Author: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger. As for what follows:
Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who holds a PhD, has written a book titled "Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi," in which he has made a significant effort to validate the Barelvi school of thought. On page [223] of this book, he has dedicated a section titled "Statements Against Raising Hands in Prayer Except for the First Takbir" and has presented fourteen [14] narrations with references opposing the practice of Raf' al-Yadain. [pp. 223 to 229]. This article provides a commentary and research on these narrations.
Note:
Arabic phrases and many references have been omitted for brevity. Only narration number: [295/12] is included with the Arabic text.
“Sayyidina Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He prayed with Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Basra, and he reminded us of the prayer we used to perform with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He mentioned that whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) would rise or bow, he would say Takbir.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 271/1, Hadith 851....]
Commentary:
In our copy, this narration is numbered [784]. This Hadith does not mention raising or not raising hands (Raf' al-Yadain) at all. It only states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say Takbir when rising and bowing (in prostration). All Ahl-e-Hadith act upon this issue, Alhamdulillah.
This narration does not mention the initial Raf' al-Yadain either. In principle, it is established that if one narration mentions something and another does not, the absence of mention does not imply the negation of the practice.
◈ Ibn al-Turkamani (a Hanafi scholar) writes:“The one who does not mention something is not a proof against the one who mentions it.”
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 4, p. 317]
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:“And those who have knowledge are decisive over those who do not.”
[Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 208, Raza Foundation, Jamia Nizamiya Razawiyyah, Lahore]
Just as presenting this narration against the initial Takbir's Raf' al-Yadain is wrong, presenting it against Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing is also incorrect. See also the third evidence [250/3] with commentary.
“It is narrated from Sayyidina Abu Salama that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) used to lead them in prayer. Whenever he bowed and rose, he would say Takbir. When he finished the prayer, he said: 'My prayer resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the most.'”
[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 752, and Sahih Muslim: 293/1, Hadith 392....]
Commentary:
In our copy of Sahih Bukhari, this narration is numbered [785]. In the Darussalam edition of Sahih Muslim, it is numbered [867]. This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather mentions saying Takbir when bowing and rising (in prostration). Therefore, presenting this narration against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
Benefit:
“'Ata (bin Abi Rabah) said that he prayed with Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him). He would perform Raf' al-Yadain while saying Takbir for the prayer, while bowing, and when rising from the bowing.”
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, verified by me, p. 22, and its chain is authentic]
“Sayyidina Mutarif bin Abdullah narrates: I and Imran bin Husain prayed behind Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). When he went into prostration, he said Takbir; when he raised his head, he said Takbir; and when he rose after two Rak'ahs, he said Takbir. When the prayer was completed, Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) took my hand and said: 'He has reminded me of the prayer of Muhammad (peace be upon him).' (Or he said
'He has led us in a prayer like that of Muhammad (peace be upon him).’”
[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 753, and Sahih Muslim: 295/1, Hadith 393....]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 786, and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: 873].
This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather discusses saying Takbir during prostrations and when rising from two Rak'ahs. Therefore, presenting this narration against Raf' al-Yadain is invalid; otherwise, by this reasoning, even the initial Takbir's Raf' al-Yadain would be considered abandoned or abrogated!
Benefit:
“It is narrated from Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain when standing for prayer, when going into bowing, when rising from bowing, and when standing after two Rak'ahs.”
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 1, and its chain is Hasan. The wording is his, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3423, who said: 'Hasan Sahih,' Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 584, and Sahih Ibn Hibban as cited in Umdat al-Qari by Al-Aini, vol. 5, p. 277]
“The narrator of this Hadith, Abdul Rahman, heard Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say Takbir when standing for prayer, when bowing, when saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah' while rising from bowing, and when saying 'Rabbana lakal Hamd' when standing straight. Then he would say Takbir when prostrating, when raising his head from prostration, and similarly throughout the prayer until it was completed. And when standing after the final sitting of two Rak'ahs, he would say Takbir.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 756, and Sahih Muslim: 293/1, Hadith 392]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 789, and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: 868].
This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather discusses saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah' and 'Rabbana lakal Hamd' along with Takbir. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
No reliable Muhaddith has presented such narrations against Raf' al-Yadain.
In the commentary on Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing. Therefore, deducing the issue of not performing Raf' al-Yadain from this narration contradicts the clear practice of the narrator.
“It is narrated from Abu Salama bin Abdul Rahman that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would say Takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or other, during Ramadan or otherwise. When he would stand, he would say Takbir; when he would bow, he would say Takbir; then he would say 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah'; then before prostrating, he would say 'Rabbana lakal Hamd'; then when he would prostrate, he would say Allahu Akbar; then when he would raise his head from prostration, he would say Takbir; then when he would prostrate again, he would say Takbir; then when he would raise his head from prostration, he would say Takbir; then when he would rise from the sitting of two Rak'ahs, he would say Takbir. And he would do so in every Rak'ah until the prayer was completed. Then after completing the prayer, he would say:
'By the One in Whose hand is my soul! My prayer resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the most.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the prayer in this manner until his last breath.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 276/1, Hadith 770....]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 803]. This Hadith also mentions saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah,' 'Rabbana lakal Hamd,' and Takbirs but does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
In the commentary on Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing. Hence, this Hadith demonstrates that the final prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the one performed by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him). By this method of reasoning, it becomes clear that the Prophet's (peace be upon him) last prayer included Raf' al-Yadain, and there is no authentic or Hasan chain that proves the abandonment of Raf' al-Yadain from him.
"It is narrated from Sayyidina Abu Qilaba that Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his companions: Should I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? This is outside the prescribed prayer times. So he stood up, then when he bowed, he said Takbir. When he raised his head, he stayed standing for a while, then prostrated and stayed in prostration for a while, then he prostrated again. He prayed like our elder Sayyidina Amr bin Salamah. Ayyub said that he did something that I have not seen anyone else doing. He used to sit in the second and fourth Rak'ahs. He said: We came to the presence of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and stayed with him. He (peace be upon him) said: When you return to your family, offer such and such prayer at such and such time. When it is time for prayer, let one of you call the Adhan, and let the eldest among you lead the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 282/1, Hadith 785]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of Sahih Bukhari under the numbers [818, 819]. This Hadith does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain, and contrary to Tahir-ul-Qadri's interpretation, it is narrated from Abu Qilaba (a Tabi'i) that he saw Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) performing Raf' al-Yadain at the beginning of the prayer, before bowing, and after bowing, and he 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].
Two points are proven from this agreed-upon Hadith:➊ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing.➋ After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing in the presence of Abu Qilaba (Tabi'i).
Therefore, the claims of those who assert the abandonment or abrogation of Raf' al-Yadain are invalid.
Readers can see that Tahir-ul-Qadri has presented six irrelevant narrations that do not mention Raf' al-Yadain to increase the number of evidences, but these have no relation to the issue of abandoning Raf' al-Yadain.
Now, let us discuss the other narrations he presented:
"Sayyidina Alqama narrates that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Shall I not teach you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? The narrator says: Then he led the prayer and raised his hands only once. In the narration reported by Imam Nasa'i, it is stated: Then he did not raise his hands again."
[Abu Dawood: 286/1, Hadith 748; Tirmidhi: 297/1, Hadith 257; Nasa'i: 131/2, Hadith 1026; Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 221/1, 351, Hadith 645, 1099; Musnad Ahmad: 388/1, 441; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 213/1, Hadith 2441].
Commentary:
All these books contain this narration with the chain of transmission: Sufyan al-Thawri from Asim bin Kulayb from Abdur-Rahman bin Aswad from Alqama. Imam Sufyan al-Thawri is a well-known "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis).
◈ Ibn al-Turkamani (a Hanafi scholar) stated:"al-Thawri is a Mudallis."
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 8, p. 262]
◈ Al-Aini (a Hanafi scholar) stated:"Sufyan is among the Mudallis, and a narration from a Mudallis with 'an' (from) is not accepted unless his hearing is established through another chain." [Umdat al-Qari, vol. 3, p. 112 under Hadith 214]. This is also written by Qastallani
[Irshad al-Sari, vol. 1, p. 286].
◈ Muhammad Abbas Rizvi Barelvi writes:"Sufyan is a Mudallis and this narration he narrated from Asim bin Kulayb with 'an' (from). According to the principles of Hadith scholars, the 'an'anah of a Mudallis is not accepted, as will be explained further."
[Munazir Hai Munazir, p. 249, published by Maktaba Jamal Karam Darbar Market, Lahore].
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"The 'an'anah of a Mudallis is rejected and not trustworthy according to the consensus of the majority of Hadith scholars."
[Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 245].
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan further states:"The 'an'anah of a Mudallis is not accepted according to the principles of Hadith scholars." [Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 266].
From these references, it is evident that the narration presented by Dr. Sahib is not accepted and is rejected.
"Hasan bin Ali, Muawiyah, Khalid bin Amr, and Abu Hudhayfah narrate that Sufyan narrated to us with his chain (that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him) raised his hands only once and some said: He raised his hands only once."
[Abu Dawood: 286/1, Hadith 749].
Commentary:
This narration is also weak due to Sufyan al-Thawri's Tadlis, as discussed in the commentary on Hadith number [254/7].
It should be noted that Abu Hudhayfah and others were not Companions but narrators of Hadith.
"Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that: When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would start the prayer, he would raise his hands up to his ears, and then he would not do so again."
[Abu Dawood: 287/1, Hadith 750; Musannaf Abdur-Razzaq: 70/2, Hadith 2530; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 213/1, Hadith 2440; Sunan al-Daraqutni: 293/1; Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 253/1, Hadith 1131].
Commentary:
The primary narrator of this Hadith is Yazid bin Abi Ziyad al-Kufi. Regarding him:
◈ Al-Daraqutni stated: "He was weak and made many mistakes." [Su'alat al-Barqani lil-Daraqutni: 561].
◈ Al-Bayhaqi stated: "He was not strong." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 26].
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated: "The majority consider his Hadith weak." [Hadi al-Sari, p. 459].
◈ Al-Busayri said: "The majority have declared him weak." [Zawa'id Sunan Ibn Majah: 2116].
◈ The famous scholar of Asma' al-Rijal, Yahya bin Ma'in (d. 233 AH), stated about this narration:"This narration is not Sahih in its chain."
[Tarih Ibn Ma'in, narration of al-Duri, vol. 3, p. 264, no. 1239].
Dr. Sahib should not have presented such weak and unreliable narrations.
[Reported by al-Khwarizmi in Jami' al-Masanid, 355/1].
Commentary:
From Tahir-ul-Qadri's referencing, it is clear that saying "it was narrated by Abu Hanifa" is incorrect. It was narrated by al-Khwarizmi (d. 665 AH) with the chain: Abu Muhammad al-Bukhari from Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali from Shaqiq bin Ibrahim from Abu Hanifa.
[Jami' al-Masanid, vol. 1, p. 355].
Regarding Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ya'qub al-Bukhari al-Harithi:◈ Abu Ahmad al-Hafiz (Al-Hakim al-Kabir) stated:"He used to fabricate Hadiths."
[Kitab al-Qira'at by al-Bayhaqi, p. 178, no. 388, another version p. 155, 154, and its chain is authentic].
No one has authenticated him. For severe criticisms, see Mizan al-I'tidal [vol. 2, p. 496], Lisan al-Mizan [348, 349/3], and Al-Kashf al-Hathith 'an Man Rumiya bi-Wadha al-Hadith [p. 248].
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned him in Diwan al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin [176, no. 2297].
◈ The circumstances and character of Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali are unknown.
Thus, this narration is fabricated. It is not proven from Imam Abu Hanifa, so attributing it to him is a grave mistake.
"Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and they all raised their hands only at the beginning of the prayer."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 295/1; Musnad Abu Ya'la, 453/8, Hadith 5039; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 79/2; Majma' al-Zawa'id, 101/2].
Commentary:
The primary narrator of this Hadith, Muhammad bin Jabir, is considered weak by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Al-Zayla'i (a Hanafi scholar) stated: "And Muhammad bin Jabir is weak."
[Nashb al-Raya, vol. 1, p. 61].
Why is Dr. Sahib presenting a narration from a narrator who is weak according to even Hanafi scholars?
After narrating this in Sunan al-Daraqutni, Imam al-Daraqutni said:"Muhammad bin Jabir is alone in this narration, and he was weak."
[vol. 1, p. 295, Hadith 1120].
The researcher of Musnad Abu Ya'la, Hussain Salim Asad, stated:"Its chain is weak." [453/8]. Dr. Sahib has also referenced this edition.
Imam al-Bayhaqi mentioned this narration and quoted Imam al-Daraqutni, saying: "Muhammad bin Jabir was weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 2, pp. 79-80].
Imam al-Bayhaqi himself wrote in another place that Muhammad bin Jabir al-Yamani was "weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 134-135].
Hafiz al-Haythami mentioned this Hadith in Majma' al-Zawa'id and said:"It was narrated by Abu Ya'la, and in it is Muhammad bin Jabir al-Hanafi al-Yamani, whose Hadith got mixed up, and he accepted suggestions (i.e., he was influenced by what he was told)."
[vol. 2, p. 101].
This is also stated by Hafiz al-Haythami in another place:"In it is Muhammad bin Jabir al-Sahimi, and he is weak."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, vol. 2, p. 288].
You can see that the narrators of this Hadith were considered weak even by those who mentioned them, but Dr. Sahib is still using such weak narrations as evidence.
Regarding this narration:◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal stated: "This Hadith is Munkar."
[Al-Masa'il, narration of Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 242, no. 327].
"It is narrated from Salim from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing, he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. This was narrated by Abu Awanah."
[Abu Awanah, vol. 1, p. 423, Hadith 1572].
Commentary:
This narration is present in two manuscript copies of Musnad Abu Awanah with the following words:"From Salim from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing, he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."
One manuscript is available in the Saeedia Library of our esteemed teacher, Sheikh-ul-Islam Abu al-Qasim Muhibullah Shah Rashidi (may Allah have mercy on him), and the other copy (a photocopy) is available at Madinah University. See my book "Noor al-'Aynain fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadain" [3rd edition, pp. 69, 263] and Anwar Khurshid Deobandi's book "Hadith aur Ahl-e-Hadith"
[15th edition, June 2003, p. 912].
Tahir-ul-Qadri has translated this Hadith incorrectly. The correct translation is as follows:"Salim narrated from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing (he raised his hands), he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."
It is evident that the phrase "la yarfa'uhuma" (he did not raise them) pertains to between the prostrations, not "min al-ruku" (after bowing). The phrase "wa al-ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one) clearly supports this. Unfortunately, Dr. Sahib, following the footsteps of the Deobandis, has presented this narration against Raf' al-Yadain, whereas this Hadith confirms Raf' al-Yadain with the chain of Salim from his father, which is found in [Sahih Bukhari: 736, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].
In the narration of Abu Awanah al-Isfaraini, the names of his three teachers are mentioned:① Abdullah bin Ayyub al-Mukharrami, ② Sa'dan bin Nasr, and ③ Shu'ayb bin Amr
[See vol. 2, p. 90].
Sa'dan bin Nasr's narration in Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi states, "And he did not raise them between the two prostrations."
[vol. 2, p. 69].
While the same narration with the chain of Salim from his father in Sahih Muslim states, "And he did not raise both hands between the two prostrations."
[Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].
By combining the differences in the narrators' phrases "la yarfa'uhuma" and "la yarfa'" and stating "wa al-ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one), Abu Awanah proved that the non-raising of hands pertains to between the prostrations and 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].
"Sayyidina Aswad states that he saw Sayyidina Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) performing the prayer. He would raise both hands while saying the Takbir al-Tahrima (the initial Takbir), but he would not raise them during the rest of the prayer."
[Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 294/1, Hadith 1329].
Commentary:
Dr. Sahib has run out of Marfu (directly attributed to the Prophet) Hadiths and has now started presenting Athar (narrations from the Companions). One of the narrators of this Athar, Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, was a "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis)
[See Ma'rifat 'Ulum al-Hadith by al-Hakim, p. 108; Asma' Man 'Urifa bi al-Tadlis by al-Suyuti, no. 1; Kitab al-Mudallisin by Abu Zur'a ibn al-Iraqi, no. 2; Al-Tibyan li Asma' al-Mudallisin by Sibti ibn al-'Ajami, no. 2].
This narration is with "an" (from), making it "weak" (da'if). See the commentary on the seventh evidence [254/7].
Contrary to this, it is proven that Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Raf' al-Yadain 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 (good).
From his son, Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is proven that he performed Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing [See Sahih Bukhari: 739]. He even threw pebbles at those who did not perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, verified by me, p. 15, and its chain is authentic].
Therefore, it is impossible that his father, Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), did not perform Raf' al-Yadain. Additionally, the following Companions also performed Raf' al-Yadain:
➊ Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Sahih Bukhari: 373 and Sahih Muslim: 864/391].
➋ Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Masa'il al-Imam Ahmad, narration of Salih bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, manuscript p. 174, and its chain is authentic].
➌ Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 73/2, and its chain is authentic].
➍ Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 73/2, and its chain is authentic].
➎ Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 22, and its chain is authentic, also see 349/2 commentary].
➏ Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 235/1].
➐ Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 20, and its chain is authentic].
➑ Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Musnad al-Siraj, p. 63, 62, Hadith 92, and its chain is Hasan].
The famous Tabi'i Sa'id bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) would perform Raf' al-Yadain at the beginning of the prayer, when bowing, and after raising their heads from bowing [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 2, p. 75, and its chain is authentic].
The deniers of Raf' al-Yadain have no solid evidence even in the matter of Athar.
"Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father, Kulayb: Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) would only raise his hands at the time of the Takbir al-Tahrima and would not raise them during the rest of the prayer."
[Ibn Abi Shaybah 213/1, Hadith 2444].
Commentary:
This is not a Marfu Hadith but rather an unproven Athar and is the last evidence presented in Dr. Sahib's book [See Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi, p. 229]. No reliable Muhaddith has authenticated this narration, and Imam Ahmad has criticized it
[See Al-Masa'il, narration of Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 243, no. 329].
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:"It has not been proven from any scholar that not raising the hands is from the Prophet (peace be upon him) or any of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain, p. 40].
It is evident that Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) did not consider this narration to be authentic.
◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 804 AH) stated:"The narration attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is weak and not proven from him, and among those who have declared it weak is Imam Bukhari."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 499].
Contrary to this, it is proven from Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain 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 "Sahih"
[Al-Ilal by al-Khallal as cited in Al-Badr al-Munir, 466/3].
You can see that Tahir-ul-Qadri has presented three types of narrations against Raf' al-Yadain:① Irrelevant narrations② Weak narrations③ Weak Athar
On the other hand, authentic Hadiths and Athar establish the practice of Raf' al-Yadain (before and after bowing). Possibly for this reason:
◈ Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi stated:"The one who raises his hands is more beloved to me than the one who does not."
[Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, vol. 2, p. 10, Adhkar al-Salat wa Hayatuha al-Mandub Ilayha].
This statement is presented as an argument.
Dear readers! If you wish to conduct further research, 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.
Wama 'alayna illa al-balagh
(And our duty is only to convey the message).
Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger. As for what follows:
Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who holds a PhD, has written a book titled "Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi," in which he has made a significant effort to validate the Barelvi school of thought. On page [223] of this book, he has dedicated a section titled "Statements Against Raising Hands in Prayer Except for the First Takbir" and has presented fourteen [14] narrations with references opposing the practice of Raf' al-Yadain. [pp. 223 to 229]. This article provides a commentary and research on these narrations.
Note:
Arabic phrases and many references have been omitted for brevity. Only narration number: [295/12] is included with the Arabic text.
Tahir-ul-Qadri's First Evidence [248/1]:
“Sayyidina Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He prayed with Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Basra, and he reminded us of the prayer we used to perform with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He mentioned that whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) would rise or bow, he would say Takbir.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 271/1, Hadith 851....]
Commentary:
In our copy, this narration is numbered [784]. This Hadith does not mention raising or not raising hands (Raf' al-Yadain) at all. It only states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say Takbir when rising and bowing (in prostration). All Ahl-e-Hadith act upon this issue, Alhamdulillah.
This narration does not mention the initial Raf' al-Yadain either. In principle, it is established that if one narration mentions something and another does not, the absence of mention does not imply the negation of the practice.
◈ Ibn al-Turkamani (a Hanafi scholar) writes:“The one who does not mention something is not a proof against the one who mentions it.”
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 4, p. 317]
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:“And those who have knowledge are decisive over those who do not.”
[Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 208, Raza Foundation, Jamia Nizamiya Razawiyyah, Lahore]
Just as presenting this narration against the initial Takbir's Raf' al-Yadain is wrong, presenting it against Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing is also incorrect. See also the third evidence [250/3] with commentary.
Second Evidence [249/2]:
“It is narrated from Sayyidina Abu Salama that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) used to lead them in prayer. Whenever he bowed and rose, he would say Takbir. When he finished the prayer, he said: 'My prayer resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the most.'”
[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 752, and Sahih Muslim: 293/1, Hadith 392....]
Commentary:
In our copy of Sahih Bukhari, this narration is numbered [785]. In the Darussalam edition of Sahih Muslim, it is numbered [867]. This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather mentions saying Takbir when bowing and rising (in prostration). Therefore, presenting this narration against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
Benefit:
“'Ata (bin Abi Rabah) said that he prayed with Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him). He would perform Raf' al-Yadain while saying Takbir for the prayer, while bowing, and when rising from the bowing.”
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, verified by me, p. 22, and its chain is authentic]
Third Evidence [250/3]:
“Sayyidina Mutarif bin Abdullah narrates: I and Imran bin Husain prayed behind Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). When he went into prostration, he said Takbir; when he raised his head, he said Takbir; and when he rose after two Rak'ahs, he said Takbir. When the prayer was completed, Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) took my hand and said: 'He has reminded me of the prayer of Muhammad (peace be upon him).' (Or he said
'He has led us in a prayer like that of Muhammad (peace be upon him).’”[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 753, and Sahih Muslim: 295/1, Hadith 393....]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 786, and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: 873].
This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather discusses saying Takbir during prostrations and when rising from two Rak'ahs. Therefore, presenting this narration against Raf' al-Yadain is invalid; otherwise, by this reasoning, even the initial Takbir's Raf' al-Yadain would be considered abandoned or abrogated!
Benefit:
“It is narrated from Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain when standing for prayer, when going into bowing, when rising from bowing, and when standing after two Rak'ahs.”
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 1, and its chain is Hasan. The wording is his, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 3423, who said: 'Hasan Sahih,' Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 584, and Sahih Ibn Hibban as cited in Umdat al-Qari by Al-Aini, vol. 5, p. 277]
Fourth Evidence:
“The narrator of this Hadith, Abdul Rahman, heard Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say Takbir when standing for prayer, when bowing, when saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah' while rising from bowing, and when saying 'Rabbana lakal Hamd' when standing straight. Then he would say Takbir when prostrating, when raising his head from prostration, and similarly throughout the prayer until it was completed. And when standing after the final sitting of two Rak'ahs, he would say Takbir.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 272/1, Hadith 756, and Sahih Muslim: 293/1, Hadith 392]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 789, and Sahih Muslim, Darussalam numbering: 868].
This narration also does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain but rather discusses saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah' and 'Rabbana lakal Hamd' along with Takbir. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
No reliable Muhaddith has presented such narrations against Raf' al-Yadain.
In the commentary on Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing. Therefore, deducing the issue of not performing Raf' al-Yadain from this narration contradicts the clear practice of the narrator.
Fifth Evidence [252/5]:
“It is narrated from Abu Salama bin Abdul Rahman that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would say Takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or other, during Ramadan or otherwise. When he would stand, he would say Takbir; when he would bow, he would say Takbir; then he would say 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah'; then before prostrating, he would say 'Rabbana lakal Hamd'; then when he would prostrate, he would say Allahu Akbar; then when he would raise his head from prostration, he would say Takbir; then when he would prostrate again, he would say Takbir; then when he would raise his head from prostration, he would say Takbir; then when he would rise from the sitting of two Rak'ahs, he would say Takbir. And he would do so in every Rak'ah until the prayer was completed. Then after completing the prayer, he would say:
'By the One in Whose hand is my soul! My prayer resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the most.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the prayer in this manner until his last breath.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 276/1, Hadith 770....]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of [Sahih Bukhari: 803]. This Hadith also mentions saying 'Sami' Allahu liman Hamidah,' 'Rabbana lakal Hamd,' and Takbirs but does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain. Therefore, presenting this Hadith against Raf' al-Yadain is incorrect.
In the commentary on Hadith number [2], it has been proven that Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing. Hence, this Hadith demonstrates that the final prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the one performed by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him). By this method of reasoning, it becomes clear that the Prophet's (peace be upon him) last prayer included Raf' al-Yadain, and there is no authentic or Hasan chain that proves the abandonment of Raf' al-Yadain from him.
Sixth Evidence [253/6]:
"It is narrated from Sayyidina Abu Qilaba that Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his companions: Should I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? This is outside the prescribed prayer times. So he stood up, then when he bowed, he said Takbir. When he raised his head, he stayed standing for a while, then prostrated and stayed in prostration for a while, then he prostrated again. He prayed like our elder Sayyidina Amr bin Salamah. Ayyub said that he did something that I have not seen anyone else doing. He used to sit in the second and fourth Rak'ahs. He said: We came to the presence of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and stayed with him. He (peace be upon him) said: When you return to your family, offer such and such prayer at such and such time. When it is time for prayer, let one of you call the Adhan, and let the eldest among you lead the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 282/1, Hadith 785]
Commentary:
This narration is present in our copy of Sahih Bukhari under the numbers [818, 819]. This Hadith does not mention not performing Raf' al-Yadain, and contrary to Tahir-ul-Qadri's interpretation, it is narrated from Abu Qilaba (a Tabi'i) that he saw Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) performing Raf' al-Yadain at the beginning of the prayer, before bowing, and after bowing, and he 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].
Two points are proven from this agreed-upon Hadith:➊ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing.➋ After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Sayyidina Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing in the presence of Abu Qilaba (Tabi'i).
Therefore, the claims of those who assert the abandonment or abrogation of Raf' al-Yadain are invalid.
Readers can see that Tahir-ul-Qadri has presented six irrelevant narrations that do not mention Raf' al-Yadain to increase the number of evidences, but these have no relation to the issue of abandoning Raf' al-Yadain.
Now, let us discuss the other narrations he presented:
Seventh Evidence [254/7]:
"Sayyidina Alqama narrates that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Shall I not teach you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? The narrator says: Then he led the prayer and raised his hands only once. In the narration reported by Imam Nasa'i, it is stated: Then he did not raise his hands again."
[Abu Dawood: 286/1, Hadith 748; Tirmidhi: 297/1, Hadith 257; Nasa'i: 131/2, Hadith 1026; Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 221/1, 351, Hadith 645, 1099; Musnad Ahmad: 388/1, 441; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 213/1, Hadith 2441].
Commentary:
All these books contain this narration with the chain of transmission: Sufyan al-Thawri from Asim bin Kulayb from Abdur-Rahman bin Aswad from Alqama. Imam Sufyan al-Thawri is a well-known "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis).
◈ Ibn al-Turkamani (a Hanafi scholar) stated:"al-Thawri is a Mudallis."
[Al-Jawhar al-Naqi, vol. 8, p. 262]
◈ Al-Aini (a Hanafi scholar) stated:"Sufyan is among the Mudallis, and a narration from a Mudallis with 'an' (from) is not accepted unless his hearing is established through another chain." [Umdat al-Qari, vol. 3, p. 112 under Hadith 214]. This is also written by Qastallani
[Irshad al-Sari, vol. 1, p. 286].
◈ Muhammad Abbas Rizvi Barelvi writes:"Sufyan is a Mudallis and this narration he narrated from Asim bin Kulayb with 'an' (from). According to the principles of Hadith scholars, the 'an'anah of a Mudallis is not accepted, as will be explained further."
[Munazir Hai Munazir, p. 249, published by Maktaba Jamal Karam Darbar Market, Lahore].
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"The 'an'anah of a Mudallis is rejected and not trustworthy according to the consensus of the majority of Hadith scholars."
[Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 245].
◈ Ahmad Raza Khan further states:"The 'an'anah of a Mudallis is not accepted according to the principles of Hadith scholars." [Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 266].
From these references, it is evident that the narration presented by Dr. Sahib is not accepted and is rejected.
Eighth Evidence [255/8]:
"Hasan bin Ali, Muawiyah, Khalid bin Amr, and Abu Hudhayfah narrate that Sufyan narrated to us with his chain (that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him) raised his hands only once and some said: He raised his hands only once."
[Abu Dawood: 286/1, Hadith 749].
Commentary:
This narration is also weak due to Sufyan al-Thawri's Tadlis, as discussed in the commentary on Hadith number [254/7].
It should be noted that Abu Hudhayfah and others were not Companions but narrators of Hadith.
Ninth Evidence [256/9]:
"Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that: When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would start the prayer, he would raise his hands up to his ears, and then he would not do so again."
[Abu Dawood: 287/1, Hadith 750; Musannaf Abdur-Razzaq: 70/2, Hadith 2530; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 213/1, Hadith 2440; Sunan al-Daraqutni: 293/1; Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 253/1, Hadith 1131].
Commentary:
The primary narrator of this Hadith is Yazid bin Abi Ziyad al-Kufi. Regarding him:
◈ Al-Daraqutni stated: "He was weak and made many mistakes." [Su'alat al-Barqani lil-Daraqutni: 561].
◈ Al-Bayhaqi stated: "He was not strong." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 26].
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated: "The majority consider his Hadith weak." [Hadi al-Sari, p. 459].
◈ Al-Busayri said: "The majority have declared him weak." [Zawa'id Sunan Ibn Majah: 2116].
◈ The famous scholar of Asma' al-Rijal, Yahya bin Ma'in (d. 233 AH), stated about this narration:"This narration is not Sahih in its chain."
[Tarih Ibn Ma'in, narration of al-Duri, vol. 3, p. 264, no. 1239].
Dr. Sahib should not have presented such weak and unreliable narrations.
Tenth Evidence [257/10]:
"Sayyidina Aswad narrates that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) would only raise his hands at the time of the initial Takbir and would not raise them at any other time during the prayer. And this was narrated from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)."[Reported by al-Khwarizmi in Jami' al-Masanid, 355/1].
Commentary:
From Tahir-ul-Qadri's referencing, it is clear that saying "it was narrated by Abu Hanifa" is incorrect. It was narrated by al-Khwarizmi (d. 665 AH) with the chain: Abu Muhammad al-Bukhari from Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali from Shaqiq bin Ibrahim from Abu Hanifa.
[Jami' al-Masanid, vol. 1, p. 355].
Regarding Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ya'qub al-Bukhari al-Harithi:◈ Abu Ahmad al-Hafiz (Al-Hakim al-Kabir) stated:"He used to fabricate Hadiths."
[Kitab al-Qira'at by al-Bayhaqi, p. 178, no. 388, another version p. 155, 154, and its chain is authentic].
No one has authenticated him. For severe criticisms, see Mizan al-I'tidal [vol. 2, p. 496], Lisan al-Mizan [348, 349/3], and Al-Kashf al-Hathith 'an Man Rumiya bi-Wadha al-Hadith [p. 248].
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned him in Diwan al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin [176, no. 2297].
◈ The circumstances and character of Raja bin Abdullah al-Nahshali are unknown.
Thus, this narration is fabricated. It is not proven from Imam Abu Hanifa, so attributing it to him is a grave mistake.
Eleventh Evidence [258/11]:
"Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and they all raised their hands only at the beginning of the prayer."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 295/1; Musnad Abu Ya'la, 453/8, Hadith 5039; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 79/2; Majma' al-Zawa'id, 101/2].
Commentary:
The primary narrator of this Hadith, Muhammad bin Jabir, is considered weak by the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Al-Zayla'i (a Hanafi scholar) stated: "And Muhammad bin Jabir is weak."
[Nashb al-Raya, vol. 1, p. 61].
Why is Dr. Sahib presenting a narration from a narrator who is weak according to even Hanafi scholars?
After narrating this in Sunan al-Daraqutni, Imam al-Daraqutni said:"Muhammad bin Jabir is alone in this narration, and he was weak."
[vol. 1, p. 295, Hadith 1120].
The researcher of Musnad Abu Ya'la, Hussain Salim Asad, stated:"Its chain is weak." [453/8]. Dr. Sahib has also referenced this edition.
Imam al-Bayhaqi mentioned this narration and quoted Imam al-Daraqutni, saying: "Muhammad bin Jabir was weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 2, pp. 79-80].
Imam al-Bayhaqi himself wrote in another place that Muhammad bin Jabir al-Yamani was "weak."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 134-135].
Hafiz al-Haythami mentioned this Hadith in Majma' al-Zawa'id and said:"It was narrated by Abu Ya'la, and in it is Muhammad bin Jabir al-Hanafi al-Yamani, whose Hadith got mixed up, and he accepted suggestions (i.e., he was influenced by what he was told)."
[vol. 2, p. 101].
This is also stated by Hafiz al-Haythami in another place:"In it is Muhammad bin Jabir al-Sahimi, and he is weak."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, vol. 2, p. 288].
You can see that the narrators of this Hadith were considered weak even by those who mentioned them, but Dr. Sahib is still using such weak narrations as evidence.
Regarding this narration:◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal stated: "This Hadith is Munkar."
[Al-Masa'il, narration of Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 242, no. 327].
Twelfth Evidence [259/12]:
"It is narrated from Salim from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing, he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. This was narrated by Abu Awanah."
[Abu Awanah, vol. 1, p. 423, Hadith 1572].
Commentary:
This narration is present in two manuscript copies of Musnad Abu Awanah with the following words:"From Salim from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing, he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."
One manuscript is available in the Saeedia Library of our esteemed teacher, Sheikh-ul-Islam Abu al-Qasim Muhibullah Shah Rashidi (may Allah have mercy on him), and the other copy (a photocopy) is available at Madinah University. See my book "Noor al-'Aynain fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadain" [3rd edition, pp. 69, 263] and Anwar Khurshid Deobandi's book "Hadith aur Ahl-e-Hadith"
[15th edition, June 2003, p. 912].
Tahir-ul-Qadri has translated this Hadith incorrectly. The correct translation is as follows:"Salim narrated from his father who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raising his hands to shoulder level when he began the prayer, and some said: to the level of his ears. And when he intended to bow and after raising his head from bowing (he raised his hands), he did not raise them, and some said: he did not raise them between the two prostrations. And the meaning is one."
It is evident that the phrase "la yarfa'uhuma" (he did not raise them) pertains to between the prostrations, not "min al-ruku" (after bowing). The phrase "wa al-ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one) clearly supports this. Unfortunately, Dr. Sahib, following the footsteps of the Deobandis, has presented this narration against Raf' al-Yadain, whereas this Hadith confirms Raf' al-Yadain with the chain of Salim from his father, which is found in [Sahih Bukhari: 736, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].
In the narration of Abu Awanah al-Isfaraini, the names of his three teachers are mentioned:① Abdullah bin Ayyub al-Mukharrami, ② Sa'dan bin Nasr, and ③ Shu'ayb bin Amr
[See vol. 2, p. 90].
Sa'dan bin Nasr's narration in Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi states, "And he did not raise them between the two prostrations."
[vol. 2, p. 69].
While the same narration with the chain of Salim from his father in Sahih Muslim states, "And he did not raise both hands between the two prostrations."
[Hadith 390, Darussalam numbering: 861].
By combining the differences in the narrators' phrases "la yarfa'uhuma" and "la yarfa'" and stating "wa al-ma'na wahid" (and the meaning is one), Abu Awanah proved that the non-raising of hands pertains to between the prostrations and 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]:
"Sayyidina Aswad states that he saw Sayyidina Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) performing the prayer. He would raise both hands while saying the Takbir al-Tahrima (the initial Takbir), but he would not raise them during the rest of the prayer."
[Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi: 294/1, Hadith 1329].
Commentary:
Dr. Sahib has run out of Marfu (directly attributed to the Prophet) Hadiths and has now started presenting Athar (narrations from the Companions). One of the narrators of this Athar, Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha'i, was a "Mudallis" (one who practices Tadlis)
[See Ma'rifat 'Ulum al-Hadith by al-Hakim, p. 108; Asma' Man 'Urifa bi al-Tadlis by al-Suyuti, no. 1; Kitab al-Mudallisin by Abu Zur'a ibn al-Iraqi, no. 2; Al-Tibyan li Asma' al-Mudallisin by Sibti ibn al-'Ajami, no. 2].
This narration is with "an" (from), making it "weak" (da'if). See the commentary on the seventh evidence [254/7].
Contrary to this, it is proven that Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Raf' al-Yadain 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 (good).
From his son, Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is proven that he performed Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing [See Sahih Bukhari: 739]. He even threw pebbles at those who did not perform Raf' al-Yadain before and after bowing [Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, verified by me, p. 15, and its chain is authentic].
Therefore, it is impossible that his father, Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), did not perform Raf' al-Yadain. Additionally, the following Companions also performed Raf' al-Yadain:
➊ Malik bin Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Sahih Bukhari: 373 and Sahih Muslim: 864/391].
➋ Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Masa'il al-Imam Ahmad, narration of Salih bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, manuscript p. 174, and its chain is authentic].
➌ Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 73/2, and its chain is authentic].
➍ Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 73/2, and its chain is authentic].
➎ Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 22, and its chain is authentic, also see 349/2 commentary].
➏ Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 235/1].
➐ Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain by Bukhari, p. 20, and its chain is authentic].
➑ Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him)
[Musnad al-Siraj, p. 63, 62, Hadith 92, and its chain is Hasan].
The famous Tabi'i Sa'id bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) would perform Raf' al-Yadain at the beginning of the prayer, when bowing, and after raising their heads from bowing [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 2, p. 75, and its chain is authentic].
The deniers of Raf' al-Yadain have no solid evidence even in the matter of Athar.
Fourteenth and Last Evidence [261/14]:
"Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father, Kulayb: Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) would only raise his hands at the time of the Takbir al-Tahrima and would not raise them during the rest of the prayer."
[Ibn Abi Shaybah 213/1, Hadith 2444].
Commentary:
This is not a Marfu Hadith but rather an unproven Athar and is the last evidence presented in Dr. Sahib's book [See Al-Minhaj al-Sawi min al-Hadith al-Nabawi, p. 229]. No reliable Muhaddith has authenticated this narration, and Imam Ahmad has criticized it
[See Al-Masa'il, narration of Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 243, no. 329].
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:"It has not been proven from any scholar that not raising the hands is from the Prophet (peace be upon him) or any of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Juz' Raf' al-Yadain, p. 40].
It is evident that Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) did not consider this narration to be authentic.
◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 804 AH) stated:"The narration attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is weak and not proven from him, and among those who have declared it weak is Imam Bukhari."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, vol. 3, p. 499].
Contrary to this, it is proven from Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform Raf' al-Yadain 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 "Sahih"
[Al-Ilal by al-Khallal as cited in Al-Badr al-Munir, 466/3].
You can see that Tahir-ul-Qadri has presented three types of narrations against Raf' al-Yadain:① Irrelevant narrations② Weak narrations③ Weak Athar
On the other hand, authentic Hadiths and Athar establish the practice of Raf' al-Yadain (before and after bowing). Possibly for this reason:
◈ Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi stated:"The one who raises his hands is more beloved to me than the one who does not."
[Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, vol. 2, p. 10, Adhkar al-Salat wa Hayatuha al-Mandub Ilayha].
This statement is presented as an argument.
Dear readers! If you wish to conduct further research, 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.
Wama 'alayna illa al-balagh
(And our duty is only to convey the message).
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