8/23. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1485 — Palms in Supplication
Regarding Supplication (Ad-Du'a)
Hadith About Raising Palms in Dua and Respecting Privacy
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1485
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1485
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَيْمَنَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيِّ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَسْتُرُوا الْجُدُرَ مَنْ نَظَرَ فِي كِتَابِ أَخِيهِ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ فَإِنَّمَا يَنْظُرُ فِي النَّارِ سَلُوا اللَّهَ بِبُطُونِ أَكُفِّكُمْ وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوهُ بِظُهُورِهَا فَإِذَا فَرَغْتُمْ فَامْسَحُوا بِهَا وُجُوهَكُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ كُلُّهَا وَاهِيَةٌ وَهَذَا الطَّرِيقُ أَمْثَلُهَا وَهُوَ ضَعِيفٌ أَيْضًا .
Abdullah ibn Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not cover the walls. He who sees the letter of his brother without his permission, sees Hell-fire. Supplicate Allah with the palms of your hands; do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards. When you finish supplication, wipe your faces with them. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted through a different chains by Muhammad b. Ka'b; all of them are weak. The chain I have narrated is best of them; but it is also weak.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1485In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 70English translation : Book 8, Hadith 1480
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1485
This narration contains several points. It says not to cover the walls, warns against looking into a brother’s letter without permission, and mentions supplicating to Allah with the palms of the hands rather than their backs. It also mentions wiping the face with the hands after finishing supplication. A key part of this entry is Abu Dawud’s own note: he said the tradition came through different chains from Muhammad ibn Ka'b, all of them weak, and that this chain is the best of them, though also weak. So the explanation must be careful. The hadith text points to dua hand position and respect for privacy, while the grading note reminds the reader that this report is weak according to Abu Dawud.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration mentions asking Allah with the palms of the hands.
- It warns against looking at another person’s letter without permission.
- It mentions wiping the face after supplication.
- Abu Dawud clearly notes that this narration is weak.
