2/123. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 721 — Raising Hands in Prayer
Raising The Hands In The Prayer
Hadith About Raising Hands in Prayer and the Prophet's Prayer Form
Sunan Abi Dawud : 721
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 721
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا اسْتَفْتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ وَبَعْدَ مَا يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ - وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَرَّةً وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ . وَأَكْثَرُ مَا كَانَ يَقُولُ وَبَعْدَ مَا يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ - وَلاَ يَرْفَعُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) that when he began prayer, he used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders, and he did so when he bowed, and raised his head after bowing. Sufyan(a narrator) once said: “When he raised his head:; and after he used to say: “When he raised his head after bowing. He would not raise (his hands) between the two prostrations."
[1] The speaker, reporting the different wording of Sufyān is Ahmad bin Hanbal, the Shaikh of Abū Dāwūd in this narration.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 721In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 331English translation : Book 2, Hadith 720
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 721
This hadith about raising hands in prayer describes a clear part of the Prophet's prayer form. Ibn Umar reports that the Messenger of Allah raised his hands opposite his shoulders at the start of prayer, when bowing, and when rising after bowing. The report also states that he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations. The main lesson is careful attention to how prayer was observed and passed on. The hadith is simple but detailed. It helps a reader understand the places where hand raising is mentioned in this narration, without adding extra steps beyond the text.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet raised his hands at the beginning of prayer.
- He raised his hands when bowing and when rising after bowing.
- This narration says he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations.
