Author: Ḥāfiẓ Nadīm Ẓahīr
الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الأمين، أما بعد:
Since the time some individuals began presenting evidence against raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) in prayer from Musnad Abī ʿAwānah, the scholars of truth have been explaining and refuting these claims. As Muḥaddith al-ʿAṣr Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai (رحمه الله) wrote:
“Some ignorant people have attached the phrase ‘لَا يَرْفَعُهُمَا’ (‘he does not raise them’) to the preceding part of the narration, even though the evidences clearly refute this misinterpretation.”
① The omission of the conjunction “وَ” (wa = and) in the printed edition of Musnad Abī ʿAwānah is either intentional or a mistake. However, this “wa” is present in the manuscript versions of Musnad Abī ʿAwānah and other books such as Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, etc.
(As per ʿAllāmah Sayyid Iḥsānullāh Shāh al-Rāshidī, the Pīr of Jhandā, this “wa” is present in his version. It is also found in the Madīnah edition. Al-ḥamdu lillāh.)
② The narration of Saʿdān also supports the affirmation of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
③ The chapter heading (tabwīb) of Imām Abū ʿAwānah also clearly indicates support for Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
④ Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Imām Abū Dāwūd, and Imām Ḥumaydī all reported narrations affirming Rafʿ al-Yadayn at the time of rukūʿ and after rising from it, and Abū ʿAwānah used words like نَحْوَهُ, بِمِثْلِهِ, and مِثْلَهُ regarding these narrations.
⑤ Previous Ḥanafī scholars, such as al-Zaylaʿī and others, never presented this narration to oppose Rafʿ al-Yadayn. This is because this misreading did not even exist at that time, so how could they have used it?
Using this narration as evidence against Rafʿ al-Yadayn is incorrect, baseless, and a fabrication of the 14th century.
Musnad Abī ʿAwānah has been widely known and accepted since early times. Not a single Imām from the earlier generations interpreted the quoted narration as evidence for abandoning Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
See: Nūr al-ʿAynayn, pp. 80–81
Dear readers! The manuscript copy from Madīnah al-Munawwarah mentioned above has recently been published. It is the most authentic and complete version, consisting of 20 volumes. The compiler (i.e., Ḥāfiẓ Nadīm Ẓahīr) states that he possesses a personal copy of it in his own library. Al-ḥamdu lillāh.
We present here the exact hadith from that authentic edition — the same hadith that some people mistakenly use to argue against Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
حدّثنا عبد الله بن أيّوب المخرمي، وسعدان بن نصر، وشعيب بن عمرو في آخرين، قالوا: نا سفيان بن عيينة، عن الزهري، عن سالم، عن أبيه، قال:
رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا افتتح الصلاة رفع يديه حتى يحاذي بهما، وقال بعضهم: حذو منكبيه، وإذا أراد أن يركع، وبعد ما يرفع رأسه من الركوع، ولا يرفعهما، وقال بعضهم: ولا يرفع بين السجدتين، والمعنى واحد.
(Musnad Abī ʿAwānah 4/312)
Dear readers! The “و” (wa) preceding “لَا يَرْفَعُهُمَا” is as clear as daylight. Thus, those who attempted to omit this conjunction, or used distorted versions to derive personal interpretations, will now find no escape after the publication of the authentic Madīnah edition.
Truth can never be hidden, no matter how hard the opponents try.
From the above hadith — as well as other authentic evidences — it is clear that the hands should be raised:
① At the beginning of the prayer with Takbīr al-Taḥrīmah,
② When going into rukūʿ,
③ When rising from rukūʿ,
④ And after the second rakʿah when standing for the third.
These practices are all part of authentic Sunnah, and the proof for Rafʿ al-Yadayn is as clear as the sun.
❖ Musnad Abī ʿAwānah and the Hadith of Rafʿ al-Yadayn
الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الأمين، أما بعد:
Since the time some individuals began presenting evidence against raising the hands (Rafʿ al-Yadayn) in prayer from Musnad Abī ʿAwānah, the scholars of truth have been explaining and refuting these claims. As Muḥaddith al-ʿAṣr Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai (رحمه الله) wrote:
“Some ignorant people have attached the phrase ‘لَا يَرْفَعُهُمَا’ (‘he does not raise them’) to the preceding part of the narration, even though the evidences clearly refute this misinterpretation.”
✿ Important Points Regarding the Narration
① The omission of the conjunction “وَ” (wa = and) in the printed edition of Musnad Abī ʿAwānah is either intentional or a mistake. However, this “wa” is present in the manuscript versions of Musnad Abī ʿAwānah and other books such as Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, etc.
(As per ʿAllāmah Sayyid Iḥsānullāh Shāh al-Rāshidī, the Pīr of Jhandā, this “wa” is present in his version. It is also found in the Madīnah edition. Al-ḥamdu lillāh.)
② The narration of Saʿdān also supports the affirmation of Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
③ The chapter heading (tabwīb) of Imām Abū ʿAwānah also clearly indicates support for Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
④ Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Imām Abū Dāwūd, and Imām Ḥumaydī all reported narrations affirming Rafʿ al-Yadayn at the time of rukūʿ and after rising from it, and Abū ʿAwānah used words like نَحْوَهُ, بِمِثْلِهِ, and مِثْلَهُ regarding these narrations.
⑤ Previous Ḥanafī scholars, such as al-Zaylaʿī and others, never presented this narration to oppose Rafʿ al-Yadayn. This is because this misreading did not even exist at that time, so how could they have used it?
✔ Conclusion:
Using this narration as evidence against Rafʿ al-Yadayn is incorrect, baseless, and a fabrication of the 14th century.
Musnad Abī ʿAwānah has been widely known and accepted since early times. Not a single Imām from the earlier generations interpreted the quoted narration as evidence for abandoning Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
See: Nūr al-ʿAynayn, pp. 80–81❖ The Authentic Edition from Madīnah Tayyibah
Dear readers! The manuscript copy from Madīnah al-Munawwarah mentioned above has recently been published. It is the most authentic and complete version, consisting of 20 volumes. The compiler (i.e., Ḥāfiẓ Nadīm Ẓahīr) states that he possesses a personal copy of it in his own library. Al-ḥamdu lillāh.
We present here the exact hadith from that authentic edition — the same hadith that some people mistakenly use to argue against Rafʿ al-Yadayn.
✿ The Ḥadīth Text:
حدّثنا عبد الله بن أيّوب المخرمي، وسعدان بن نصر، وشعيب بن عمرو في آخرين، قالوا: نا سفيان بن عيينة، عن الزهري، عن سالم، عن أبيه، قال:
رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا افتتح الصلاة رفع يديه حتى يحاذي بهما، وقال بعضهم: حذو منكبيه، وإذا أراد أن يركع، وبعد ما يرفع رأسه من الركوع، ولا يرفعهما، وقال بعضهم: ولا يرفع بين السجدتين، والمعنى واحد.
(Musnad Abī ʿAwānah 4/312)❖ Clarification of the Phrase
Dear readers! The “و” (wa) preceding “لَا يَرْفَعُهُمَا” is as clear as daylight. Thus, those who attempted to omit this conjunction, or used distorted versions to derive personal interpretations, will now find no escape after the publication of the authentic Madīnah edition.
Truth can never be hidden, no matter how hard the opponents try.
Final Ruling:
From the above hadith — as well as other authentic evidences — it is clear that the hands should be raised:
① At the beginning of the prayer with Takbīr al-Taḥrīmah,
② When going into rukūʿ,
③ When rising from rukūʿ,
④ And after the second rakʿah when standing for the third.
These practices are all part of authentic Sunnah, and the proof for Rafʿ al-Yadayn is as clear as the sun.
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