Written by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Alhamdulillah, Rabbil Aalameen, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger. As for what follows:
Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who holds a Ph.D., has written a book titled "Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi," in which he has made every effort to prove the Barelvi school of thought. On page [223] of this book, he has presented the title "The statement of not raising hands in prayer except for the first Takbeer" and provided fourteen [14] narrations with references against raising hands [pp. 223-229]. This article presents a critique and analysis of these narrations
.Note:
Due to brevity, many Arabic phrases and sources have been omitted, only narrations number: [295/12] has been quoted with the Arabic text.
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/271, Hadith 851….]
Comment:
In our version, the number of this narration is [784].There is no mention in this Hadith about raising or not raising hands. It only states that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say Takbeer when standing up or bowing down. All Ahl-e-Hadith act upon this issue. Alhamdulillah.There is no mention of the first raising of hands in this narration either. In principle, it is established that if something is mentioned in one narration and not mentioned in another, the absence of mention is not evidence of negation.◈ Ibn al-Turkumani (Hanafi) writes:
"The one who does not mention something is not a proof against the one who does mention it." [Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 4, p. 317]◈ Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"Those who are aware have decisive opinions compared to those who are not." [Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 208, published by Raza Foundation, Jamia Nizamia Razwiyya, Lahore]Presenting this narration against raising hands during the first Takbeer is wrong, just as presenting it against raising hands before and after Ruku' is also wrong. See also the third evidence [250/3] with commentary.
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 752 and Sahih Muslim: 1/293, Hadith 392…]
Comment:
In our version of Sahih Bukhari, this narration is numbered [785]. In the Darussalam version of Sahih Muslim, its number is [867].There is no mention in this narration about not raising hands; rather, it mentions saying Takbeer when bowing and standing. Therefore, presenting this narration against raising hands is also wrong.
Benefit:
"Ata (bin Abi Rabah) said: I prayed with Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him). He used to raise his hands while saying Takbeer for the prayer, when bowing, and when rising from Ruku'." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari with my verification: 22, and its chain is authentic]
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 753 and Sahih Muslim: 1/295, Hadith 393….]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [786] and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: [873].There is no mention of not raising hands in this narration; rather, it mentions saying Takbeer during Sajdah and standing up from two Rak'ahs. Therefore, presenting this narration against raising hands is also wrong; otherwise, the raising hands for the first Takbeer would also become abandoned or abrogated due to this reasoning!
Benefit:
"Sayedna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands when starting the prayer, when going into Ruku', when rising from Ruku', and when standing up after two Rak'ahs." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari: 1, and its chain is Hasan, and its wording is his; Sunan Tirmidhi: 3423, and he said: "Hasan Sahih"; Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 584, and Sahih Ibn Hibban referenced in Umdat al-Qari by Al-Aini 5/277]
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 756 and Sahih Muslim: 1/293, Hadith 392]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [789] and Sahih Muslim [Darussalam: 868].This narration also does not mention the issue of not raising hands; rather, it mentions saying 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah' and 'Rabbana lakal hamd' along with the Takbeers. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against raising hands is wrong.None of the reliable Hadith scholars have presented such narrations against raising hands.In the commentary of Hadith number [2], I have proven that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands before and after Ruku'. Therefore, deriving the issue of not raising hands from this narration after the practice of the narrator is tantamount to outright opposition to the narrator of the Hadith.
Then when he stood up after the sitting in the second Rak'ah, he said Takbeer and did this in every Rak'ah until he finished the prayer. Then after finishing, he said: By the One in whose hand my soul is! My prayer among all of you is more similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) continued to pray in this manner until he passed away."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/276, Hadith 770….]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [803].This Hadith also mentions 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah', 'Rabbana lakal hamd', and the Takbeers, but there is no mention of not raising hands. Therefore, presenting such a Hadith against raising hands is wrong.In the commentary of Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands before and after Ruku'.
Therefore, this Hadith indicates that the last prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the one Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray. This reasoning automatically proves that the last prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) included raising hands, and there is no authentic or Hasan chain to prove that he abandoned raising hands.
He said: We came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and stayed with him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When you return to your people, pray this prayer at this time. When the time for prayer comes, one of you should call the Adhan and the elder among you should lead the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/282, Hadith 785]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [818, 819].This Hadith also does not mention not raising hands, while contrary to Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib's reasoning, Abu Qalabah (a Tabi'i) narrated that he saw (Sayedna) Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) raising his hands at the start of the prayer, before Ruku', and after Ruku' and said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to do the same. [Sahih Bukhari: 737 and Sahih Muslim: 391, Darussalam numbering: 864 and its wording is his]You have seen that two issues are proven from this agreed-upon Hadith:
[Abu Dawud: 1/286, Hadith 748; Tirmidhi: 1/297, Hadith 257; Nasa'i: 2/131, Hadith 1026; Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 1/221, 351, Hadith 645, 1099; Musnad Ahmad: 1/388, 441; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/213, Hadith 2441]
Comment:
In all these books, this narration is reported through the chain of Sufyan al-Thawri from Asim bin Kulayb from Abdulrahman bin Aswad from Alqama.Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him) is a well-known "Mudallis."
◈ Ibn al-Turkumani (Hanafi) said:"Thawri is Mudallis."
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 8, p. 262]
◈ Aini (Hanafi) said:"Sufyan is among the Mudallis, and the narration from a Mudallis with 'An' is not taken as proof unless his hearing is confirmed by another chain."
[Umdat al-Qari, vol. 3, p. 112 under Hadith 214] The same is written by Qastallani.
[Irshad al-Sari, vol. 1, p. 286]
◈ Muhammad Abbas Rizvi Barelvi writes:"Sufyan is Mudallis and he narrated this with 'An' from Asim bin Kulayb, and according to the principles of Hadith, the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is not accepted as will be explained further, Insha'Allah."
[Munazirate Hai Munazirate, p. 249, published by Maktaba Jamal Karam, Darbar Market Lahore]
◈ Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"And the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is rejected and unauthentic according to the preferred and relied upon opinion of the majority of Hadith scholars."
[Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 245, printed edition]
◈ Ahmed Raza Khan further states:"And the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is unacceptable according to the principles of Hadith scholars." [Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 266]From these references, it is clear that this narration presented by Dr. Sahib is unacceptable and rejected.
[Abu Dawud: 1/286, Hadith 749]
Comment:
This narration is also weak due to the Tadlees (concealment) of Sufyan al-Thawri, see the commentary of Hadith [254/7].Note that Abu Hudhayfa and others are not companions but narrators of Hadith.
[Abu Dawud: 1/287, Hadith 750; Musannaf Abdul Razzaq: 2/70, Hadith 2530; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/213, Hadith 2440; Sunan al-Daraqutni: 1/293; Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 1/253, Hadith 1131]
Comment:
The main narrator of this narration is Yazid bin Abi Ziyad al-Kufi. Regarding him:
◈ Al-Daraqutni said:"He was weak and made many mistakes."
[Sualat al-Barqani li-Daraqutni: 561]
◈ Al-Bayhaqi said:"He was not strong."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 26]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar said:
"The majority consider his Hadith weak.
" [Hady al-Sari, p. 459]
◈ Al-Busiri said:"And the majority have declared him weak."
[Zawaid Sunan Ibn Majah: 2116]
The famous scholar of Asma al-Rijal, Yahya bin Ma'in (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 233 AH) said about this narration:
"This narration is not authentic."
[Tarikh Ibn Ma'in, Riwayat al-Duri, vol. 3, p. 264, No. 1239]
Dr. Sahib should not have presented such a weak and fragile narration.
[Reported by Al-Khwarazmi in Jami al-Masanid, 1/355]
Comment:
From Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib's citation, it is clear that saying "reported by Abu Hanifa" is incorrect. This narration was reported by Al-Khwarazmi (died 665 AH) with the chain of transmission: Abu Muhammad al-Bukhari from Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali from Shaqiq bin Ibrahim from Abu Hanifa… [Jami al-Masanid, vol. 1, p. 355]About Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Yaqub al-Bukhari al-Harithi:
◈ Abu Ahmad al-Hafiz (Hakim Kabir) said:"Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Yaqub used to fabricate Hadith."
[Kitab al-Qiraat by al-Bayhaqi, p. 178, No. 388, second copy, p. 155, 154, with an authentic chain]No one has authenticated this person. For severe criticism, see Mizan al-I'tidal [vol. 2, p. 496], Lisan al-Mizan [vol. 3, pp. 348-349], and Al-Kashf al-Hatheeth 'an Man Rumi bi-Wad' al-Hadith [p. 248].
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi mentioned him in Diwan al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin [176, No. 2297].
The status and identity of Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali are unknown.It is proven that this narration is fabricated (Mawdu).It is not proven from Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), so calling it "reported by Abu Hanifa" is a significant mistake.
[Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/295, Musnad Abu Ya'la 8/453, Hadith 5039, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 2/79, Majma al-Zawaid 2/101]
Comment:
The primary narrator of this narration, Muhammad bin Jabar, is considered weak by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Zayla'i (Hanafi) said:"And Muhammad bin Jabar is weak." [Nasb al-Raya, vol. 1, p. 61]↰ Even the Hanafis consider this narrator weak, so why is Dr. Sahib presenting his narration?After narrating this Hadith in Al-Daraqutni, Imam Al-Daraqutni said:"Muhammad bin Jabar is alone in this, and he was weak." [vol. 1, p. 295, Hadith 1120]
◈ The researcher of Musnad Abu Ya'la, Hussain Saleem Asad, wrote:"Its chain is weak." [vol. 8, p. 453] Note that Dr. Sahib has referenced this same copy.
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi mentioned this narration and cited Imam Al-Daraqutni, who said:
"Muhammad bin Jabar was weak."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 2, pp. 79-80]
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi himself, in another place, called Muhammad bin Jabar al-Yamami "weak."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 134-135]
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami mentioned this Hadith in Majma al-Zawaid and said:"It is narrated by Abu Ya'la, and in it is Muhammad bin Jabar al-Hanafi al-Yamami, who confused his Hadith and accepted dictation (i.e., he was easily influenced)." [vol. 2, p. 101]↰ The Punjabi term "Lai Lag" was taught to me by my esteemed brother, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Zahiri Okara. He says that this term is the correct translation of "Muqallid" (follower).
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami further said:"And in it is Muhammad bin Jabar al-Suhami, and he is weak." [Majma al-Zawaid, vol. 2, p. 288, Chapter on Qisas and Retribution]↰ You have seen that even the scholars who mentioned this narrator considered him weak, but still, Dr. Sahib is presenting such a weak narration in his argument.Regarding this narration:
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: "This Hadith is Munkar (denounced)."
[Al-Masa'il, Riwayat Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 242, No. 327]
Comment:
This narration is present in the manuscript copies of Musnad Abi Awana with the following wording:"Saalim narrates from his father (Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him):
I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to his shoulders when starting the prayer, and when he intended to bow, and after raising his head from bowing, and some said: And he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."One manuscript is in the library of our respected teacher Peer Jhandah Sheikh-ul-Islam Abu al-Qasim Muhibullah Shah Rashidi (may Allah have mercy on him) and the other manuscript (copy) is in Medina University, see my book "Noor al-Aynain fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadain" [third edition, pp. 69, 263] and Anwar Khursheed Deobandi's book "Hadith aur Ahl-e-Hadith." [fifteenth edition, June 2003, p. 912]Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib has mistranslated this Hadith, whereas the correct translation is as follows:
"Saalim narrates from his father (Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him) that I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he started the prayer, he raised his hands until they were parallel (to his shoulders), and some said: parallel to his shoulders, and when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing (he raised his hands), and some said: and he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."It is evident that "la yarfa'uhuma" relates to "bayn al-sajdatayn" (between the two prostrations) not "min al-rukoo" (from bowing).
The words "wal ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one) also clearly support this. Unfortunately, Dr. Sahib, following in the footsteps of Deobandis, presented this narration against raising hands, even though this Hadith is authentically reported with the chain of Saalim from his father in Sahih Bukhari [736] and Sahih Muslim [Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].The narration of Abu Awana al-Isfaraini mentions three of his teachers:
[Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 1/294, Hadith 1329]
Comment:
Dr. Sahib has run out of Marfu' (Prophetic) narrations. Now he has started presenting Athar (narrations from companions).One of the narrators of this Athar, Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, was a "Mudallis." [See Ma'rifat 'Uloom al-Hadith by al-Hakim, p. 108, Asma' Man 'Urf bi-Tadlees by Al-Suyuti:
1, Kitab al-Mudallisin by Abu Zar'ah ibn al-Iraqi: 2, Al-Tabyin li-Asma' al-Mudallisin by Sibt ibn al-'Ajami: 2]This narration is with "An" (from), therefore, it is "weak." See the commentary on the seventh evidence [254/7].On the contrary, it is proven from Sayedna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to raise his hands at the beginning of the prayer, before bowing, and after bowing.
See: [Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas manuscript vol. 2, p. 217] and Noor al-Aynain [p. 188], its chain is Hasan.Raising hands before and after bowing is also proven from his son, Sayedna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). [See Sahih Bukhari: 739]In fact, he used to throw pebbles at those who did not raise their hands before and after bowing. [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari with my verification: 15, its chain is authentic]Therefore, it is impossible that his father, Sayedna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), did not raise his hands.Moreover, raising hands is also proven from the following companions:
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 1/213, Hadith 2444]
Comment:
This is not a Marfu' (Prophetic) Hadith but rather an unverified Athar (narration from a companion), and it is the final evidence presented by Dr. Sahib in his book. [See Al-Minhaj Al-Sawi min Al-Hadith Al-Nabawi, p. 229]No reliable Hadith scholar has declared this Athar as authentic, and Imam Ahmad has criticized it. [See Al-Masa'il, Riwayat Abdullah bin Ahmad, 1/243, No. 329]◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:"None of the scholars had any knowledge of the abandonment of raising hands being attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or any of his companions." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain, p. 40]It is evident that Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) did not consider this narration authentic.◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (died 804 AH) said:"The Athar attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is weak and not authentic, and among those who considered it weak is Imam Bukhari." [Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 499]On the contrary, it is proven from Sayedna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands before and after bowing. See the commentary on the third evidence [250/3]. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this narration authentic. [Al-Ilal by Al-Khallal, referenced in Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 466]You have seen that Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib has presented three types of narrations against raising hands:
Alhamdulillah, Rabbil Aalameen, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger. As for what follows:
Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who holds a Ph.D., has written a book titled "Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi," in which he has made every effort to prove the Barelvi school of thought. On page [223] of this book, he has presented the title "The statement of not raising hands in prayer except for the first Takbeer" and provided fourteen [14] narrations with references against raising hands [pp. 223-229]. This article presents a critique and analysis of these narrations
.Note:
Due to brevity, many Arabic phrases and sources have been omitted, only narrations number: [295/12] has been quoted with the Arabic text.
Tahir-ul-Qadri's First Evidence [248/1]:
"Sayedna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He prayed with Sayedna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Basra, and he reminded us of the prayer that we used to pray with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say Takbeer whenever he stood up or bowed down."[Sahih Bukhari: 1/271, Hadith 851….]
Comment:
In our version, the number of this narration is [784].There is no mention in this Hadith about raising or not raising hands. It only states that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say Takbeer when standing up or bowing down. All Ahl-e-Hadith act upon this issue. Alhamdulillah.There is no mention of the first raising of hands in this narration either. In principle, it is established that if something is mentioned in one narration and not mentioned in another, the absence of mention is not evidence of negation.◈ Ibn al-Turkumani (Hanafi) writes:
"The one who does not mention something is not a proof against the one who does mention it." [Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 4, p. 317]◈ Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"Those who are aware have decisive opinions compared to those who are not." [Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 208, published by Raza Foundation, Jamia Nizamia Razwiyya, Lahore]Presenting this narration against raising hands during the first Takbeer is wrong, just as presenting it against raising hands before and after Ruku' is also wrong. See also the third evidence [250/3] with commentary.
Second Evidence [249/2]:
"Sayedna Abu Salama narrates that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to lead us in prayer, and whenever he bowed or stood up, he used to say Takbeer. When he finished the prayer, he said: My prayer is more similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) than any of you."[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 752 and Sahih Muslim: 1/293, Hadith 392…]
Comment:
In our version of Sahih Bukhari, this narration is numbered [785]. In the Darussalam version of Sahih Muslim, its number is [867].There is no mention in this narration about not raising hands; rather, it mentions saying Takbeer when bowing and standing. Therefore, presenting this narration against raising hands is also wrong.
Benefit:
"Ata (bin Abi Rabah) said: I prayed with Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him). He used to raise his hands while saying Takbeer for the prayer, when bowing, and when rising from Ruku'." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari with my verification: 22, and its chain is authentic]
Third Evidence [250/3]:
"Sayedna Mutarrif bin Abdullah narrates: I and Imran bin Husain prayed behind Sayedna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). When he performed Sajdah, he said Takbeer; when he raised his head, he said Takbeer; and when he stood up from two Rak'ahs, he said Takbeer. When the prayer was completed, Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) took my hand and said: He reminded me of the prayer of Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him). (Or he said) He led me in a prayer similar to the prayer of Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him)."[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 753 and Sahih Muslim: 1/295, Hadith 393….]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [786] and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: [873].There is no mention of not raising hands in this narration; rather, it mentions saying Takbeer during Sajdah and standing up from two Rak'ahs. Therefore, presenting this narration against raising hands is also wrong; otherwise, the raising hands for the first Takbeer would also become abandoned or abrogated due to this reasoning!
Benefit:
"Sayedna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands when starting the prayer, when going into Ruku', when rising from Ruku', and when standing up after two Rak'ahs." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari: 1, and its chain is Hasan, and its wording is his; Sunan Tirmidhi: 3423, and he said: "Hasan Sahih"; Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 584, and Sahih Ibn Hibban referenced in Umdat al-Qari by Al-Aini 5/277]
Fourth Evidence:
"The narrator of this Hadith, Abdul Rahman, heard Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) say that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up for prayer, he said Takbeer when standing, then said Takbeer when bowing, then said 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah' when rising from Ruku', then said 'Rabbana lakal hamd' when standing straight. Then he said Takbeer when bowing down, then said Takbeer when raising his head, then said Takbeer when going into Sajdah, then said Takbeer when raising his head from Sajdah. Then he continued doing this throughout the prayer until it was completed, and when standing up after sitting in two Rak'ahs, he said Takbeer."[Sahih Bukhari: 1/272, Hadith 756 and Sahih Muslim: 1/293, Hadith 392]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [789] and Sahih Muslim [Darussalam: 868].This narration also does not mention the issue of not raising hands; rather, it mentions saying 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah' and 'Rabbana lakal hamd' along with the Takbeers. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against raising hands is wrong.None of the reliable Hadith scholars have presented such narrations against raising hands.In the commentary of Hadith number [2], I have proven that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands before and after Ruku'. Therefore, deriving the issue of not raising hands from this narration after the practice of the narrator is tantamount to outright opposition to the narrator of the Hadith.
Fifth Evidence [252/5]:
"Abu Salama bin Abdul Rahman narrates that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say Takbeer in every prayer, whether it was obligatory or other, whether it was in Ramadan or otherwise. When he stood up, he said Takbeer, and when he bowed, he said Takbeer. Then he said 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah'. Then before going into Sajdah, he said 'Rabbana lakal hamd'. Then when he bowed for Sajdah, he said Allahu Akbar. Then when he raised his head from Sajdah, he said Takbeer. Then when he performed the (second) Sajdah, he said Takbeer. Then when he raised his head from Sajdah, he said Takbeer.Then when he stood up after the sitting in the second Rak'ah, he said Takbeer and did this in every Rak'ah until he finished the prayer. Then after finishing, he said: By the One in whose hand my soul is! My prayer among all of you is more similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) continued to pray in this manner until he passed away."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/276, Hadith 770….]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [803].This Hadith also mentions 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah', 'Rabbana lakal hamd', and the Takbeers, but there is no mention of not raising hands. Therefore, presenting such a Hadith against raising hands is wrong.In the commentary of Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands before and after Ruku'.
Therefore, this Hadith indicates that the last prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the one Sayedna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray. This reasoning automatically proves that the last prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) included raising hands, and there is no authentic or Hasan chain to prove that he abandoned raising hands.
Sixth Evidence [253/6]:
"Sayedna Abu Qalabah narrates that Sayedna Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) told his companions: Should I not show you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? And this is apart from the specified times of prayer. So he stood up, then bowed and said Takbeer, then raised his head and stood for a while, then performed Sajdah, then raised his head for a while, then performed Sajdah, then raised his head for a while. He prayed like our elder Sayedna Amr bin Salamah. Ayyub said that he used to do something I have not seen anyone else doing; he used to sit in the second and fourth Rak'ahs.He said: We came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and stayed with him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When you return to your people, pray this prayer at this time. When the time for prayer comes, one of you should call the Adhan and the elder among you should lead the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 1/282, Hadith 785]
Comment:
This narration is present in our version of Sahih Bukhari [818, 819].This Hadith also does not mention not raising hands, while contrary to Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib's reasoning, Abu Qalabah (a Tabi'i) narrated that he saw (Sayedna) Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) raising his hands at the start of the prayer, before Ruku', and after Ruku' and said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to do the same. [Sahih Bukhari: 737 and Sahih Muslim: 391, Darussalam numbering: 864 and its wording is his]You have seen that two issues are proven from this agreed-upon Hadith:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands before Ruku' and after Ruku'.
- After the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Sayedna Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands before and after Ruku' in front of Abu Qalabah, a Tabi'i.Therefore, the claim of those who argue for the abandonment or abrogation of raising hands is invalid.Dear readers! You have seen that Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib presented six unrelated narrations, which have no connection with the issue of not raising hands, just to increase the number.
Seventh Evidence [254/7]:
"Sayedna Alqama narrates that Sayedna Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Should I not lead you in the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? The narrator states: Then he led the prayer and did not raise his hands except once." In the narration by Imam Nasa'i, it is mentioned: "Then he did not raise his hands."[Abu Dawud: 1/286, Hadith 748; Tirmidhi: 1/297, Hadith 257; Nasa'i: 2/131, Hadith 1026; Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 1/221, 351, Hadith 645, 1099; Musnad Ahmad: 1/388, 441; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/213, Hadith 2441]
Comment:
In all these books, this narration is reported through the chain of Sufyan al-Thawri from Asim bin Kulayb from Abdulrahman bin Aswad from Alqama.Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him) is a well-known "Mudallis."
◈ Ibn al-Turkumani (Hanafi) said:"Thawri is Mudallis."
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 8, p. 262]
◈ Aini (Hanafi) said:"Sufyan is among the Mudallis, and the narration from a Mudallis with 'An' is not taken as proof unless his hearing is confirmed by another chain."
[Umdat al-Qari, vol. 3, p. 112 under Hadith 214] The same is written by Qastallani.
[Irshad al-Sari, vol. 1, p. 286]
◈ Muhammad Abbas Rizvi Barelvi writes:"Sufyan is Mudallis and he narrated this with 'An' from Asim bin Kulayb, and according to the principles of Hadith, the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is not accepted as will be explained further, Insha'Allah."
[Munazirate Hai Munazirate, p. 249, published by Maktaba Jamal Karam, Darbar Market Lahore]
◈ Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"And the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is rejected and unauthentic according to the preferred and relied upon opinion of the majority of Hadith scholars."
[Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 245, printed edition]
◈ Ahmed Raza Khan further states:"And the 'An' narration of a Mudallis is unacceptable according to the principles of Hadith scholars." [Fatawa Razawiyya, vol. 5, p. 266]From these references, it is clear that this narration presented by Dr. Sahib is unacceptable and rejected.
Eighth Evidence [255/8]:
"Hassan bin Ali, Muawiyah, Khalid bin Amr, and Abu Hudhayfa narrate that Sufyan narrated to us with his chain (that Sayedna Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with him)) raised his hands only the first time."[Abu Dawud: 1/286, Hadith 749]
Comment:
This narration is also weak due to the Tadlees (concealment) of Sufyan al-Thawri, see the commentary of Hadith [254/7].Note that Abu Hudhayfa and others are not companions but narrators of Hadith.
Ninth Evidence [256/9]:
"Sayedna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands up to his ears when starting the prayer, and then he did not do so again."[Abu Dawud: 1/287, Hadith 750; Musannaf Abdul Razzaq: 2/70, Hadith 2530; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/213, Hadith 2440; Sunan al-Daraqutni: 1/293; Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 1/253, Hadith 1131]
Comment:
The main narrator of this narration is Yazid bin Abi Ziyad al-Kufi. Regarding him:
◈ Al-Daraqutni said:"He was weak and made many mistakes."
[Sualat al-Barqani li-Daraqutni: 561]
◈ Al-Bayhaqi said:"He was not strong."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 26]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar said:
"The majority consider his Hadith weak.
" [Hady al-Sari, p. 459]
◈ Al-Busiri said:"And the majority have declared him weak."
[Zawaid Sunan Ibn Majah: 2116]
The famous scholar of Asma al-Rijal, Yahya bin Ma'in (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 233 AH) said about this narration:
"This narration is not authentic."
[Tarikh Ibn Ma'in, Riwayat al-Duri, vol. 3, p. 264, No. 1239]
Dr. Sahib should not have presented such a weak and fragile narration.
Tenth Evidence [257/10]:
"Sayedna Aswad narrates that Sayedna Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands only at the time of the first Takbeer and did not raise them at any other place in the prayer, and he used to attribute this to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)."[Reported by Al-Khwarazmi in Jami al-Masanid, 1/355]
Comment:
From Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib's citation, it is clear that saying "reported by Abu Hanifa" is incorrect. This narration was reported by Al-Khwarazmi (died 665 AH) with the chain of transmission: Abu Muhammad al-Bukhari from Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali from Shaqiq bin Ibrahim from Abu Hanifa… [Jami al-Masanid, vol. 1, p. 355]About Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Yaqub al-Bukhari al-Harithi:
◈ Abu Ahmad al-Hafiz (Hakim Kabir) said:"Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Yaqub used to fabricate Hadith."
[Kitab al-Qiraat by al-Bayhaqi, p. 178, No. 388, second copy, p. 155, 154, with an authentic chain]No one has authenticated this person. For severe criticism, see Mizan al-I'tidal [vol. 2, p. 496], Lisan al-Mizan [vol. 3, pp. 348-349], and Al-Kashf al-Hatheeth 'an Man Rumi bi-Wad' al-Hadith [p. 248].
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi mentioned him in Diwan al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin [176, No. 2297].
The status and identity of Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali are unknown.It is proven that this narration is fabricated (Mawdu).It is not proven from Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), so calling it "reported by Abu Hanifa" is a significant mistake.
Eleventh Evidence [258/11]:
"Sayedna Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and they all used to raise their hands only at the beginning of the prayer."[Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/295, Musnad Abu Ya'la 8/453, Hadith 5039, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 2/79, Majma al-Zawaid 2/101]
Comment:
The primary narrator of this narration, Muhammad bin Jabar, is considered weak by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Zayla'i (Hanafi) said:"And Muhammad bin Jabar is weak." [Nasb al-Raya, vol. 1, p. 61]↰ Even the Hanafis consider this narrator weak, so why is Dr. Sahib presenting his narration?After narrating this Hadith in Al-Daraqutni, Imam Al-Daraqutni said:"Muhammad bin Jabar is alone in this, and he was weak." [vol. 1, p. 295, Hadith 1120]
◈ The researcher of Musnad Abu Ya'la, Hussain Saleem Asad, wrote:"Its chain is weak." [vol. 8, p. 453] Note that Dr. Sahib has referenced this same copy.
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi mentioned this narration and cited Imam Al-Daraqutni, who said:
"Muhammad bin Jabar was weak."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 2, pp. 79-80]
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi himself, in another place, called Muhammad bin Jabar al-Yamami "weak."
[Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 134-135]
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami mentioned this Hadith in Majma al-Zawaid and said:"It is narrated by Abu Ya'la, and in it is Muhammad bin Jabar al-Hanafi al-Yamami, who confused his Hadith and accepted dictation (i.e., he was easily influenced)." [vol. 2, p. 101]↰ The Punjabi term "Lai Lag" was taught to me by my esteemed brother, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Zahiri Okara. He says that this term is the correct translation of "Muqallid" (follower).
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami further said:"And in it is Muhammad bin Jabar al-Suhami, and he is weak." [Majma al-Zawaid, vol. 2, p. 288, Chapter on Qisas and Retribution]↰ You have seen that even the scholars who mentioned this narrator considered him weak, but still, Dr. Sahib is presenting such a weak narration in his argument.Regarding this narration:
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: "This Hadith is Munkar (denounced)."
[Al-Masa'il, Riwayat Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 242, No. 327]
Twelfth Evidence [259/12]:
Sayedna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to his shoulders when starting the prayer and when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing, but he did not raise them." Some said: "And he did not raise them between the two prostrations." Narrated by Abu Awana [423/1, Hadith 1572].Comment:
This narration is present in the manuscript copies of Musnad Abi Awana with the following wording:"Saalim narrates from his father (Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him):
I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to his shoulders when starting the prayer, and when he intended to bow, and after raising his head from bowing, and some said: And he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."One manuscript is in the library of our respected teacher Peer Jhandah Sheikh-ul-Islam Abu al-Qasim Muhibullah Shah Rashidi (may Allah have mercy on him) and the other manuscript (copy) is in Medina University, see my book "Noor al-Aynain fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadain" [third edition, pp. 69, 263] and Anwar Khursheed Deobandi's book "Hadith aur Ahl-e-Hadith." [fifteenth edition, June 2003, p. 912]Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib has mistranslated this Hadith, whereas the correct translation is as follows:
"Saalim narrates from his father (Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him) that I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he started the prayer, he raised his hands until they were parallel (to his shoulders), and some said: parallel to his shoulders, and when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing (he raised his hands), and some said: and he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."It is evident that "la yarfa'uhuma" relates to "bayn al-sajdatayn" (between the two prostrations) not "min al-rukoo" (from bowing).
The words "wal ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one) also clearly support this. Unfortunately, Dr. Sahib, following in the footsteps of Deobandis, presented this narration against raising hands, even though this Hadith is authentically reported with the chain of Saalim from his father in Sahih Bukhari [736] and Sahih Muslim [Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].The narration of Abu Awana al-Isfaraini mentions three of his teachers:
- Abdullah bin Ayyub al-Mukharrami,
- Sa'dan bin Nasr, and
- Shu'ayb bin Amr. [see vol. 2, p. 90]↰ Sa'dan bin Nasr's narration in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi has the wording: "And he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations." [vol. 2, p. 69]. Whereas the same narration from Saalim from his father in Sahih Muslim has the wording: "And he did not raise both hands between the two prostrations." [Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861]. Abu Awana (may Allah have mercy on him) combined the different wordings of the narrators "la yarfa'uhuma" and "la yarfa'" and concluded with "wal ma'na wahid" proving that the non-raising of hands relates to the period between the prostrations, not after bowing.↰ Therefore, combining "la yarfa'uhuma" with raising hands before and after bowing is incorrect. For detailed discussion, see my book "Noor al-Aynain" [pp. 68-71].
Thirteenth Evidence [260/13]:
"Sayedna Aswad narrates: I saw Sayedna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) performing the prayer. He used to raise his hands at the time of Takbeer Tahrima, then he did not raise them again during the rest of the prayer."[Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 1/294, Hadith 1329]
Comment:
Dr. Sahib has run out of Marfu' (Prophetic) narrations. Now he has started presenting Athar (narrations from companions).One of the narrators of this Athar, Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, was a "Mudallis." [See Ma'rifat 'Uloom al-Hadith by al-Hakim, p. 108, Asma' Man 'Urf bi-Tadlees by Al-Suyuti:
1, Kitab al-Mudallisin by Abu Zar'ah ibn al-Iraqi: 2, Al-Tabyin li-Asma' al-Mudallisin by Sibt ibn al-'Ajami: 2]This narration is with "An" (from), therefore, it is "weak." See the commentary on the seventh evidence [254/7].On the contrary, it is proven from Sayedna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to raise his hands at the beginning of the prayer, before bowing, and after bowing.
See: [Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas manuscript vol. 2, p. 217] and Noor al-Aynain [p. 188], its chain is Hasan.Raising hands before and after bowing is also proven from his son, Sayedna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). [See Sahih Bukhari: 739]In fact, he used to throw pebbles at those who did not raise their hands before and after bowing. [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari with my verification: 15, its chain is authentic]Therefore, it is impossible that his father, Sayedna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), did not raise his hands.Moreover, raising hands is also proven from the following companions:
- Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) [Sahih Bukhari: 373, Sahih Muslim: 864/391]
- Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) [Masa'il al-Imam Ahmad, Riwayat Salih bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, manuscript p. 174, its chain is authentic]
- Abdullah bin al-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) [Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 2/73, its chain is authentic]
- Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) [Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 2/73, its chain is authentic]
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari: 22, its chain is authentic, see also commentary of 2/349]
- Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 1/235]
- Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari: 20, its chain is authentic]
- Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) [Musnad al-Siraj, pp. 62-63, Hadith 92, its chain is Hasan]The famous Tabi'i Sa'id bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to raise their hands at the beginning of the prayer, at the time of bowing, and after raising their heads from bowing. [Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, vol. 2, p. 75, its chain is authentic]The deniers of raising hands are completely empty-handed in the matter of Athar (narrations from companions).
Fourteenth and Final Evidence [261/14]:
"Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father, Kulayb, that Sayedna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to raise his hands only at the time of the first Takbeer, and he did not raise them during the rest of the prayer."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 1/213, Hadith 2444]
Comment:
This is not a Marfu' (Prophetic) Hadith but rather an unverified Athar (narration from a companion), and it is the final evidence presented by Dr. Sahib in his book. [See Al-Minhaj Al-Sawi min Al-Hadith Al-Nabawi, p. 229]No reliable Hadith scholar has declared this Athar as authentic, and Imam Ahmad has criticized it. [See Al-Masa'il, Riwayat Abdullah bin Ahmad, 1/243, No. 329]◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:"None of the scholars had any knowledge of the abandonment of raising hands being attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or any of his companions." [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain, p. 40]It is evident that Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) did not consider this narration authentic.◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (died 804 AH) said:"The Athar attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is weak and not authentic, and among those who considered it weak is Imam Bukhari." [Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 499]On the contrary, it is proven from Sayedna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands before and after bowing. See the commentary on the third evidence [250/3]. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this narration authentic. [Al-Ilal by Al-Khallal, referenced in Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 466]You have seen that Tahir-ul-Qadri Sahib has presented three types of narrations against raising hands:
- Irrelevant narrations
- Weak narrations
- Weak AtharWhereas authentic Hadiths and Athar support raising hands (before and after bowing). Probably for this reason:◈ Shah Waliullah Dehlawi said:"The one who raises his hands is more beloved to me than the one who does not." [Hujjatullah al-Baligha, vol. 2, p. 10, Adhkar al-Salat wa Hayatuha al-Mandub Ilayha]This statement is presented as an accusation.Readers are requested that if they want to conduct further research, they should refer to Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, Noor al-Aynain fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadain, and Al-Badr al-Munir by Ibn al-Mulaqqin.And our duty is only to convey the message.