2/124. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 742 — Raising Hands to the Shoulders
The Beginning Of The Prayer
Raising Hands to the Shoulders in Prayer
Sunan Abi Dawud : 742
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 742
حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ إِذَا ابْتَدَأَ الصَّلاَةَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ رَفْعَهُمَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ . أَحَدٌ غَيْرَ مَالِكٍ فِيمَا أَعْلَمُ .
Nafi Narrated from:
When ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar began his prayer, he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and when he raised his head after bowing, he raised them lower than that. Abu Dawud said: So as far as I know, no one narrated the words “he raised them lower that that” except Malik.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 742In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 352English translation : Book 2, Hadith 741
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 742
This hadith focuses on raising hands to shoulder level in prayer. Nafi reports that Abdullah ibn Umar raised his hands opposite his shoulders when he began the prayer. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them lower than that. This gives a clear picture of hand placement during prayer movements. Abu Dawud then adds a note about the wording. He says that, as far as he knew, only Malik narrated the phrase that the hands were raised lower than that after bowing. This makes the hadith useful for people searching for hadith about raising hands in salah, shoulder level takbir, and raf al yadayn. It also reminds readers that the wording of prayer narrations was checked with care.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration mentions raising the hands opposite the shoulders at the start of prayer.
- It mentions a lower hand raise after rising from bowing.
- Abu Dawud notes a wording detail linked to Malik’s narration.
