2/157. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 867 — Hands on Knees
Placing The Hands On The Knees (During Ruku')
Hadith About Placing Hands on Knees in Ruku
Sunan Abi Dawud : 867
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 867
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ، - قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَاسْمُهُ وَقْدَانُ - عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِ أَبِي فَجَعَلْتُ يَدَىَّ بَيْنَ رُكْبَتَىَّ فَنَهَانِي عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَعُدْتُ فَقَالَ لاَ تَصْنَعْ هَذَا فَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَفْعَلُهُ فَنُهِينَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَضَعَ أَيْدِيَنَا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ .
Mus'ab bin Sa'd Narrated from:
I prayed by the side of my father. I put both of my hands between my knees(in bowing condition). He prohibited me from it. I then repeated; so he said: Do not do so, because we used to do so. But we were prohibited to do that, and commanded to put our hands on the knees.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 867In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 477English translation : Book 2, Hadith 866
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 867
This hadith is about hands on knees in ruku. Mus’ab ibn Sa’d prayed beside his father and placed his hands between his knees while bowing. His father stopped him. When he repeated it, his father explained that they used to do that, but were later prohibited from it and were commanded to place their hands on the knees. The hadith is practical and direct. It shows how prayer positions were corrected by those who knew the prophetic way. It also teaches that a person should accept correction in salah when it is based on what was commanded. The focus is not on argument. It is on following the prayer posture that the Companions were taught.
What we learn from this hadith
- In ruku, the hands should be placed on the knees.
- Placing the hands between the knees was prohibited in this report.
- The Companions corrected prayer actions when needed.
- A worshipper should accept clear correction in prayer.
