Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Raising the hands in supplication after the prayer




Raising the hands in supplication after the prayer
Question:

Raising the hands in duaa (supplication) after the 5 prayers – is the raising of them established from the Prophet sal Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam or not? And if it is not established, then is it permissible to raise them after the 5 prayers or not?
Answer:

It is not established from the Prophet (sal Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) as far as we know that he raised his hands in duaa after the salaam in the obligatory prayers – and to raise them after the salaam in the obligatory prayer is in opposition to the Sunnah.And with Allaah is the tawfeeq. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz 
Shaykh `Abdullah bin Ghudayaan 
Shaykh `Abdullaah bin Qu`ood 
Shaykh `Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Afeefee 
Question 4 from fatwa 5565 104 volume 7 Fataawa of the Permanent Committee
Translated by Abu Abdir Rahmaan Nasser ibn Najam
http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=660
Browse by Volume Number > Group 1 > Volume 24: Miscellaneous 1 > Book of miscellaneous > Supplications and Dhikr > Raising the hands while supplicating after saying Tasbih, Tahmid and Takbir after prayer
The fourth question of Fatwa no. 16458
Q 4: What is the ruling concerning raising one's hands upon supplication after tasbih (glorification of Allah), tahmid (saying: "Al-hamdu lillah [All praise is due to Allah]"), and takbir (saying: "Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]") made when Salah (Prayer) is finished?
A: Raising one's hands to make Du`a' after performing the obligatory Salah is a Bid`ah (innovation in religion), because there is no evidence from the Qur'an or the Sunnah to support this, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Anyone who introduces anything into this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected.
(Part No. 24Page No. 234)
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'


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Bakr Abu Zayd`Abdul-`Aziz Al Al-ShaykhSalih Al-Fawzan`Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=9539&PageNo=1&BookID=7
41- Ruling on raising hands in Witr Du`a' (in this case alright)
Q: What is the ruling on raising hands in Witr (Salah with an odd number of Rak`ahs)? 
A: It is allowed to raise one's hands on saying Qunut (supplications said while standing in prayer) in Witr prayer because it is considered as Qunut of disasters. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) raised his both hands while reciting Qunut of disasters, as related by Al-Bayhaqy (may Allah be merciful to him) with an authentic Isnad (chain of narration).

Browse by Volume Number > Volume 9 > Book of Salah > Adhkar and supplications said during Salah and after Taslim > Rraising hands in Du`a' after obligatory or supererogatory Salah

58- Ruling on raising hands after supplications and shaking hands after Salah
Q: After making Salam at the end of Salahs (Prayers), some people raise their hands in supplication. Is this Mustahab (desirable), permissible or Makruh (reprehensible)? Please take into account that they do not wipe their faces with their hands and after supplicating Allah (Exalted be He) some of them shake hands with those sitting next to them in the row of Prayer because he has not seen him for days. Is this a recommended act or is it a Bid`ah (innovation)? 

57- Ruling on raising hands in Du`a' after obligatory or non-obligatory Prayer
Q: One of the audience is asking about the ruling on raising hands in Du`a' (supplication) after Prayer, especially the obligatory (Salah) Prayer? 
A: Raising hands is undesirable in the obligatory Prayer because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not use to do that. It has not been reported that after offering Zuhr (Noon), `Asr (Afternoon), (Maghrib), `Isha' (Night) or Fajr (Dawn) Prayers, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would raise his hands in supplication. So, we should not do so because we have to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If he (peace be upon him) did or abandoned something, we are required to follow him. Also, in Prayer, we should not raise our hands in the Du`a' between
(Part No. 9Page No. 142)
the two Sujuds (prostration) or in the Du`a' in the Last Tashahhud (testification recited in the sitting position in the last unit of Prayer) before Taslim (salutation of peace ending the Prayer) because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not raise his hands in these places. The same is true for the Du`a' of the Friday Khutbah (sermon) and the `Eid (Festival) Khutbah, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not raise his hands in these acts of worship. However, in Salat-ul-Istisqa' (Prayer for rain) one should hold up both hands until the Khutbah of Istisqa' is said because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did so. Consequently, if the Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer) offered Salat-ul-Istisqa' in the Friday Khutbah or elsewhere, it is allowable to raise both hands during the supplication
following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The same applies to other Du`a's like the Du`a' at forenoon or in the night when the person is not praying. There is no harm to raise the hands and that is good. It is reported that Du`a' is one of the causes of being answered. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Your Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him. This Hdith is fair. Moreover, in the Hadith of the man who supplicated while traveling, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned a man who, after traveling far, was disheveled and dusty and he held up his hands to the sky [saying], "O Lord! O Lord!" Even though his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully; so how
(Part No. 9Page No. 143)
can he be answered!"
 How can he be answered when his food is unlawful! The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that among the causes of having one's Du`a' answered is raising the hands but the supplication of this man was unanswered because of his indulgence in unlawful matters. May Allah protect us!
So, the point is that raising hands during Du`a' is one of the causes of having the Du`a' answered but this is limited to the times when the Prophet (peace be upon him) held his hands up and the times when one is free to raise or not to raise the hands. So, one may raise his hands when he supplicates at such times. Finally, it was not reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) held his hands up after the Five Daily Obligatory Prayers or in the Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer. So, the Sunnah (action following the example of the Prophet) is not to hold the hands up at these times following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/fatawaDetails.aspx?BookID=8&View=Page&PageNo=1&PageID=1821

Browse by Volume Number > Volume 9 > Book of Salah > Adhkar and supplications said during Salah and after Taslim > Raising hands during Du`a' and shaking hands after Salah
A: Raising hands in supplication is from among the things which cause supplications to be answered. Legal evidence from the Sahih (Authentic) Hadiths
(Part No. 9Page No. 149)
prove that raising hands in supplication is a Sunnah (supererogatory act of worship following the example of the Prophet) and among the things which causes the supplications to be answered. Among these is the authentic Hadith narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (Authentic Hadith book) in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah is good and accepts only that which is good. He commanded believers to do that which He commanded the Messengers and said: O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with and, O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibât [all kinds of Halâl foods which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.] and do righteous deeds. the Prophet then mentioned the case of a man on a long journey, all dishevelled and covered with dust who raised his hands towards the sky in supplication saying: 'O Lord! O Lord!' And his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothes are unlawful and his food is unlawful. How can his supplications be answered? Allah (Exalted be He) therefore made raising hands from among the things that causes supplications to be answered, if not for the unlawful things a person may be doing. Another Hadith alludes to the same meaning; it is ranked as Hadith Hasan (a Hadith whose chain of narration contains a narrator with weak exactitude, but is free from eccentricity or blemish). The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: Your Lord is ever generous. He dislikes that His servant raises his arms in supplication and then turns him down This proves that raising hands in supplication is from among the things that causes supplications to be answered. There are many other Hadiths which all prove that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands in supplication. From among this is his supplication
(Part No. 9Page No. 150)
asking for rain when he raised his hands up high. In many other Hadiths he (peace be upon him) would ask the people to raise their hands by raising his own to illustrate his point. Therefore, this is a Sunnah.
It is likewise a Sunnah not to raise the hands in supplication at times when the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not raise his, thereby following his example. This is because it is a Sunnah to raise our hands in the postures in which he raised his and it is a Sunnah not to raise them in the postures he did not raise his hands in. For instance, a person is not to raise his hands when supplicating after making Salam at the end of the prescribed Salah. Even when making supplications after reciting the Tahiyyat before making Salam, a person is not to raise his hands and likewise between the two prostrations when he says: 'Rabbi, ighfir li [O my Lord! Forgive me]'. This is because the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not raise his hands in these postures. Likewise, he (peace be upon him) did not raise his hands in supplication during the Friday sermon or during the `Eid (Festival) sermon. But he only raised his arms when asking Allah (Exalted be He) for rain during his sermon. Therefore, we are to raise our hands in supplication when making the same request from Allah (Exalted be He). As for the Nafilah (supererogatory) Prayer, there is no harm if a person raises his hands in supplication after it; it is better if he does not raise his hands in supplication every time he prays a Nafilah so as not to assume that this is a Sunnah that must always be followed since it has not been recorded that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to consistently raise his hands in supplication after a Nafilah Prayer. The same applies to shaking hands with those sitting to a person's right and left in the row; it is a Sunnah because the Messenger (peace be upon him) legislated this act to the entire Ummah (nation based on one creed).
(Part No. 9Page No. 151)
Shaking hands is from among the things that bring about forgiveness of our sins. The Companions used to shake hands upon meeting each other; when one of them would find another sitting in the same row, he would shake hands with him. If one of them joined the row and did not shake hands before praying the prescribed Prayer or the Ratibah (supererogatory Prayer performed on a regular basis), he would shake hands when he finished. This is the Sunnah because it brings about affection, reconciles hearts and removes any ill feelings. A person is to shake hands after praying the prescribed Prayer or Nafilah if he had not already done so before. There is nothing wrong with this. As for wiping hands across the face after making supplications, there are only weak Hadiths that approve of this act and therefore, it is better not to do it. Some scholars conclude that due to the great number of Hadiths about this act, they support one another and are therefore upgraded to fair as mentioned by the Hadith scholar, Ibn Hajar in his book "Al-Bulugh".
But this is controversial since the Hadiths are weak and authentic Hadiths do not mention anything about wiping the face after supplicating. The Messenger (peace be upon him) made supplications for a variety of reasons; including for rain and otherwise, and it has not been recorded that he wiped his face, so it is better not to do this. But if a person does wipe his face after making supplications, relying on the opinion of those who maintain that the Hadiths on this issue are fair, he will not be blameworthy, In sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills).
There is nothing wrong with shaking hands immediately after Salah as an act of worship because it is among the means that bring about affection, reconciling hearts and eliminating ill feelings. The Companions used to shake hands
(Part No. 9Page No. 152)
upon meeting. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet's Companions used to shake hands upon meeting each other and they used to embrace each other upon returning from a journey. They used to shake hands with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he used to shake hands with them. It is a Sunnah to shake hands with another person upon meeting and it is one of the things which promotes love and affection between people; if a person meets his fellow-brother and does not shake his hands, this breeds ill feelings and the person may wonder why that person did not shake hands with him. The purport of this is that shaking hands upon meeting and asking about each other and about each others' families is known to be the norm among Muslims. People may shake hands at any time; in the street, in the row after Salah, and after the prescribed Salah or the Nafilah.
There is no harm if two persons enter the Masjid (mosque), sat down and shook hands after performing the Salah, and if they do shake hands before that there is likewise no harm. But during the Salah a person must be preoccupied with nothing else but Salah since this is a great thing he is doing. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The Salat
(Part No. 9Page No. 153)
entails preoccupation
 and in another Hadith it was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned the greeting of the Bedouin who entered the Masjid and prayed hastily. The Hadith reads: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” After finishing his Salah, the Bedouin greeted the Prophet (peace be upon him) once more and the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not tell him: 'You have already greeted me and this greeting suffices.'

Appendix 8
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The Weakness of the Ahaadeeth Mentioning Wiping the Face with the Hands After Du`aa' (Supplication)

...from Irwaa' al-Ghaleel (2/178-182) by Shaykh al-Albaanee

1) "The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), when he raised his hands in du`aa', he would not put them down until he had wiped his face with them."

Da`eef (Weak). Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee (2/244) and Ibn `Asaakir (7/12/2) via: Hammaad ibn `Eesaa al-Juhanee from Hanzalah ibn Abee Sufyaan al-Jamhee from Saalim ibn `Abdullaah from his father from `Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who said:...

Tirmidhee said after it, "This is a saheeh ghareeb hadeeth. We only know it as a hadeeth of Hammaad ibn `Esa, for he is alone in reporting it; he has few ahaadeeth, but the people have reported from him."

However, this reporter is weak, as in Taqreeb of Ibn Hajr, who says about him in Tahdheeb:

Ibn Ma`een said: "A good Shaykh"[1] Abu Haatim said: "Weak in Hadeeth"; Abu Daawood said: "Weak, he reports munkar ahaadeeth"; al-Haakim and Naqqaash said: "He reports fabricated ahaadeeth from Ibn Jurayj and Ja`far as-Saadiq." He is declared to be weak by ad-Daaraqutnee. Ibn Hibbaan said: "He reports things which are the wrong way round on the authority of Ibn Jurayj and `Abdul `Azeez ibn `Umar ibn `Abdul `Azeez, such that it seems to those whose field this is that it is deliberate; it is not permissible to use him as proof." Ibn Maakoolaa said: "They declare his ahaadeeth to be weak."

Hence, the like of this reporter is very weak, so his ahaadeeth cannot be raised to the level of hasan, let alone saheeh!

A similar hadeeth is:

"When the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) did du`aa' and raised his hands, he would wipe his face with his hands."

Da`eef (Weak). Abu Daawood (1492) from Ibn Lahee`ah from Hafs ibn Hishaam ibn `Utbah ibn Abee Waqqaas from Saa'ib ibn Yazeed from his father.

This is a weak sanad due to Hafs ibn Hishaam being unknown and the weakness of Ibn Lahee`ah (cf. Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb).

This hadeeth cannot be strengthened by the two routes of narration together due to the severity in weakness of the first one, which you have seen.

2) "When you call upon Allaah, then supplicate with the palms of your hands, and do not supplicate with their backs, and when you finish, wipe your face with them."

Da`eef (Weak). Related by Ibn Maajah (1181, 3866), Ibn Nasr in Qiyaam al-Lail (p. 137), at-Tabaraanee in Al-Mu`jam al-Kabeer (3/98/1) and al-Haakim (1/536), from Saalih ibn Hassaan from Muhammad ibn Ka`b from Ibn `Abbaas (radhi-yAllaahu `anhu) as marfoo`.

This is a weak sanad due to Ibn Hassaan, who is munkar in Hadeeth, as al-Bukhaaree said; an-Nasaa.ee said: "He is abandoned in Hadeeth"; Ibn Hibbaan said: "He used to have female singers and listen to music, and he used to narrate fabricated reports on the authority of trustworthy narrators"; Ibn Abee Haatim said in Kitaab al-`Ilal (2/351), "I asked my father (i.e. Abu Haatim ar-Raazee) about this hadeeth, to which he said: `Munkar'."

Ibn Hassaan has been backed up by `Eesaa ibn Maymoon, who also reported it from Muhammad ibn Ka`b, as related by Ibn Nasr. However, this does not alter anything, since Ibn Maymoon is similarly weak: Ibn Hibbaan said: "He reports ahaadeeth, all of which are fabricated"; an-Nasaa.ee said: "Not reliable."

This hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas is also related by Abu Daawood (1485), and from him al-Bayhaqee (2/212), via: `Abdul Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Aiman from `Abdullaah ibn Ya`qoob ibn Ishaaq from someone who narrated to him from Muhammad ibn Ka`b, the wording being:

"Do not cover the walls. He who looks into the letter of his brother without his permission, verily he looks into the Fire. Ask Allaah with the palms of your hands, and do not ask him with their backs, and when you finish, wipe your faces with them."

This is a weak sanad: `Abdul Malik is declared weak by Abu Daawood; it also contain the Shaykh of `Abdullaah ibn Ya`qoob who is unnamed, and therefore unknown - it is possible that he may be Ibn Hassaan or Ibn Maymoon, both of whom are mentioned above.



The hadeeth is also transmitted by al-Haakim (4/270) via: Muhammad ibn Mu`aawiyah, who said that Masaadif ibn Ziyaad al-Madeenee narrated to him that he heard it from Muhammad ibn Ka`b al-Qurazi. adh-Dhahabee followed this up by pointing out that Ibn Mu`aawiyah was declared to be a liar by ad-Daaraqutnee, so the hadeeth is falsified.

Abu Daawood said about this hadeeth, "This hadeeth has been narrated via more than one route on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ka`b; all of them are feeble."

Raising the hands on doing Qunoot for a calamity is established from the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) in his supplication against the polytheists who killed seventy reciters - transmitted by Imaam Ahmad (3/137) and at-Tabaraanee in Al-Mu'jam as-Sagheer (p. 111) as the hadeeth of Anas with a saheeh sanad. Similar is proved from `Umar and others in the Qunoot of Witr Prayer. However, since wiping the face after Du`aa' al-Qunoot is not quoted at all from the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), nor from any of his Companions, it is an innovation without doubt.

As for wiping the face after du`aa' outside of prayer, there are only these two ahaadeeth; it is not correct to say that they mutually strengthen each other to the rank of hasan, as Manaawee did, due to the severity of the weakness found in their routes of narration. This is why Imaam Nawawee said in Majmoo', "It is not recommended", endorsing Ibn `Abd as-Salaam, who said: "Only an ignorant person does it."

The view that wiping the face after du`aa' is not prescribed is strengthened by the fact that there are many authentic ahaadeeth about raising the hands in supplication, and in none of them is there a mention of wiping the face; this shows, Allaah Willing, that it is unacceptable and not prescribed.


[1] If Ibn Ma`een speaks favourably about a narrator, whereas the rest of the scholars declare him to be weak, then the statement of Ibn Ma`een is disregarded, the reason being that he was known for his strictness and severity in criticism: weak narrators would be very careful not to reveal their weakness before him; he would therefore pass judgment accordingly. This explains why he is alone in authenticating the narrator.

taken from: The Prophet's Prayer Described
- from the beginning to the end as though you see it

by Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee

Translated by Usama ibn Suhaib Hasan