SECTION ON PRAYER · 119 – RAISING THE HANDS WHEN ENTERING INTO RUKU'
Alkamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Should I lead you in a prayer as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) used to perform?”
Ibn Mas’ud then led the prayer, not raising his hands except once.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith has been abridged from a longer narration, and it is not sound with this wording. [469]
Bura’ (may Allah be pleased with him) related:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) would raise his hands near his ears when he began the prayer, and then not return to raising them again.
COMMENTARY
Although this narration is weak, it supports the view of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. For in the Hanafi school, the hands are raised only during the initial takbir (proclamation of Allahu Akbar).
Sufyan related from Yazid, as did Shu'ayk (in a manner similar to the preceding narration).
(However,) he did not return to raising [his hands], nor did he utter the words.
Sufyan said: He did not perform it again in Kufa.
Abu Dawud said: Hashim and Khalid bin Idris related to us from Yazid. They did not mention the phrase, “He would not raise his hands again.”
Sufyan transmitted this hadith with the isnad of the preceding hadith, and in his narration he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, raised his hands on the initial takbir. Some stated: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, raised his hands once.
Bera ibn ‘Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, raise his hands when he began prayer. Thereafter, until he concluded the prayer, he did not raise them again.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith is unsound.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, would raise his hands, extending them, when he began the prayer (with the takbir).