Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Discussion on Ṣalāh, Vol. 1, p. 212
① If a person occasionally raises his hands for duʿāʾ when entering or leaving the mosque or home, can this be used as a basis for occasionally raising hands for duʿāʾ after obligatory prayers as well?
② In Ṣāḥib Ṣalāt al-Rasūl, the author presents narrations to prove the permissibility of raising hands after obligatory ṣalāh. He quotes:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
This issue is not about “occasional vs. habitual.” In reality, those who raise their hands for duʿāʾ after every prayer also habitually raise their hands when entering or leaving the mosque or home, and often rebuke those who do not do so — making it appear as if it is an established Sunnah.
If by jāʾiz (permissible) one means:
then such a matter does not deserve unnecessary debate or emphasis.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question:
① If a person occasionally raises his hands for duʿāʾ when entering or leaving the mosque or home, can this be used as a basis for occasionally raising hands for duʿāʾ after obligatory prayers as well?
② In Ṣāḥib Ṣalāt al-Rasūl, the author presents narrations to prove the permissibility of raising hands after obligatory ṣalāh. He quotes:
- From Anas (رضي الله عنه):
«مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ بَسَطَ كَفَّيْهِ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ…» (ʿAmal al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah li-Ibn al-Sunnī) - From ʿĀmir (رضي الله عنه):
«صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ الْفَجْرَ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَدَعَا…» (Fatāwā Nadhīriyyah, via Ibn Abī Shaybah)
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
✦ (1) The General Practice of Raising Hands After Ṣalāh
This issue is not about “occasional vs. habitual.” In reality, those who raise their hands for duʿāʾ after every prayer also habitually raise their hands when entering or leaving the mosque or home, and often rebuke those who do not do so — making it appear as if it is an established Sunnah.
If by jāʾiz (permissible) one means:
- Doing it brings no reward,
- Not doing it brings no sin,
then such a matter does not deserve unnecessary debate or emphasis.
✦ (2) Authenticity of the Narrations About Raising Hands After Ṣalāh
- The narrations cited regarding raising hands for duʿāʾ after obligatory prayers are not proven with authentic chains.
- Both narrations mentioned above, and other similar reports on this topic, are weak and unreliable.
- Therefore, they cannot be used as valid proof to establish this practice as Sunnah.
Conclusion
- Raising hands for duʿāʾ after obligatory ṣalāh is not authentically proven from the Prophet ﷺ.
- The narrations cited in this regard are weak.
- Thus, making it a regular practice or attributing it to Sunnah is baseless.
- At best, if someone does it occasionally without considering it Sunnah, there is no sin, but there is also no special reward.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
