The issue of Rafa' Yadain in Salaat

The issue of Rafa' Yadain in Salaat

Hadith

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Alqama (May Allah be well pleased with him) that once Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be well pleased with him) said (to the people):  Come!  Let us offer the Salaat of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) (.i.e. show you practically when and where did the Prophet raise hands in Salaat).

 

Then he offered Salaat and raised his hands only once (at the time of the Opening Takbeer).  After this, he didn’t raise his hands anywhere else in the Salaat.  This is related by Tirmidhi.

 

Tirmidhi says that there is a Hadith on the authority of Hadhrat Bara'a bin A’azib (May Allah be well pleased with him) also in this regard.  Tirmidhi has also said that this Hadith of ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be well pleased with him) is fairly authenticated (Hasan).

 

Many Companions and Successors (May Allah be pleased with them all) agree that in Salaat hands should not be raised anywhere else (apart from the Opening Takbeer).  This is also the opinion of Sufyan Thauri and the scholars of Kufa.  This is also the position of the Hanafi School of jurisprudence.

 

Hadith

 

Hadhrat ‘Alqama narrates on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be well pleased with them) and Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud narrates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that the Prophet would raise both His hands at the time of the Opening Takbeer (at the beginning of Salaat).  Then He wouldn’t repeat it anywhere in the Salaat.  This is related by Tahaawi.

 

Hadith

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir bin Samurah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  Once, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) came to us and said:  Why am I seeing that you people raise hands (in the course of the Salaat, again and again) like the tails of wayward horses?  (i.e. don’t do this).  Remain calm and at peace in Salaat.  This is related by Muslim.

 

This Hadith of Hadhrat Jabir bin Samurah (May Allah be well pleased with him) has been related by Muslim and in the end, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:  (Remain calm in Salaat)

 

The intent of this command is that nothing should be done which disturbs the calm and repose of Salaat.  Thus, any act which disturbs one’s repose in Salaat is forbidden.  It is obvious that raising hands continually in the course of Salaat disturbs the repose of the Salaat.  For this reason, raising hands in the course of the Salaat has been forbidden.

 

 

This Hadith also says:  Why am I seeing that you people raise hands (in the course of the Salaat, again and again) like the tails of wayward horses?  (i.e. don’t do this).  Remain calm and at peace in Salaat.

 

These words of the Hadith express the forbiddance of raising hands in the course of the Salaat. 

 

Those scholars in whose opinion raising hands in the course of the Salaat is permissible, they have understood the aforementioned words as forbiddance of gesturing with the hands when in the sitting position (Qaida) in Salaat and about to end the Salaat, which some people did.  This is in spite of the fact that the Hadith which prohibits gesturing with the hands when ending the Salaat is another and one and it goes like this:

 

What has happened to these people that they gesture with their hands shaking them like the tails of wayward horses?  They should place their hands on their thighs and then greet the brother on the rights with Salaam and then greet the brother on the left in a similar manner.

 

This is the Hadith in which prohibits gesturing with the hands when in the sitting position of the Salaat.

 

When we compare these 2 Hadith, we learn the following things:

 

The words of the first Hadith make it clear that hands should not be raised in the course of the Salaat, as raising hands again and again in the course of the Salaat spoils the repose of the Salaat.

 

The words of the aforementioned Hadith make it obvious that the prohibition of raising hands is for the course of the Salaat and not about the ending of Salaat.  If the command of “Remain calm and at peace in Salaat” is considered to be about the ending of Salaat, as some people think, then this command will become redundant as when the Salaat has ended, what occasion is it to be at peace and calm.

 

That’s why it is necessary that the Hadith which says “Remain calm and at peace in Salaat” should be considered to be about the prohibition raising hands in the course of the Salaat.

 

Likewise, the other Hadith says:  …gesturing with the hands…. and not …raising the hands….  Similarly at the end of the Hadith, it says:  … They should place their hands on their thighs….

 

This shows that both the Hadith are about 2 different things, in their words and in the intent of those words.  The first Hadith is expressly about the prohibition of raising hands in the course of the Salaat and the second Hadith is about the prohibition of gesturing with the hands at the end of the Salaat.

 

A comparison of both Hadith shows that they talk about 2 separate things and what they command is also separate.  Deducing the command of 1 Hadith to be similar to the command of another is not correct at all.  (Mirqaat)12

 

 [Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 2]