Taken from: Fatawa Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
Where should the hands be raised during Raf‘ al-Yadayn (raising of the hands in Salah)?
During Raf' al-Yadayn, the hands should be raised:
❀ Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما) narrates:
"Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for prayer, he would raise both hands until they were in line with his shoulders."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 736, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390)
❀ Sayyiduna Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith (رضي الله عنه) reports:
"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said ‘Allāhu Akbar’, he would raise his hands until they were in line with his ears."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 391)
❀ In another narration of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (391):
"He would raise his hands until they were in line with the earlobes."
Touching the earlobes with the thumbs during the initial Raf‘ al-Yadayn in prayer is an innovation (bid‘ah).
This act has no authentic basis from:
❀ Question:
Where should the hands be raised during Raf‘ al-Yadayn (raising of the hands in Salah)?
✔ Answer:
During Raf' al-Yadayn, the hands should be raised:
- Up to the level of the shoulders,
- Or up to the level of the ears,
- Or up to the level of the earlobes.
◈ Narrations in Support:
❀ Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما) narrates:
"Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for prayer, he would raise both hands until they were in line with his shoulders."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 736, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390)
❀ Sayyiduna Mālik ibn Ḥuwayrith (رضي الله عنه) reports:
"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said ‘Allāhu Akbar’, he would raise his hands until they were in line with his ears."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 391)
❀ In another narration of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (391):
"He would raise his hands until they were in line with the earlobes."
⚠ Important Note:
Touching the earlobes with the thumbs during the initial Raf‘ al-Yadayn in prayer is an innovation (bid‘ah).
This act has no authentic basis from:
- The Noble Prophet ﷺ,
- Any Companion,
- Any Tābi‘ī,
- Any Tabi‘ al-Tābi‘īn,
- Nor from any reliable Imām.
