2/123. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 723 — Prayer Movements of the Prophet
Raising The Hands In The Prayer
Prayer Movements of the Prophet: Raising Hands, Bowing, and Prostration
Sunan Abi Dawud : 723
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 723
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ الْجُشَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جُحَادَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْجَبَّارِ بْنُ وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ غُلاَمًا لاَ أَعْقِلُ صَلاَةَ أَبِي قَالَ فَحَدَّثَنِي وَائِلُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَانَ إِذَا كَبَّرَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ الْتَحَفَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ وَأَدْخَلَ يَدَيْهِ فِي ثَوْبِهِ قَالَ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ أَخْرَجَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَهُمَا وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَوَضَعَ وَجْهَهُ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السُّجُودِ أَيْضًا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ . قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ فَقَالَ هِيَ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَعَلَهُ مَنْ فَعَلَهُ وَتَرَكَهُ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ هَمَّامٌ عَنِ ابْنِ جُحَادَةَ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الرَّفْعَ مَعَ الرَّفْعِ مِنَ السُّجُودِ .
Abdul-Jabbar bin Wa'il Narrated from:
I was a small boy and I did not understand the prayer of my father. So Wa’Il b. ‘Alqamah reported Wa’il b. Hujr as saying: I offered prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He used to raise his hands when he pronounced the takbir (Allah is most great), then pulled his garment around him, then placed his right hand on his left, and entered his hands in his garment.When he was about to bow he took his hands out of his garment, and then raised them. And when he raised his head after bowing, he raised his hands. He then prostrated himself and placed his face (forehead on the ground) between his hands. And when he raised his head after prostration, he also raised his hands until he finished his prayer. Muhammad (a narrator) said: I mentioned it to al-Hasan b. Abu al-Hasan who said: This is how the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) offered prayer; some did it and others abandoned it.Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammam from ibn Juhadah, but he did not mention the raising of hands after he raised his head at the end of the prostration.
[1] That is Al-Hasan Al-Baṣrī.Some of the manuscripts have a difference in the sequence of the narrations here.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 723In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 333English translation : Book 2, Hadith 722
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 723
This hadith on the prayer movements of the Prophet gives several details from Wa'il ibn Hujr. He says he prayed with the Messenger of Allah and saw him raise his hands when saying takbir. The report then mentions that he placed his right hand on his left, covered himself with his garment, and raised his hands before bowing and after rising from bowing. It also describes his prostration, with his face placed between his hands. The narration includes a note that some people practiced this and others left it. So the explanation should stay close to the words: it is a report of observed prayer form.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wa'il ibn Hujr watched the Prophet's prayer closely.
- The hadith mentions placing the right hand over the left.
- The report describes hand raising before bowing and after rising from bowing.
