The Position of the Hands in the Salah of the Prophet (pbuh) (Shaikh Badee' ud-Deen Shah ar-Raashidee as-Sindhee)

ISBN: None
Author: Shaikh Badee' ud-Deen Shah ar-Raashidee as-Sindhee
Publisher: Maktabah Imaam Badee'ud-Deen (2001)
Pages: 20 Binding: Paperback

Description from the publisher:

Introduction by Zubair Alee Zai

We begin with the name of Allah who is the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. To proceed:

Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, reported, "The people were ordered to place their right hand upon their left forearm." (Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, 1/102)

We can understand from this hadeeth that one should fold ones hands whilst in Salaah. Of course if the left hand were to be placed upon the left forearm as stated above then naturally, the hands would rest on the chest.

The forearm here means from the finger region of the hand right up to the elbow. In another hadeeth it is reported that, "He (sallelaho alaihi wa alaihi wasalam ) placed his right hand upon his left hand, wrist and forearm." (Sunan Nasaa'i with the footnotes of AllaamahSindhee(1/141),AbuDawood(1/112),lbnKhuzairnah(1/243,480) and Ibn Hibbaan (p.485) have all authenticated this narration).

The understanding of the above narrations is further reinforced by the hadeeth, "He used to place his hand upon his chest ..." to the end of the narration. (Musnad Ahmad (5/226) with this wording also At-Tahqeeq of Ibn Hibbaan al-Jawzee (1/283) and( 1/338) in manuscript form).

This matter is further reported in many narrations which my respected teacher, Shaikh Muhammad Badee'ud-Deen Shah Ar-Raashidee has collated and analyzed in this treatise.Generally, according to the scholars of hadeeth, the narrations which are put forth by the Deobandi's, Bareilwi's and other branches of the Hanafi's, according to the scholars of Hadeeth are all weak and rejected. One such narration possibly the one which is most frequently used, is of a report in Sunan Abee Dawood (p. 756). This narration includes 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ishaaq al-Koofee, who is unanimously known amongst the scholars to be weak.

One may refer to classical Hanafi texts such as Nasbur-Rayah of Zailee (1/314), Al-Banaaya Fee Sharh Hidaayah (2/208) and others. In actual fact, it is mentioned in the notes to the book Hidaayah al-Awlayn, (no. 17, 1/103) that this narration is, "... weak by consensus."

Further, it should be known that the Deobandis have tampered with Musannaf Ibn Abee Shaybah, by adding the words, "... below the navel," whereas the actual manuscript and various prints of Musannaf Ibn Abee Shaybah are free from any such addition.

Then a strange twist to this matter is the saying of the Hanafees that, "Men should place their hands below the navel and that women should place theirs upon there chest." Subhaanallaah! There is no proof for this statement from any hadeeth - either authentic or weak - and nor is there any consensus upon such a distinction. In spite of this, all Hanafees are agreed upon this matter and practice it in their prayers.

Whilst reading the Shaikhul-Arab wal-Ajam's (the Shaikh of Arabs and non-Arabs) treatise, the reader is to take careful note of the fact that, in this book, the Shaikh has laid down a challenge that the Hanafees, Deobandis and Bareilwis have yet to answer.May Allah make this treatise a means of guidance and Sadaqah Jaariyyah.

Haafidh Zubair Alee 22/9/1999