This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Mas'alah Raf' al-Yadain.
Raising the hands in the takbirs of the two Eids is established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
① Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates:
[كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا قام إلى الصلاة رفع يديه، حتىٰ إذا كانتا حذو منكبيه كبر، ثم إذا أراد أن يركع رفعهما، حتىٰ يكونا حذو منكبيه، كبر وهما كذٰلك، فركع، ثم إذا أراد أن يرفع صلبه رفعهما، حتىٰ يكونا حذو منكبيه، ثم قال: سمع الله لمن حمده، ثم يسجد، فلا يرفع يديه في السجود، ورفعهما في كل ركعة وتكبيرة كبرها قبل الركوع، حتىٰ تنقضي صلاته]
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stand for prayer, he would raise both hands until they reached the level of the shoulders, then he would say Allahu Akbar. Then, when he intended to bow, he would raise both hands until they reached the level of the shoulders, and in that state, he would say Allahu Akbar. Then he would bow. When he intended to raise his back from the bowing position, he would raise both hands up to the shoulders, then say Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah. Then he would prostrate, but he did not raise his hands during prostration; however, he raised his hands at every takbir of bowing and before every bowing, until his prayer was completed in this manner.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood: 722, Al-Muntaqa li Ibn al-Jarood: 178, and the context is the same, and its chain is Hasan
From this hadith, it is established that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his hands at every takbir said before bowing. Since the takbirs of the two Eids are also before bowing, raising the hands in them is proven as a Sunnah of the Prophet.
The Imams of the religion also believed in raising the hands during the takbirs of the two Eids.
Imam Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Abdul Rahman bin Amr, Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him (157 AH), was asked about raising the hands during the Takbeerat of the two Eids, and he said:
[نعم، ارفع يديك مع كلهن]
Yes, raise the hands with all the Takbeers.
Reference: Ahkam al-Eidain by Al-Firyabi: 136, and its chain is authentic
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Malik bin Anas, may Allah have mercy on him (179 AH), was asked, and he said:
[نعم، ارفع يديك مع كل تكبيرة، ولم أسمع فيه شيئا]
Yes, raise the hands with every Takbeer; I have not heard any disagreement about this.
Reference: Ahkam al-Eidain by Al-Firyabi: 137, and its chain is authentic
Imam Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Abu Abdullah, Muhammad bin Idris, Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him (204 AH), says:
[يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة على جنازة خبرا، وقياسا على أنه تكبير وهو قائم، وفي كل تكبير العيدين]
Raising the hands is done on every Takbeer of the funeral prayer and the two Eids, based on the Prophetic Hadith and also by analogy that the Takbeer during Qiyam involves raising the hands.
Reference: Kitab al-Umm: 127/1
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:
The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him (241 AH), says:
[يرفع يديه في كل تكبيرة]
He raises the hands with every Takbeer.
Reference: Masa'il al-Imam Ahmad narrated by Abu Dawood: 87
Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on him (238 AH), also holds this same view.
Reference: Masa'il al-Imam Ahmad wa Ishaq: 4054/8, M: 2890
Imam Ibn Mundhir, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mundhir Nishapuri, may Allah have mercy on him (319 AH), says:
[لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لما بين رفع اليدين في كل تكبيرة يكبرها المرء وهو قائم، وكانت تكبيرات العيدين والجنائز في موضع القيام، ثبت رفع اليدين فيها]
Also because the Prophet ﷺ stated raising the hands at every Takbeer during Qiyam, and the Takbeers of the two Eids and the funeral prayer are also during Qiyam, therefore raising the hands is established in these Takbeers.
Reference: Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wal-Ijma wal-Ikhtilaf: 426/5
He also says:
[سن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يرفع المصلي يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة، وإذا ركع، وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع، وكل ذٰلك تكبير في حال القيام، فكل من كبر في حال القيام رفع يديه استدلالا بالسنة]
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made it Sunnah to raise the hands when starting the prayer, going into Ruku, and when rising from Ruku. All these instances of Takbeer are in the state of Qiyam. Therefore, whoever says Takbeer in the state of Qiyam will raise the hands based on this Sunnah.
Reference: Al-Awsat: 282/4
Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him (458 AH), established a chapter on the above-mentioned Hadith as follows:
[باب رفع اليدين في تكبير العيد]
The statement about raising the hands in the Takbeers of Eid.
Reference: Al-Sunan al-Kubra: 411/3
The Hanafis also believe in raising the hands during the extra Takbirs of the two Eids, but their argument is based on a statement attributed to Imam Ibrahim Nakha'i, which is not authentically proven from him.
The statement is as follows:
[ترفع الأيدي في سبع مواطن؛ في افتتاح الصلاة، وفي التكبيرات للقنوت في الوتر، وفي العيدين]
Raising the hands will be done on seven occasions; at the beginning of the prayer, in the Qunoot Takbirs of Witr, and in the two Eids.
Reference: Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 178/2
This statement is extremely weak because:
① There is no authentication for Shu'ayb ibn Sulayman ibn Sulaym al-Kaysani.
② Qadi Abu Yusuf is considered "weak" by the majority of hadith scholars.
❀ Regarding this, Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
[تركوه]
The noble hadith scholars abandoned it.
Reference: Al-Tarikh al-Kabir: 397/8, Hadith no. 3463
③ Imam Abu Hanifa, Nu'man ibn Thabit (may Allah have mercy on him), is also unanimously considered weak in hadith by the scholars.
It is clear that the Hanafi brothers have no authentic evidence for raising the hands during the extra Takbirs of the two Eids. If they act upon the hadith, then they should also raise their hands when going into Ruku' and when rising from it, because the hadith establishes a general rule that raising the hands on every Takbir said before Ruku' is a Sunnah of the Prophet.
Our brothers on one hand abandon raising the hands when going into Ruku' and rising from it, yet on the other hand, they believe in raising the hands during the extra Takbirs of the two Eids, and at the same time, they do not believe in raising the hands during the Takbirs of the funeral prayer.
May Allah grant us the ability to adopt the Sunnah of the Messenger in all acts of worship. Ameen!
In some books, a debate between Imam Awza'i (157 AH) and Imam Abu Hanifa (150 AH) regarding the issue of raising the hands (raf' al-yadain) is mentioned. However, when the evidential status of this debate is examined, no proof is found; rather, according to the principles of the Muhaddithin, its chain of narration contains two fabricators and liars. A fabricator (wadda') is one who invents a hadith on his own and attributes it to the Prophet ﷺ. Similarly, in the chain of narration of this debate, an unknown narrator is also found.
This debate is mentioned by Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ya'qub al-Harthi in his book Musnad al-Imam Abi Hanifa. Observe the status of the chain of narration of this story:
① The author of this false chain is Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ya'qub al-Harthi, who was famous by the name Abdullah Ustadh. Consider the testimonies of the great Muhaddithin about him:
① Imam Abu Zur'ah al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) (347 AH) says:
[ضعيف]
It is weak.
Reference: Su'alat al-Suhmi by al-Daraqutni, p. 228, no. 318; Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib: 127/10
② Allama Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
[قال أبو سعيد الرواس: يتهم بوضع الحديث]
Abu Sa'id Ruwas says that he was an accused liar narrator.
Reference: Mizan al-I'tidal by al-Dhahabi: 496/4
③ Ahmad Sulaymani says:
[كان يضع هٰذا الإسناد علىٰ هٰذا المتن، وهٰذا المتن علىٰ هٰذا الإسناد]
He used to connect one chain to a different text and one text to a different chain.
Reference: Mizan al-I'tidal by al-Dhahabi: 496/4
❀ Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
[هٰذا ضرب من الوضع]
Doing this is a type of fabricating hadith.
④ Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
[هو صاحب عجائب وأفراد عن الثقات]
He is a person who narrates strange reports from trustworthy narrators.
Reference: Mizan al-I'tidal: 496/4
⑤ Khateeb al-Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
[صاحب عجائب ومناكير وغرائب]
This person used to narrate strange and rejected reports.
Reference: Tarikh Baghdad: 127/10
He also says:
[ليس بموضع الحجة]
This is not a valid argument.
Reference: Tarikh Baghdad: 127/10
⑥ Hafiz Khalili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
This narrator is known by the name "Ustadh." He had knowledge of Hadith, but he was weak. The great Muhaddithin have declared him weak. He narrates such Ahadith in which trustworthy narrators contradict him. From him, Malhami and Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Husain Basir have narrated rejected reports.
Reference: Al-Irshad fi Ma'rifat 'Ulama al-Hadith: 185/3
This is the condition of Ustadh Harithi, about whom even the lowest degree of authentication is not established.
(b) No authentication has been found for Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Zahad Razi, so he is unknown.
(c) Sulaiman bin Dawood Shadhkuni Munqari was a "liar" and "fabricator."
❀ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[إنه يكذب]
He lies.
Reference: Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 115/4, and his chain is authentic
❀ Imam Yahya bin Ma'in, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[كذاب، عدو الله، كان يضع الحديث]
This person was a liar, an enemy of Allah, and a fabricator of Ahadith.
Reference: Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 115/4, and his chain is authentic
❀ Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[ليس بشيء، متروك الحديث، وترك حديثه، ولم يحدث عنه]
He was of no use in the science of Hadith, abandoned in Hadith, his Hadith was abandoned, and no Hadith is narrated from him.
Reference: Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 115/4
❀ Imam Ibn 'Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[عندي ممن يسرق الحديث]
In my view, he is among the thieves of Hadith.
Reference: Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal: 295/3
❀ 'Abdan Ahwazi states:
[إنه ذهبت كتبه، فكان يحدث حفظا، فيغلط]
His books were lost, so he began to narrate from memory and made mistakes.
Reference: Al-Kamil by Ibn 'Adi: 298/3, and in another copy: 1145/3
❀ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[فيه نظر]
He is a denier of Hadith.
Reference: Al-Tarikh al-Saghir: 364/2
Many criticisms of him by the Imams of Jarh wa Ta'dil are established.
❀ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[الأكثرون علىٰ تضعيفه]
The majority of the great Muhaddithin consider him weak.
Reference: Majma' al-Zawa'id: 245/1
From this detailed explanation, it is proven that this debate never took place, rather false and lying people fabricated it on their own and attributed it to Imam Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him. May Allah the Generous make us companions of the truth.
