرفع المصلي يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Kitab al-Umm: 1/125)
Translation: "The worshipper should raise his hands with every Takbeer in the Eid prayer."
(b) Imam al-Nawawi رحمه الله (d. 676 AH)
السنة أن يرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة في العيد
(Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: 5/25)
Translation: "It is Sunnah to raise the hands with every Takbeer during Eid."
(c) Imam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728 AH)
يرفع المصلي يديه في تكبيرات العيد كما كان الصحابة يفعلون
(Majmu‘ al-Fatawa: 22/43)
Translation: "The worshipper should raise his hands during the Eid Takbeerat, just as the Companions used to do."
(d) Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (d. 751 AH)
رفع اليدين في تكبيرات العيد من السنة الثابتة
(Zad al-Ma‘ad: 1/443)
Translation: "Raising hands during the Eid Takbeerat is among the established Sunnahs."
Conclusion
Raising the hands (Raf‘ al-Yadayn) during the additional Takbeerat of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha is a Sunnah because:
① This practice is authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ.
② It was practiced by eminent Companions such as Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنهم.
③ It was the practice of the Tabi‘in and Taba‘ Tabi‘in, like Hasan al-Basri and Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib رحمهم الله.
④ Major scholars up to the 8th century Hijri, such as Imam al-Shafi‘i, Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn al-Qayyim, affirmed it as Sunnah.
Thus, performing Raf‘ al-Yadayn in the additional Takbeerat of Eid is acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions.
